current affairs unpopular opinion Kashmir coronavirus COVID-19 Life In The Times Of Corona corona journal self- quarantine social isolation curfew section 144 public health

We've Got Over Worse, And This Is How We Will Fight The Corona Virus From Home

( words)
*For representational purpose only.

25.03.2020

7.47 pm

Mumbai, India

Technically, it’s the first day out of the 21 days of lockdown that was announced yesterday by our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, last night, at 8 pm, 24th March. A man this country either loves to hate or loves to love. There’s no midway there, nope. I’m that person who says ‘any publicity is good publicity’ so I guess we can give this man some credit for the extreme emotions or reactions he brings out in people. About my opinion of him and his speech from last night, that’s a story for another time. 

So, I’ll start with telling you how I’m feeling today. Honestly, I’m feeling way better than yesterday when anxiety had taken the better of me considering the PM’s address was still pending. At least, now I know how the next 21 days would look like. Phew!

I’ve practised self-quarantine since March 4th. So for me, the lockdown seems like more of a forbidden fruit now. However, I’m better than most people today because I panicked when nobody was panicking. Now, I’m over that phase. You see, it takes 21 days to create a habit. I’m actually on my 21st day of quarantine already.  

Now, different things come to my mind. Like the #JantaCurfew, for us, we were asked to be inside our houses for our own lives. But let me ask you this-

What did the Kashmiris go through for years? Every second day was a curfew for them. And each time, it was for a radically different reason. It had nothing to do with the public health or a pandemic, right?
Or what about the Internet shutdown in Kashmir in the last year? We’re surviving this lockdown because of our access to the Internet, let’s not forget that. More people go live on Instagram at night these days than they do video calls with their families. 

Not like I didn’t think or talk about the Kashmir curfew earlier, but this quarantine period has just made me empathise with them harder. 

I’m reading more, I’m writing more, and I’m thinking more. I’m using this time to do everything I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, like maybe learn how to launch a podcast series of my own. That’d be fun if I’m able to do that in the coming 21 days! You’d have witnessed this journey with me.

Total confirmed coronavirus cases in India today has crossed the 600 mark. Some of us are still ignorant about the spread of the virus, many of us ventured out in groups last night to go grocery shopping as a fun activity before a complete lockdown without thinking of the consequences. We did the same with our applause for health and all the workers who are keeping us safe right now, at 5 pm on the 22nd of March. In my prayers every night, I wish that better sense will prevail in every one of us about these times and this virus. Without our cooperation, no government will or can give us any relief. 

Yes, I am upset about no announcements of the kinds and levels of relief for different economic strata of our society but we’ll talk about this tomorrow, in my next journal. In the meantime, you know the White House has passed the $2 trillion virus rescue bill? Time for our leaders to pull up their socks? I guess! 

I know, this time is hard. But apparently, the health specialists around the world are looking at India as a good example to contain the virus among the people who are already infected with it. I know we’re all thinking that the numbers are fudged and I’m not sure where we’ll get the real numbers from. All I can say is, this is not the first time something like this is happening in this world. 1918-19 saw the Spanish Flu Pandemic, which was the deadliest thus far, but it ended. Imagine fighting that kind of flu with an ongoing world war! 

I can’t and don’t want to imagine how we’d have dealt with the coronavirus had the situation in our countries not been as comfortable as they are today. This is me trying to show you the brighter side of life on day 1 of 21 in our ongoing lockdown. 

Let’s embrace what we have today and get prepped for the times ahead because the day this will end, we’ll be entering into a cleaner, better behaved and more hygienic world. Also, maybe the coronavirus would be the reason behind the end of the climate crisis. No harm in hoping, I guess! 

Until next time…

With love, peace, immunity and safety Xx

Share This Story

You Might Also Like...