It’s a different day, in a different year, but there’s that feeling of déjà vu. We thought we had put 2020 behind and were ready to start a fresh and a new and suddenly we are staring at a much scarier beast. A case of history repeating itself.
The only thing different would be that last time “Justice for Sushant” was the antidote that made us forget the virus, this time around its khumb Mela, election rallies have made forget that we are going through the second wave.
It looks like all the plate banging, clapping, conch blowing, candle lighting and flower showering only did the opposite. Maybe the virus mistook it for a welcoming party, so it it came with more force. And the same thing had an inverse effect on our leaders.
And though we make memes and jokes about the announcements, there’s an uncertain scary feeling hanging in the air. No matter how much we deny it, in our hearts we know the truth. We can blame the local, state and centre, and they in turn blame each other. But in all this Blame Game we need to acknowledge that somewhere we have dropped the ball. Somewhere we have let our guard down. Somewhere we have ourselves to blame to predicament we find ourselves.
Though the current situation, the sheer numbers, the ones affected, the young infants with IV lines and ventilators, the sheer number of people loosing their lives, the doctors, the nurses, the healthcare workers, buckling under the sheer number of cases, may move us to tears, may lead us to saying in exasperation, what kind of cruel god would do such a thing to their creation, what kind of God would let it’s people suffer, and no matter how much we may curse and lament at our Gods for the situation we may fin ourselves in it, in actuality it’s us who have created the situation.
We may say the virus knows no religion but somehow we have proved it’s not so. Last year we may have hounded one religious gathering as a super spreader, while we give another a free pass.
We say that the virus know no social status. Then we need to tell that to the ones who lost their jobs, lost their businesses, shut shop cause they couldn’t bear the losses they faced, the small businesses, people who have had to take pay cut, suffer bankruptcy, lost their jobs. And other end of the spectrum you have country’s billionaires getting more richer during the pandemic. Makes you wonder how did ever get wealthier when everyone, including the country’s GDP took a beating.
We may say that the virus knows no politics but then why did some states get the stick and the favourite ones get bouquet? Why was the government denying when states asked for help, and to rap them on the knuckles for being assumably careless. What we need is a united front in this battle, and not a battle between the centre and the states, a blame game. It’s not in the interest of anyone that you try to pull someone down, cause in the end the whole is weak and appears bad. And seeing the safety rules so flouted during election rallies, especially where two heads of the country are busy campaigning, makes you wonder what’s wrong with them. And how do we expect to overcome this situation, let alone win it, when the head is no where to be seen, or is firmly stuck in the sand, or busy playing a game of Simon Says and coming up with ridiculous names for vaccination drive.
Speaking of vaccination we say that everyone needs to get vaccinated but still maintain an age limit of 45 and above. We make arrogant statements “the vaccination is for those need it and not those who want it”. This seem ironical when the ones who are hit the most and have to step out are 18 and above, and the government refuses to lift the age limit, knowing that in the second children and youth are also being infected. This no time for bruised egos and arrogance. No time for silly bhoomi pujans, melas, temples and structure. What is the need for helping other when you can’t help your own.
Finally, we have ourselves to blame. We never wanted another lockdown, but at the same time we never wanted to follow rules. We refused to wear masks, we refused to follow safety protocols. We thought that we had conquered Carona, so wet went on holidays to the mountains and beaches, without abiding to the safety protocols. We went on workout and runs for pictures and a few hundred likes.
What we didn’t do is question our representatives, hold them accountable for their actions. We remained a silent spectator and trolled the ones who dared to. We have a free pass to one while ridiculing the other. W safe Twitter tigers but real life scaredy cats, not tell the emperor that he wears no clothes.
Why should the doctors, the nurses the frontline worker, the health care workers, risk their lives once, when so willingly turn a blind eye. Why should they crumble under the immense and ever growing pressure? Why should they endanger their lives when the ones in power are not even aware of the number of them who have lost their lives. Why should they risk their lives when the ones who need to listen to them refuses to do so, and have their heads firmly in the sand. Why should they be endangered for the sins/foolishness of others. They don’t want claps and banging plates, burning Candles and the showering of petals. This only seemed to have affected those in power making then dumb, deaf and blind and also lost of smell.
In the end what we need to do is follow the simple rules which are not hard to follow and are I place to help us only. We need to hold the one in power, accountable for their actions and not give anyone a free pass. Remember we are all in this together. We can make it out and to the other side when we work together as one. Maybe then History won’t repeat itself cause we have learned from our mistakes!!!
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