For all intents and puposes and in retrospect the year 2020 has been extraordinary, whichever way you tend to look at it. The year had started on a light and humorous note to many, redolent of a 20-20 Cricket match ,similarity however ending with the figure 2020, which thanks(sic) to the spill and world wide spread of a pandemic called Covid 19, was to turn ominous. Overall the year has been disastrous , to say the least in more ways than one . A disaster that has caused a million deaths across the world , with India contributing to the figure almost in proportion to the population vis a vis the world.There have been also social implications of the Pandemic. The world apart from a health and medical catastrophe faced the problem of massive economic slowdown, with all industrial and manufacturing activity coming to a halt , resulting in massive unemployment and in India especially the forced repatriation of migrant labour in hordes, who in the beginning for many days trudged long distances largely on foot , facing hardships along the way . The two extremes of human mindset and behaviour were manifest .The philanthropists and NGOs rising to the occasion and coming up with all kind of material and monetary help made one proud and reassured of humanity and humane traits . On the other hand, gross insensitivity and callousness from some quarters was also evident. As a retired person having withdrawn myself from public life, perhaps I could afford to sit at home and be a fence sitter since March. Kudos and hats off to all those Government and non- Government functionaries at all levels , especially those of Medical, Health , Cleaning , and law & order , who risked their own lives in caring and tending the others , quite a few of them losing their lives in the line of duty . They are also martyrs like the soldiers who lay down lives at the border, defending the Country. I also admire those who during the lockdown and after continued with their creative pursuits often instilling positivity and courage through their meaningful writings, be it poetic outpourings or prose writings.
The Pandemic is not yet over . Let us hope that the sincere day and night efforts by the medical scientists across the world to develop Vaccine against the Covid bear fruit, bring out desired results and provide succour and relief to the people world over .No tears however, are enough to shed for the persons who fell fatal victims to Covid.
Remain alert and be safe !
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन:,सर्वे सन्तु निरामया,
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद् दुख भागभवेत।
ऊँ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः
