Corona’s world tour in the guise of arrogant development

KATHMANDU: Every developmental activity carried out since the origin of the world to this day has its pros and cons. Boon and bane are somehow interconnected.

Bhishma of Mahabharata was blessed with the death at his will, however, he had the curse to wait for his last days lying on the bed of arrows, that also prepared by his most loved Arjun. Even Lord Bishnu had to abide by the curse he got from Gandhari. It’s like as you sow, so you reap.

Whether its development or destruction, it paves room for something new. Science and technology have made us all the members of the same family.

Organ transplantation, artificial organs, and various types of medicines have made our life longer whereas pesticides and weapons of mass destruction have made our life uncertain.

Millions of energetic hands are confined at home, idly talking about the coronavirus, when thousands strangled by it are struggling for life.

Unhealthy competition in the hoarding of the weapons of mass destruction has made us like Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur, and the world has become the victim of this unpredictable pandemic.

The world comes to join hands to discuss the threats posed by global warming, after long consultation and discussion at various levels, leaders agree to sing the deal but execution turns skeptic to be questioned by Greta Thunberg, “How dare you have stolen my dreams and my childhood?” Our health is seized from us.

Millions of energetic hands are confined at home, idly talking about the coronavirus, when thousands strangled by it are struggling for life.

Haphazard use of natural resources, which also for the luxury of few, has added uncertainty to the lives of millions worldwide. Disregard the impact of mishandling of the resources has put the human civilization at stake. It has demanded reconsideration towards the road we have taken so far.

Our eating habits have no limits. We damn caring what’s edible and what not. Human beings have become so cruel that they eat the ones who sustain and nurture them since childhood. We kill the savior and enjoy the meal.
Irrespective of the attempts made by some developed countries, the virus traveled unrestricted all over the world.

Most probably, the powerful nations have realized that more than the accumulation of arms and ammunition, they have to spend on the production of safety kits. Surely, it’s a big lesson to learn.

The inseparable bond between man and nature long-established by our culture and religion has been put to a stake by the imported western values.

In his writing “An Essay on the Theory of Population”, Thomas Robert Malthus talked about two types of checks on the population growth to keep it in line with the growth of the food supply: preventive checks like abstinence and delaying marriage and positive checks which lead to premature death such as disease, starvation and war.

Thus, in Malthusian theory, a positive check is the nature induced situation where, nature maintains the balance through starvation, pandemic and other social evils. Corona can be regarded as a positive check.

Sanatanbadi worships peepal, cow, dog, crow, snake, river, sun, moon, nature, earth, weapons, sword, money, book and has special feasts and celebration for each. This has taught the significance of every element in nature and made people respect and conserve all.

Unfortunately, few puppets, in the guise of modernism and materialistic prosperity have been nurturing misunderstanding and polluting the community by adopting alien culture. They, while in power, have been insulting the culture, tradition and religion and are leading the society to the abyss. We, as subjects, have turned mere spectators of it all.

The inseparable bond between man and nature long-established by our culture and religion has been put to a stake by the imported western values. It’s high time to think that the real cause behind the global crisis now generated by coronavirus lies somewhere beyond what the modern trend here has been leading us to.

Coronavirus has posed a serious question on our thought and existence. We were somehow blinded by the materialist prosperity and comfort science and technology could bring to us. Coronavirus has disillusioned us.

Coronavirus also proved that globalization has turned the world a global village.
Stephen Hawkins cited the possibility of threats from beings from other planets. Like Columbus imprisoning the Red Indians of America after discovering it, Stephen further said, the aliens can come to earth and imprison the inhabitants of it.

Nationals, regional and international borders turned futile to safeguard a nation and community from the virus-induced pandemic. This has a clear message to all that more than the arms and ammunitions the safety kits should get the priority.

Let’s hope this pandemic will lead the world regard the values they ignored as trifles.
Authoritarian reign in China curbed the pandemic and showed ‘better’ guardianship of its nationals when the democracies regret at their wrong priorities. The democratic values forgotten by something flimsy deserve better attention.

As mentioned by Dauren Asimoglu and James A Robinson in their book ‘The Narrow Corridor States, The Societies and the Fate of Liberty’, looking at the model USA and Europe are adopting, it seems, absolute freedom also does not function much well. Disobeying the government directives in the name of valuing individual freedom has cost a lot there.

When China was fighting against coronavirus, the world made fun of it and enjoyed predicting China’s development will be derailed by the pandemic.

As in the story of the jealous neighbor who blessed to get double to what the rival neighbor got prayed to god to break his one eye so that the neighbor would lose both eyes, the west busied criticizing the measures China adopted to control the pandemic.

As meant in justice delayed is no justice, the people of the powerful nations have now started seeking clarification for the late response against the corona pandemic.

Our decision-making capacity and honesty both are in a fragile state. We as the inhabitants of the global village are so interconnected and interdependent that missing a single link may turn fatal to all. Otherwise, the tiny tides caused by the virus in China would not have shaken the world so badly.

Hence, it’s high time for us all that we shared the lessons of the wise sages, scholars and scientists of the past and divert modern research towards utilizing the treasures of past experience for the sake of the better humane world.

This pandemic has made the ‘global leaders’ give up, what will be our fate provided it starts strangling us?
We have to test the strength of our arrogance before it becomes self-destructive to us and change the attitude and behavior as required.

Undervaluing the nature, underestimating humanity and seeking safety in arms and ammunition cannot be sustainable. Readiness to spend billions for equipping oneself in the best weapons ignoring human priorities can turn the fatal toll bell.

Sanatan philosophy hails that King Parikshit who was noble, wise, humanitarian and respected others well was enticed by the gold in his crown which corrupted his mind leading him to insult the meditating sage and finally got killed for the same.

There are various challenges to human civilization now. The developed countries with the cities in the sea bank are worried their towns might be drowned. Dwarika, the beautiful kingdom of Lord Krishna was drowned at the ‘doomsday’ described in the legends.

Similarly, a slight error on judgment on the part of the owners of nuclear stations or the deadly weapons of mass destruction can make the collapse of human civilization inevitable someday.

Hence, it’s high time for us all that we shared the lessons of the wise sages, scholars and scientists of the past and divert modern research towards utilizing the treasures of past experience for the sake of the better humane world.

Hanuman had smashed the arrogance of Rukmini, Garun and Vishnu’s almighty wheel at a time. Coronavirus has smashed the arrogance of ‘modern’ values and attitude seeking it to take corrective measures.

(Dr. Chandra Bhandari is a central committee member of Nepali Congress)