Almost every year movies about attempts to prevent an apocalypse event, dealing with the impact and consequences of the event itself, or about post-apocalyptic, set after the event, hit the silver screen around the world. The story invariably focuses on the psychology of survivors, the way to keep the human race alive and together as one. The movie buffs, I would say enjoy watching destruction – car wrecks, tornadoes, explosions brought about climate change, nuclear holocaust or pandemic or more imaginative ones such as alien invasion or machines (cyber) attack. Now with the 2nd wave of COVID, millions of people are once again facing a similar situation.
The narratives is once again very similar to any of these movies-
- Our way of life is threatened.
- The collapse of infrastructure, health infra in the present case
- Threatened social fabric.
- Moral dilemmas
What would be like if the COVID disease spreads unabated. What would be the world like a few months from now? In the movies, we get to experience these feelings from a distance.
While thinking about all this I have come to realize that all of the things that we cherish are much more fragile than we ever imagined. Morning walk, going to work every day, zipping around the world on the plane, meeting friends for dinner and all the rest of it — that can all go away, almost in a flash. That’s a very scary thought, but it’s an important one for us to confront because I hope it forces all of us, starting with me, to realize how precious these things are, how fragile, and how vigilant we must be going forward in preserving them along with our health. When I see people not taking caution or governement flouting its own norms, downplaying the gravity of situation, I only say to myself that please pardon them, they have not learnt the lessons.
Presently I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I am very hopeful. No doubt the virus is pushing us to the edge but we are not done yet. Let’s prepare ourselves for the battle. Like in any battle there will be losses.
The whole episode and battle reminds me of episode in the epic battle of Mahabharata, fought at Kurukshetra between Pandavas and Kauravas.
After learning of the deceptive way his father was killed, Ashwatthama becomes filled with wrath and invokes the celestial weapon called the Narayanastra, against the Pandavas. This Astra (“weapon” in Sanskrit) in turn fires a powerful tirade of millions of deadly missiles simultaneously. The intensity of the shower rises with the increase in resistance. The only way to defend against the missile is to show total submission before the missiles hit, this, in turn, will cause this weapon to stop and spare the target. Lord Krishna, tells the Pandavas and their warriors to drop their weapons and lie down on the ground so that they all surrender completely to the power of the weapon. On his order entire Pandava army dropped their weapons and remain quiet with folded hands. Narayana Astra gradually calmed down when its time expired. In this way, the Pandava army was saved. Battles are not just about attack and counter-attack. Some battles are won by staying put and remaining quiet. In today’s trying times, in order to escape the wrath of nature, we all need to stop going out for some time, remain quiet, stay put in our homes and keep the good in mind, and let things pass.
Stay safe, stay home. Jai hind.
