Ever since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the last months of 2019, humans have feared every breath of their life. The pandemic has not only given us ailments and anxiety, but also some brand-new terms like ‘lockdown’, ‘social distancing’, ‘work from home’, and most importantly, the glitter of our face, N-95 masks.
We never knew that a disease can be so dynamic that it could dominate headlines around the world, along with impacting each and every aspect of human activity and enterprise. With multiple waves and varied severities, the virus has taken innumerable lives and left us helpless. The idea here is to talk about the role that each one of us play in increasing the dreadful virus around us.
Recently, there have been a lot of debates, hateful discussions and blame-games as to who were the chief culprits of spreading the virus to this extent. According to various reports, the recent surge in new Covid-19 cases in India began around mid-March and since then, the upward trend has not changed. Multiple events took place around this time that have gathered our attention as think about the cause behind the havoc.
We see politicians fighting amongst themselves, blaming one another for the dreadful impact. Citizens have mixed views on whether the fault is the government’s or just a hype created by the media. It is difficult to determine the real scary agent in the nation — the Covid variants or media houses? The media claims to be a crucial communication tool for generating and disseminating information to the general public.
But the question remains, is the current way of communication right? Is it actually for the welfare of the masses?
Let’s find out who is actually at fault.
It is the human civilisation that has been hit the hardest; the virus is affecting every inch of our bodies. Still, some of us are fearless enough to go out and party. We all encountered mass gatherings, careless and daring humans who believed that the virus isn’t powerful enough to snatch away their lives. They roamed around the streets, markets and clubs, not taking any precautions and assuming that the virus has just gone!
Sad but true, the virus is still here with us.
Despite knowing and being educated about the repercussions and severity of this deadly virus, we as citizens have been ignorant about the most important factors. All we were asked to do was maintain social distancing, wear a mask “properly” and sanitise ourselves from time to time. But all this was too much for us, so instead, we chose to be “irresponsible” towards our own health as well as the health of the whole nation.
Yet, was it just the common person who was responsible for the spike of the Covid-19 cases? No, we have more players in this game.
Amidst the life-threating crisis, we saw two things rise to their peak, coronavirus and politics.
According to the Covid-19 guidelines, mass gatherings were a big no-no. But over the past two months, we all saw the complete opposite. Every political party showcased their glittery image in the hope of victory during elections, giving priority to their greed and risking the lives of millions. They talked a lot, not about the virus, but about each other, never missing a chance to insult or degrade their contender.
Amidst the shiny shows, these people forgot about the dullness of the nation. They failed to provide to its citizens what was of utmost importance. There was a shortage of medicines, injections, oxygen cylinders and almost every important thing needed to fight the virus. But the politicians didn’t even care to give condolence to the ones who lost had their loved ones, as it was more important to win the election, and not life. With a careless, fearless and reckless attitude, they continued their wrong deeds. Politicians are a part of the list of the culprits of the crisis.
But there was yet another player who may not have been responsible for escalating the cases, but surely was for creating hype and negativity around us. Media, considered the fourth pillar of democracy, and an unbiased and credible source of promulgating valuable information, could be seen as the largest spreader of misinformation, anxiety, negativity and propaganda. For the media, Covid-19 was another seasonal issue and not a pandemic. They covered it when they wanted to and ignored it as per their wish.
A lot of people complained that media channels were not informing them about the news on Covid but simply spreading negativity. Mental health is a core issue during this time and the media took no notice of it. Media’s top priority was to show visuals that could disrupt one’s mental peace, leave them heartbroken, and possibly lead to a depressive state of mind.
Death is the biggest fear amongst living beings and Covid-19 has not given us any break from its horror since its outbreak. While we appreciate the hard work and goodwill of the doctors, medical staff and scientists, we also have to do our part to be healthy and keep the ones around us safe.
We all know that somewhere, we have been the culprits, too.
But if you are reading this, you have definitely got another chance. You have survived and you have fought this battle. However, the journey doesn’t end here. Don’t be negligent towards something that not only impacts you but the whole nation.
Don’t be a culprit.