December 2019 was when we were first introduced to humanity’s biggest woe, Covid-19. Today, 16 months later, the situation is only worsening throughout the world. Although many vaccines are now available in the market, the spread of these contagious diseases never seems to seize. Many countries are facing an extreme Covid crisis and despite the strict lockdown and SOP’s, the number of cases is still increasing.
India during its second wave is facing the worst Covid surge in the world. With a population of 1.3 billion, the country has crossed the tally of 17.31 million infections and 195,123 deaths. Indian Health ministry data showed 2,812 deaths on a single night while the overcrowded hospitals are turning away patients after running out of supplies of medical oxygen and beds. The overflowing patients and exhausting medical infrastructure has triggered beg or borrow mode in the country.
The news coming from India is really terrible. The videos showing the countless dead bodies, breath-deprived people suffering on the roads, and mass incremations are heart-wrenching. The biggest emerging economy of the world seems on the verge of collapse even before its rise. Pakistan along with the rest of the world stands with India right now because, at this moment, humanity needs us all.
All these saddening news and videos coming from the eastern border take us to a recap. A recap not so far in the past. Where and when did we hear the word lockdown for the first time? Where was life put in the cage for the first time? Who were the first people deprived of the oxygen of life? Where and when did it all go wrong?
Today if the whole world is going through this unprecedented calamity, we must remember the precursor of this cascade of events. What if it is our own fault? To whom have we done wrong? Have we stayed silent of someone else’s agony? Have we been selfish to turn a blind eye to their hardship because it was not ours?
If we start self-accountability, our conscience might remind us of the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir. This was where we first heard the word lockdown. August 5, 2019, was when people were denied their right to live, right to freedom. Their voice was suppressed, they were put in a complete communication blackout, restricted to their houses, and were cut off from all sort of life activities.
Yes, this is where it all began. Not just the two neighboring countries, the whole world chose to stay silent on their misery and just watched the show. Kashmiri’s were miserable, helpless, crying out for help, but no one came to their help. The people and the government of Pakistan did raise their voice, so did some human rights organizations in India, but no one practically reached out to help them.
Innumerable hours, unnumbered days, countless months spent suffering in a cage under the fear of thumping military boots. Life in Indian Occupied Kashmir was ridiculed and it was just a matter of time for karma to hit us back.
Within few months, we saw how the spark of lockdown spread, turned into a fire, and engulfed the whole world ultimately. Today even the highest place on the earth Mount Everest is not spared of this contagious virus. Life has become extreme distress for the whole world, everyone losing access to the basics which were first snatched from the people of Kashmir and Palestine.
This whole Covid scenario is indeed a lesson for us to value life and humanity above anything else. People are now openly speaking about the irony of the situation in the two neighboring atomic powers. One is incapable of providing oxygen to its people while the other lacks vaccines. There are now bold discussions being held on social media platforms about how we have spent all our resources in the arms race. The little to no investment in the health sector now seems to bother us.
It’s not just the story of these two rival countries, it is the dilemma of the whole humanity. We have never put humanity at top of our priority list. Before coronavirus appeared, Humanity seemed to be at last in the race of arms and finances.
The times are hard for sure, but at least it has given us the gift of realization. The realization is proving to be the first drop of rain for humanity as we see Pakistani’s praying for India. Indian police in Delhi, instead of baton charging them as during citizenship amendment riots, is making a request to Muslims on loudspeakers to pray for the Covid situation in India during Ramadan prayers.
The message of humanity, peace and empathy is finally prevailing owing to these hard times. It is said that hard times teach the best lessons and now we can see how.
Let’s hope the humanity and compassion prevail between India and Pakistan and love comes out successfully out of this dark night. Let’s hope we make empathy our priority and use dialogue instead of war.
Let’s keep Covid as a reminder that it’s not weapons of mass extinction we need, but the humans and humanity above all. The poor and suppressed need to get the place they deserve and kindness is the code of life we need to follow.
Here is what Neelam Aslam has to say about the issue:
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