There is much truth in century old comment by an eminent Justice that ‘ If the broad light of the day could be let in upon men’s action, it would purify them as the sun disinfects’. The past few months saw the world at large, on a precipitous fall with no end in sight. Baring a few instances worth a mention, the global world is viciously seized by an invisible enemy, which is slowly but surely snuffing her life. COVID has struck with her lethal venom at the world’s most vulnerable organ- Economy.
The onslaught of the virus is unprecedented. A substantial section of population worldwide has been affected by it and many of them lost their lives. The world downed her shutters with a hope to contain the pandemic, oblivious to the fact that a different kind of panic awaits them – A Shattered Economy. Lockdown, given the urgency of the situation was imperative. But the strain on livelihood is evident and is assuming horrendous proportion. A tug of war between economic revival and containment has begun, both sides deeply uncomfortable with the idea of pluralism, an essential hallmark of liberal democracy.
There can be no denying that addressing an issue as complex as this would require constant engagement, improvisation and monitoring at periodic intervals. A short, medium and long term goal with advisory notes need to be defined and put in motion. It is a fact that changing the mindset’s to adjust to this new normal poses a unique challenge. Hence, in these desperate times, intolerable choices are bound to be made. There is no crystal ball gazing nor is there a silver bullet that may be bit upon. At best, the choices made here may broadly border on ensuring balanced dissatisfaction. Sooner we make peace with this crisis and embrace it as a part of our life albeit with precautions, better prepared we would be to deal with it. Both risks and benefits are well known. It means that we need to walk on two legs – adjusting the negotiated positions to reflect the changed circumstances with neither side emerging completely victorious over the other. Therefore, we need to negotiate from a position of strength which would come from working proactively towards providing enhanced healthcare and at the same time seize every opportunity for sustainable growth. The path of straddling the two worlds is not easy and is fraught with tough choices – Choices that we are doomed to make and each choice may entail an irreparable loss. However, one thing is certain – each step in the right direction will bring us closer to a New World of Freedom.
Kindly note – the views expressed are personal and has no bearing on others.
Nothing has ever come out of worrying. On other end, acceptance brings clarity and a sea of opportunity which otherwise were clouded by gloominess. One may do well to take this setback as an Extended Holiday to do things which one had always wished for. An unplanned break it is, but do make it count till it lasts. Spend time with near and dear one’s, cultivate new hobbies or revive the earlier ones, attempt all those things that would help to regain confidence and bring forth positive thoughts. It is easier said than done, but then, is there any other alternative! By following this path, there is a possibility to encounter happiness abound. Helplessness and depression are pushed away into oblivion.
Bull’s Eye 