What is COVID-19 19. It is not just a name. Is it an invisible enemy? Is it a Chinese Virus? How did it come? When will it go?
How it spreads? Why can’t we see our own family members in the hospital? What is the remedy? When will theairlines open again? When will the restaurants open again? When will we able to meet our friends? No Broadway,no films, no parties, working from home for months. Oh man! What kind of prison walls have become our own home?
Well, it took a long time for the effects of COVID-19 19 to sink in us and Indian American Community members were asscared as other members. The month of Jan 2020 was a little bit normal, the panic button was not pressed, but later. on, three press conferences with statistics became daily dose. Listen to Mayor New York, Governor of New York andPresident of USA with health experts. While Governor sounded very methodical and interspersed his address withinspiring or thoughtful quotes. Mayor gave basic information and addressed direct concerns. The major policy decisionsand the national approach towards handling Corona Virus and questions by journalists, initially informative, soon becametiresome. People started trying to figure out, how to make the most of the time and energy available at hand. Many internet- basededucational courses emerged. Many universities offered free courses. Zoom became the in thing, students were confined to home and parents must have found it challenging to take care of their own mind as well as needs of kids.
Some community organizations started Antakshari, Yoga, Pranayam classes. Many members of our community caught up withreading habits and some started their own Youtube Channel. Indian Consulate in New York also engaged community memberson social media. Indian Govt started flight ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, an escape route of sorts for those who were stuck here. This year 2020 has created millions of stories. It disrupted us in many ways. Many of us have lost family members and friends. The major lesson brought at our doorsteps is asking us to take a fresh look at our priorities. Our wonderful clothes didn’t help. The joy of living needed to be discovered with innovative ways. Technology still rules our lives but we became moreaware about the importance of being able to breathe. What we will do in 2021 won’t be much different; we will still be complainingand pointing fingers at each other. Old habits die hard yet this fresh reminder about incorporating corrective measures toour lifestyle may make some difference. Namaskar became the norm and zoom meeting, virtual celebrations as well as fundraisingbecame the need of the hour. No hugs! This social distancing has taken its emotional toll leading many people to depression and a few suicides too, but experience should teach us. It does, if we are willing to learn. In this scene, while our survival dependson our ability to learn and adopt, we need to transform our approach at a faster pace. Happy New Year.
(Ashok Vyas is a poet, priest and Program Director, ITVGold. He can be reached at punditvyas@yahoo.com)