On easing the COVID restrictions

This time we have known about life more clearly than ever before. Death is just one step away from healthy respiration. If our lungs and hearts cannot pull in the fresh air from outside, we are gone! What we all must understand is that our life on earth here, which is so vulnerable to various external forces, let alone the internal sickness, is very “impermanent”. The pandemic COVID 19 has emerged to ram home this very point.

True, the Wuhan virus has virtually broken the back of the global economy. It has also given a big jolt to civilization. Not just that, it has literally deflated our egos, it has shrunken our arrogance too! Have our modern technologies not helplessly failed in to save so many of our beloved relatives and friends during this pandemic?

But I’m afraid; sometimes I feel it is just the tongue-in-cheek diktats. Don’t we see the government holding public events every now and again? Some public leaders are going about without masks. How do we describe this? Those who make the laws should not be the first to break them.

One wonders why it is so "very essential" to celebrate Independence Day, community festivals et al as we are most likely to get infected with the virulent virus. Our achieved freedom cannot be taken away by the British anymore! If I am not mistaken the “social gatherings” are more dangerous than any other thing. Why don’t we put off all kinds of gatherings, social festivities, and celebrations until we are fully able to defeat the virus? The ways people went around on India Independence Days in some states or in some odd festivals and celebrations in the USA and UK send chills down the spine. Of course, some states had a very subdued independence celebration.

However, we can no longer ignore the essential business activities ---- particularly which involve the weaker section of people and daily wagers. Majority of Governments have taken the right decision by easing the restriction in many of the cities. The continuous lockdowns have caused tremendous hardship to underprivileged communities. For them, the government needs to lift the restriction/lockdown but not for the celebration of festivals, social and religious events. God will continue to shower His blessings even if we abstain ourselves now from participating in religious gatherings and so on, I am logically sure. God may not help those who sing the hollow prayers by risking their lives. What has come down now may go up again if we do not learn from our past mistakes.