07 Jun 2020  |   04:29am IST

Needed cure for dashed dreams, angry memories

Needed cure for dashed dreams, angry memories

John Eric Gomes

What will be enough to enlighten mankind to change its entrenched ways of devastating the earth and rainforests, driving flora and fauna to extinction, ignoring warning of super fires, tsunamis, triggering climate change and persisting in increasing choking pollution on land, sea and air to build concrete jungles with artificial barriers and lifestyles which bring the whole planet into jeopardy. Besides the various wars in different parts of the world, huge migration of populations, terrorists, Brexit movement and so on, nations were madly globalizing unable to stop?  Worldwide demand and supply chains, banks and economic systems were causing us a lot of despair whilst our food and lifestyle habits brought us pollution, new strains of viruses and increased dependence on medicines and hospitals. Industries could not be stopped nor relocated due loss of jobs and space constraints. Most of us were wondering when the world would become unfit for human existence. Till now there is no planet we can migrate to!

The Corona virus stopped all activities in its tracks for God and man worldwide. Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala reportedly needed Rs 1.1 crore per month to pay salaries to 307 employees and routine expenses. Income was around Rs 3 crore per month and lockdown continuing almost 2 months! Imagine the plight of all management in religious institutions. 

No aircrafts in the air, ships at sea or any vehicles on the roads. All industrial units and factories, farms and shops closed down, all people locked up at home, social distancing and masks endangered all lifestyles! However just a month lockdown saw the earth rejuvenating, rivers looking clean, fishes and animals, birds and bees coming out from nowhere, clear blue skies could be seen once again. No activity meant nil production, loss of jobs, mega financial losses for Industries whilst some of them will be unable to revive! As the lockdown is lifted, without a definite cure or effective vaccine, the recovery process must carefully begin with due precautions in right earnest.

But can we go back to business as usual? Corona has opened our eyes to shocking revelations and shaken the government and nation on treatment of migrant labour! Why jump back into the frying pan when we have a chance to a new social order and environmentally conscious hygienic way of life which brings out the best in humankind? Before we restart the same old economy, why not the best brains in the world from every discipline be brought together at the UNO and start re-designing our ideas of development with an eye on forming and mutually supporting a futuristic comfortable world order!  Besides being socially, economically and environmentally viable, it should lead to happiness for all in implementation. The time is now, before the old guard starts re- asserting their power and block all avenues for drastic change under the logic of something new and untested to the known lucrative for some, old ways!

An economist Carlo Cipolla has done some in depth study of human stupidity. He propounded five laws  “1) Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation 2) The probability that a certain person be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person 3) A stupid person causes losses to another person or a group of persons whilst himself derives no gain and even possibly incurring losses 4) Non stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals 5) A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.” In short the intelligent people act to benefit themselves and others, what he calls bandits benefit themselves causing losses to others. The helpless people tolerate benefit to others with losses to themselves whilst the stupid people cause losses to others and also to themselves. We can do nothing about the stupid because we assume a person is intelligent based on superficial factors. There are stupid people driving on the roads, in UN general assembly and everywhere. He concludes “declining societies have the same percentage of stupid people as successful ones but also a high percentage of helpless people and alarming number of bandits with overtones of stupidity! And the Country goes to Hell”.

Most countries were already on their way to Hell before Corona struck!  As we come out of lockdown, governments assumed emergency power overriding institutional norms and constitutional human rights; we have to be careful that surveillance for medical emergency does not carry on as under the skin surveillance with verbal and non legislated rules enforced. Permitting such a scenario to continue would be worse than what George Orwell ever imagined! We have to get back to democratic and Constitutional norms. We have to reverse climate change if possible, and develop a universal protocol and solidarity to handle any future pandemic or economic or military crisis at the same time learn to live with/overcome Corona. There will be a lot of change in commerce, public health systems, global tourism and hospitality industry as people’s priorities and lifestyles will change. So also the way projects are planned and business is done. Exactly how this plays out will have to evolve. We can hide in our homes from Corona, but if we fail to address the deteriorating financial and global issues we will not have any place to hide from angry citizens all around the world and an angrier Mother Nature!

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar