New Delhi:The world is facing a warlike situation wherein India is one of the victim countries. However, this war is not waged against any particular country or the group of countries. The common enemy is the pandemic, the contagious coronavirus plaguing the earth and making it hell which anyone would shudder to think of.However, combative India has strongly responded to the situation for remedial measures against the too- small -to -see yet mass-killing coronavirus originating from China. In this regard, the citizens are naturally expected to sincerely cooperate with the government to keep the virus at bay, with no option to choose. As is expected, the intelligentsia of the society must come forward to play a bigger role to make sure the dissemination of the governmental message percolates down the lowest stratum of the society which is more vulnerable. Self-isolation is easier said than done for the poor, who in spite of themselves live in a single-room shanty with the highest vulnerability. If this malady reaches that level, it will wreak havoc beyond imagination. God forbid!
It stands to reason that the need of the hour is that the countrymen should follow the health management directives issued by the Government rather than pressing the panic button. It is hardly needed to remind that the country has earned enough bad names for stampede whether it was a Sari-distribution in Uttar Pradesh or the Chhath festival of Bihar if you take a trip down the memory lane. With a three weeklong lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi to break the chain of the highly contagious coronavirus, people have begun to stock up on essential items and the reports of hoarding foodstuff is doing the rounds. This author visited a shop the following day only to find nothing as substantial his family. As a consequence, making a beeline for groceries is creating a situation of demand and supply unwarranted chaos. If not controlled, it will trigger off societal imbalance, spreading ill-will and vices that nobody likes. The government should ensure that unfettered access to sustenance to live on is in place. The economic package of fifteen thousand crore rupees by the central government to ward off corona will not be enough until the instant loan facility is made available and provided to the business houses, more particularly small ones and needy individuals throughout the country. The government should instantly issue directives to the banks in order to facilitate the loan even with the online provision if a citizen requests via a registered email. The instant provision and facility will save many lives and unthinkable untoward situation. Let’s break the chain of the virus by self-isolation as recommended for prevention. Let the malady not go further. Affliction must come down. Furthermore, food for survival, not the survival of the fittest is the need at this juncture. Who will disagree to this fact that humanity must continue to exist otherwise the adage necessity knows no law will begin to prevail? In consequence, it will aggravate the precarious situation we are already put in. Time is up to remind ourselves of the Indian traditional culture and stick to our age-old ethos and philosophy that says. ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ May all sentient beings be at peace! May no one suffer from illness! May all see what is auspicious, may no one suffer! Om! peace, peace, peace!
The social entrepreneur Dr Birbal Jha is a noted author and the Managing Director of Lingua Multiservices Pvt Ltd having a popular trademark ‘British Lingua’. He is regarded as having created a revolution in English training In India with the slogan ‘English for all’.
