Everyone is a soldier in this war against coronavirus

  By Vijay Darda | 30-03-2020

Union & state governments are taking every possible measure but the role of common man is extremely important

It goes without saying that the situation due to coronavirus is very critical at the moment. Experts say that we are fast moving towards stage-3. If we failed to check the spread of corona now, the very thought of what would happen in India appears frightening. Even the powerful nations like the US, the UK and Europe have failed to resolve the mystery behind this dangerous gift given by China. According to the Worldometer, the deadly virus has killed more than 31,000 people worldwide and the death count is constantly going up.

I was listening to a video message of an Indian origin doctor who is taking care of corona patients in a hospital in New York. She said she was faced with a dilemma. For, she has such an acute shortage of ventilators that sometimes there is just one ventilator for three patients. In such a situation, it is difficult to decide whom to put on ventilator. Same is the case with Italy and Spain. Just think what will happen if coronavirus wreaks havoc in our country? We all know well where we stand vis-a-vis medical infrastructure.

I am upset and worried that many people in our country are still not taking this pandemic seriously. Despite the enforcement of lockdown in the country and appeal to stay home, many people are seen gathering outside in large numbers. It is not known who is infected and who is not. People themselves do not know, so it is obvious that if a person is infected, he will transmit this virus to others as well. Actually many people don’t realise their duty and responsibility. If they see police on the street, they follow the lockdown, but if there are no policemen, people don’t hesitate to gather and discuss coronavirus. How do we deal with this irony?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and chief ministers of other states are also doing tremendous work. From the chief secretary to home secretary and their teams, all are working day and night. Everywhere in the country, our doctors, nurses, ward boys and paramedical staff are working round the clock. They have not gone home and are busy treating patients in the hospitals 24×7 risking their own life. I had mentioned about all these corona warriors in my previous column. They deserve our highest praise. The whole country will remain indebted to them. Whenever this pandemic would be chronicled in the history, the names of all these people associated with the medical fraternity would surely be mentioned with respect and reverence.

We all need to understand that fighting this war against corona is not the responsibility of government or the people associated with the medical field only. It is the duty of every citizen of the country to cooperate in winning this war. Every citizen of the country is in the role of a soldier in this war. And the role is to stay at home. I salute those who are playing their part wholeheartedly, but those who are unnecessarily coming out of their houses are, in true sense, enemies of the entire humanity. And yes, the unscrupulous traders who are black-marketing the essential commodities in this hard time are also enemies of the entire society, country and the humanity. There is an acute shortage of masks and sanitizers. Packaged flour has disappeared from the market.

The government should take such a stern action against these black marketers that even their future generations should not dare think of black marketing. At the same time, I urge the government and voluntary organisations to take care of people who are hungry and those who have set out on foot to return to their homes hundreds of miles away. I request the governments of all the states that wherever such people are found, lodging and boarding arrangements for them should be made and they should also be tested for coronavirus. I would definitely like to mention D Sivanandan, who runs a roti bank and makes arrangements for three square meals for poor and destitute people. After his mother died recently, he performed her last rites and immediately came back to feed the poor. We need such dedicated people.

I understand that it is very difficult for the working people to stay at home. But mind you, if you are going out, you are actually going to bring coronavirus home. On account of my profession, I travel a lot and generally stay in contact with a lot of people. But these days, I am fully honouring the lockdown – not meeting anyone and doing all the work using phone and internet. Thus, I am playing the role of a soldier in this war against corona.

Therefore, my humble request to you is to stay at home. If you will remain safe, the country will be safe too. Enjoy time with your family. I thank the Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar who has started airing the popular epic serials Ramayan and Mahabharat on Doordarshan. These serials are beyond caste and religion and teach the art of living. They teach respect and a sense of justice for the humanity. Also, try to get your hawker to deliver the newspaper to you because newspapers are the best medium for reliable news. Stay away from rumours. Stay cool, stay healthy.

Rahat Indauri has rightly said:

Ek ek kar abhi havaa mein ud jayenge 21 din..!

Before I conclude…

In my article titled ‘Politics has knocked bottom out of anti-defection law’ on March 16, 2020, I had mentioned that Gaya Lal, the then MLA from Haryana, had left Congress and joined Janata Party. Actually, Janata Party was mentioned due to dictation error. In fact, Gaya Lal had joined Sanyukta Vidhayak Dal, which was merged into Janata Party after the latter’s formation. We are passing through tough times. Every life is in danger due to Covid-19. The only remedy to break its circle and avoid getting infected is to stay at home and sanitized. Unfortunately, a lot of people are still indifferent and strict action needs to be taken against them.

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