Time for change
Under these very testing circumstances it is easy to blame China for the global crisis we are currently facing. But let us be objective: it could happen anywhere. We must consider this global catastrophe as a wake-up call. We are all in a situation of complete uncertainty, perhaps, for the first time in our living memory. Thus, it would be unwise not to learn the important lessons from this crisis. Some of them are already emerging: the Russian President sent humanitarian support to Italy, forgetting Europe-Russia tensions; Cuban doctors flew there to provide their assistance. India put aside party politics and has spoken in one voice when it came to imposing a lockdown. COVID-19 has united us; it has also shown our vulnerability as well as ‘universal equality’. In any case, life will hardly be the same when the pandemic subsides. There is bound to be a new lexicon entry: ‘post-COVID-19’. We must identify the positive side of this crisis: as a global opportunity to rectify our previous wrongdoings, to become responsible global citizens, to critically assess our vulnerabilities, and to re-establish the lost ties with precious nature.
Tatiana Belousova,
Sonipat, Haryana
The pandemic fight
The media is abuzz with the news of political figures making donations to the anti-virus fight fund having us in awe of their “charitable mindset and munificence”. One would like to know whether these are from their private funds and not from the Constituency Development Fund allocated to them. It is telling that not many have opened their hearts and loosened their purse strings to exhibit their concern and care. It is strange that film actors who fight on screen as good Samaritans are not doing much in this unprecedented crisis.
S. Lakshminarasimhan,
Coimbatore
The plight of lakhs of migrant workers shows up the half-prepared measures of State governments (Inside pages, “At ‘Zero Point’, flight from hunger beats fight against virus”, March 29). Bus complexes now overflowing with migrants are a striking contrast to the most emphasised point in the anti-COVID-19 fight — namely, physical distancing. But at the same time, the woes of so many Indians on the margins of society cannot be brushed aside. The Centre needs to act fast in these extraordinary times.
V.S. Sindhuri,
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
