DISCOVERING BRIGHTER SIDE IN PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN

RAVI SHANKAR. 
The whole world including our country is passing through tough times due to pandemic of COVID 19. India is in a situation of lockdown for our own health and of society. We have been in our home not going out or doing our regular work routine. So, It is a great time that we introspect into ourself, and come out with more understanding and insight.
The first week of lockdown passed with anxiety and confusion about the pandemic and future, but as time passed it became a natural way of living and healing. I started enjoying the process, the life became slow nothing much to do, but in time realized life has not become slow but this is its natural flow we have only made it complex and fast, running for something or other finding happiness outside may be in the materialistic world worrying about daily chores of requirements and future.
We the inhabitants of earth started believing we are masters of the Earth, we can through Science and Technology change the nature and our surroundings according to our own convenience. In the process, we have destroyed the nature like never before, we started believing that we have to save the earth, but watching earth pressing the reset button when left with minimum human intervention in just few days is incredible, everything back in their natural order. Its time that we should understand that it is not that we have to save Earth but we humans have to save our self, the earth can heal itself in a matter of weeks.
Efforts by government to clean the Ganga river through various plans and policies like Namami Gange were running through decades to clean our rivers but what this lockdown has done maybe could not be done by any government. We would have achieved some progress in cleaning Ganga due to some religious sentiments and political pressure but thinking of Yamuna to get clean was beyond common imagination.

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I live in Delhi, and while passing over the bridge of Yamuna river and seeing its condition, I always thought the water in it cannot become clean in my lifetime whichever government comes in power. It literally was changed into drain with its water black but to my surprise, just in weeks, it rejuvenated itself back to its natural flow.
Air Quality Index of our country in past few weeks has improved significantly. People experienced such air quality after a long time and for such a long duration. We at day can see a clear blue sky and stars at night. People are enjoying this part and sharing pictures of Full Moon, nature on social media. At a great surprise, people in Punjab, Jalandhar reacted with awe at the sight of Dhulandhar’s mountain range which lies at a distance of nearly 213 km from Jalandhar, visible after decades due to low air pollution. There are pictures of wildlife coming from all over the world roaming freely on roads of city.
The COVID 19 Virus as scientists believe has come from animals to humans. We just because of our taste buds have started killing animals and eating them without having a sentiment. We should pause and introspect the mindful ways of eating. Animals love us unconditionally it teaches us compassion and love what we have already lost in continuous process of jealousy, competition anxiety, and whatnot.

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We have somehow shifted to a natural way of eating during this lockdown, its time we have to realize that food is for survival only not to please our senses. In our country where a lot of people don’t have enough food in their plates, we wasted millions of tons of food on our plates unconsciously. Due to less availability of food because of shops shut down people after a long time has started saving the food and giving due respect to it. We have also shifted to healthy home-cooked food instead of junk food available at every corner of cities and towns.
Due to lockdown, the economy of persons has also been affected, many have lost their jobs or maybe in future they will, but we should also learn lessons of savings for the future by this, what our parents and grandfathers used to teach us. This event has certainly shown us economic life can be very uncertain and unpredictable. In the future, we should cut our unnecessary expenditure on things which we really do not want and are unnecessary.
Moving to the brighter side of the story this condition has ignited in our self a sense of love and care for humankind. Many poor people and daily wage earners have been left without food in their plates. But many hands have also come ahead to help them in any form they can do, some have provided money, some food, some soaps, some labour and much more, it has once again reminded us a feeling of love, compassion, brotherhood among ourselves. Earlier, where a road rage or fight in small situations was very common.
In a time when schools are closed and children are at home, It is a great opportunity for parents of kids of 2000s to make their children keep away from gadgets and tv so that they experience the calmness and joy in their lives as kids of 80 s and 90s used to play and enjoy.
We have always thought in our imagination that just like our Mobile we might also have a reset button. Nature and life have given a chance and opportunity we have to understand its signal to restart our life with greater enthusiasm and a life full of life.