Ancestral Goa was so beautiful, peaceful, serene and tranquil, today it’s only a memory. Our ancestors worked in the fields, farms and gardens. Our homes were lively with domestic animals in plenty, be they cats, dogs, pigs, fowls, cattle or herd of goats. The soft mew of the cat alerted the house lady that the fisherwoman is nearby, the dog (usually named with a pat name) stood sentry guarding the house entrance against any unknown intruder, the grunt of the pigs kept the housewives busy to feed them from time to time, the hourly cock crow was heard in the backyard of every home bringing delight to a villager passing by and the cattle and herd of goats were left on the nearby hills for grazing. They came home on time to be attended by their owners. Sadly, times have changed and these domestic animals have now come to be feared. Today our homes are empty and deserted. Our lifestyle is an empty show biz of era of technology that has brought us misery with comforts and the latest fear is the Nipah virus (NiV), deadly with no cure.
It is presumed that natural sources are the carrier of the virus, bats being the main followed by domestic animals: Pigs, cats, dogs and human-to-human transmission as well. Fallen fruits which once were savoured without fear while at play in our childhood days are now a taboo. Messages of alert and precautions are galore on our WhatsApp account cautioning near and dear ones, friends and relatives to remain alert and avoid contact with animals.
In the midst of a scenario unfolding a psycho fear gripping the the citizens, our Goa government is yet to wake up from its slumber to keep the State free from the attack of Nipah virus with precautionary measure to keep the Goans cheerful and in good stead. However, the best remark came from a village elder after reading one of the local daily on Nipah virus: How sad, shortly we will not want each other in our homes for fear of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Is this the end of the world?
