HEALTH, HUMAN AND HUMANITY: A CONTEMPORARY ANECDOTE

Avdhesh Jha

The repercussion of COVID 19 brought complete closure to the industry, business and trade and thus impacted the economy negatively. There was no individual and no country that was left without the impact of this virus on economy. The economy with respect to GDP maybe addressed and compensated sooner or later but the impact of the suffering of the people and the country and its impact on happiness of the people and the country could hardly be economised and compensated at any point of time. With complete lock down and the opening of only a few essential services, the current scenario let human have the opportunity of survival with restrictions under which were posited strong controls threatening the people to turn from luxury to basic needs. Those who could control their habits restricted their needs and proved themselves powerful but others had to pay a lot for their habits. These payers boosted the market for their needs and most of the suppliers satisfying those needs earned huge profits.

Impact on Health: Not only the pandemic but the threat of the pandemic and the mis-information epidemic (misfodemic) cursed the human health badly. Not restricting to physical health, it impacted the mental, social, emotional, economical and spiritual health of human. The misfodemic was not restricted to the individual but reached the societal health and cursed the social and economic health of the countries within and amongst their partner countries. To help the people follow the lock down, most of the countries tried all that could attract the people to keep at home and thus follow lock down. This gave the opportunity to promote culture and spiritualism with the popular TV shows telecasting it again. Indeed, it added to culture and spiritualism but it’s unfortunate the goodness remains for a short while whereas the misfodemic was working all the time affecting the societal health and damaging the human health for which there could hardly be any vaccines. It’s pathetic, with this most common and most dangerous misfodemic, having the capacity to harm the generations with its infection, there is no hospitalisation; for the wound is unseen but the unseen wound has its deep and stained marks on body, mind and soul. Because the symptoms of this infection are not described medically there is no hospitalisation, no seriousness and so no chance for any vaccine.

Impact on Human: The most terrible impact of the pandemic was seen on human. With the lockdown was posited several controls and the same aroused several questions. The curiosity didn’t allow the human to keep away from the media and news whereas the livelihood didn’t allow many to rest at ease. It was only this situation that asked the human to think of life and livelihood. The fear of the control forced the people for hoardings and the shops turned empty within hours. The slave of the need, requirements and the necessities; the human; took all that what was required and even those that was not required. Capitalism proved to be a motivating factor and people bought all that what money could buy. The quick and unexpected decision by the government and its vicarious presentation by media and misinterpretation by people created a chaos. Most of the media failed to question about relevance and validity of data rather served the purpose of system and its requirements. Neglecting their duty towards the society for about fifty days they imprisoned the people with repetition of same poor sight creating more and more terror. Capitalism spurred and livelihood requirement hailed for those who had money. But the poorest sight was for the people having poor economic condition especially the daily wages workers. They also loved life but left with nothing, neither the livelihood nor the home, and betrayed by the false promises of the government these poor people chose to move back out of fear of starving to death. It was this decision that created lakhs of people taking risk and ultimately moving on feet to their home town or joining the shelter homes. It proved that more than corona was the fear of their existence in the lockdown.

With the concept of social distancing and the multi-faceted rumours about corona added with the infections of the differences; the distrusted people with the fear of their endangered life removed all the household workers which staked the life of these household workers yearning for their livelihood. The infections of the presentation and mis-presentation; the interpretation and mis-interpretation turned viral and created a chaos and humanity came to a standstill with no one for anyone. It impacted the human to avoid face to face socialism, sharing, caring and added to people suspecting others as corona positive, treating others as untouchable and looking every other with prejudiced eye. It enabled many to invest time, exploring other opportunities. Especially in education, it spurred with online classes. It further added to family togetherness, thinking about real need positing the question as such how much we need, what is truth, how useful are the materialistic pleasures etc. For India, the pandemic added to spreading religionism, spiritualism; cherishing the time with what you like. The concept of work from home in most cases was abusive because young children expect parents to help them accompany but parents were busy reporting their offices creating a negative impact amongst the children. Nonetheless, the pandemic added to the family togetherness without oneness and unhomeliness although being at home. Most of the corporates and privates kept their employees busy with unending meetings without any output. Those who had work from home were troubled with reporting and generating business whereas others were busy to think and strive about how to spend time mostly with TV news, social sites, calling a friend on phone, or with giving their presence to netflix and prime video etc. Although the situation was fatal, whereas removing the workers without caring for them was a problem for the workers, it also turned a problem for each family and also a boon because it was only this time when each household had to work on his own which in turn added to their physical health and to ponder of their attitude towards their worker.

Impact on Humanity: Not restricted to the economic losses suffered of not getting salary in lock down, with the wild messages spread by the newsmongers, people abhorred taking vegetables from the vegetable vendors not only creating huge losses to them but also prompting them suffer huge losses and thus starve to death. The people out of their fear and helplessness took huge risks and some lost even their dearer members which would remain a lifetime tragedy and pain for them. It’s sad on the part of the society too that missed its duty and pledge towards humanity. Whereas the posited lock down with the imposed control was an opportunity to assess the patience, perseverance, creativity, duty, responsibility and commitment of an individual towards their family, state and nation; the pandemic also posited thinking about real need, how much we need, what is truth and how useful are the materialistic pleasures. Because of misfodemic and thus the lack of patience many people suffered and many had to pay with their lives. Most people, most countries lost hope and went in despair. Indeed, it was the loss of humanity, humanity suffered because of the inhumane humane. The decisive decisions motivated by the lust for power and greed of richness slayed the humanity and human as well slaughtered both human and humanity.

Conclusion: In this tough time, the same employees who helped the organisations earn huge profits, merely in this short lock down, most of these employees suffered salary cut although the government said there should be no cut which questions the idea of sustainability of those institutions and the boasting of development. The strong lock down imposed the fear of death not only because of corona but of its misinterpretation, mis-presentation and hunger. Corona was less a fear and more was the terror of lack of livelihood and threat of hunger. With this fear, many people who started their journey of safety remained unnoticed by the government. Many lost their lives while walking towards their home and its pity, they suffered who work as the engine of the nation. The pandemic presented different facets of human with collectivism, hoarding, black marketing, profiteering, politics and popularity at the cost of lives etc. but there were some who served the society neutrally without the desire of popularity with their picture and name cited by media. Whereas the virus presented the threat, it was sad that even this situation was looked upon as a business proposition and salary deduction which presented the poor picture of inhumane by the human. It presented the degradation and devaluation of values and humanity but simultaneously, it presented the generosity of many people which added to human and humanity.