Redefining Normal….
In the past few days we have been reminded of two hardcore but bitter truths of life; one is – ‘change is the only thing that is constant’ & second is ‘our existence as a human being is miniscule’, irrespective of how mammoth we may become or how much we may boast about our Technological Advancements & Artificial Intelligence based systems.
Of late we have not paid any heed, we have been continuously ignoring the warning signals, we haven’t tried to mend the ways we are co-existing with other creatures in this universe, we have had closed our eyes to the disasters ranging from increased frequency of earthquakes to the human created extreme weather conditions; ranging from the skewed rain fall patterns to the droughts & storms which are becoming more intense with each passing year. We have disrupted the ecological balance and have contributed to the surfacing of tsunamis, flash floods & pollution everywhere. But at the same time we have never showed any laxity in coining the fancy lingo; the terms like disaster management, sustainable development, carbon footprints, Green House emissions seem so explicable & so satisfactory to be discussed at International platforms of the UN, the World Economic Forums, or to catch hold of some sympathy (read financial assistance) from the IMF or the World Bank.
But TODAY, the whole human race across the globe has come to a standstill due to one of its kind; the deadly onslaught –covid19. The latest pandemic that apparently owes its genesis to some illegal trading of sea food or some kind of mixing of blood of rare animal species & human or perhaps by some laboratory blunders in Wuhan, the fact of the matter is it has been born & brought up by us….yes the humans.
The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Almost 50% of the world’s population had come under its grip. Since then be it SARS, Bird Flu, EBOLA or COVID-19 the unstoppable human intervention is the reason for such epidemics/pandemics. It has been explored by the researchers that the increased & unrestricted human contact with animals will create more pandemics like these.
The anxiety & enigmas associated with any pandemic & its aftermath is much beyond one can ever imagine and foresee. As per an article of MIT Technology Review, the normalcy will not be restored for long after this COVID-19 is over and the life will totally be different afterwards.
The global economy might hit recession this year due to the pandemic. Sectors such as aviation, tourism and transport would get severely impacted. And with worldwide lockdowns and quarantine measures everything from restaurants and retail to services, IT and manufacturing might be badly hit. This would not only be a huge drag on the world economy but would also affect day to day lives of people & the way they lead their lives.
In a country like India it may create a demographic shift; the unskilled & semi-skilled migrants from suburbs might take a U-turn, the culture of work from home may extend beyond IT sector, the odd-even or alternate working day system might be the modus operandi of many leading corporate houses, the online academic & fitness sessions might become the best teaching/training pedagogy. There might be lesser dependence on support staff everywhere and online shopping stores might see a surge in their sale. The production of medical equipments & drugs might speed up. The state funding in a secular country like India might contribute to increase in number of hospitals & the construction of religious places might take a back seat. The financial platforms & banking services might become tech savvy like never before. The roads might not be overburdened with tonnes & tonnes of vehicles anymore. The weekend fad of going out might discontinue & restaurants might resort to home deliveries.
The nature might revive again with chirping, buzzing & croaking sounds. The sky might find its original colour and might not be afraid of the blues anymore. And probably the human race might get back to its roots and not be so insensitive to the nature & its inhabitants. We might become more compassionate towards our co-habitants. A strong humanitarian bond might get created between people irrespective of their caste, creed & religion. The preposterous & invincible race to accumulate material possessions by undermining the essence & spirit of humanity might slow down.
Amidst this lockdown we can actually introspect & contemplate that where did we go wrong? Indubitably the pandemic is going to cause immense pain and suffering & the human costs would be dreadful, but it would force us to reconsider who we are and what we value. The pseudo images that we have incarnated for ourselves of late might get revamped into a more responsible, more empathetic citizen of this country and above all a better inhabitant of this planet. Perhaps, in the long run, it could help us rediscover the better version of ourselves. Let’s hope that we might change……
By :
Dr Anubha Gupta
( Cofounder , ILLUMINATE MINDS )
