Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
‘We didn’t value essential service providers until this crisis’
Actor Arshad Warsi, holed up inside his house with his family, in the current crisis, agrees that it’s the essential service providers such as the police and medical personnel, who have emerged as the real superheroes. However, he was ‘shocked’ when the news about medical personnel being attacked first started doing the rounds.
He says that it was all “very unfortunate”. “The fact is we have never valued these people. We only value them during a crisis, which is sad. I was shocked when the news broke out about doctors running for their lives. I don’t understand the logic,” he rues.
Emphasising on how herd mentality comes into play in such situations, the actor says we should let the people incharge take the required steps.
He adds, “I would not justify these acts, but yes there’s a factor one has to think about — the frustration that sets in when you are in a zone where there are a lot of cases, with no job, and nothing to look forward to in life. An empty mind is the devil’s workshop, and people who do these things all have empty minds. They have nothing to do in life. They can’t find ways to entertain themselves, and you just need one spark, one wrong person to do something, and a whole lot of them will follow.”
Warsi also advises people to be calm and use their brains.
“All you need to do is stay at home, and let the police and everyone else do their jobs. Every stupid person thinks he knows more than the doctors. I wish it wasn’t like that, but this is how it is,” he says.
The Covid-19 crisis has slowed down the world. And the current lockdown in India has lasted for almost two months. Warsi, 52, sees it as a “tragedy” with it’s own set of pluses and minuses.
“It was a much-needed break. The sky is clearer and everything is so much better. It was an overdue break. But apart from that, it’s also a tragedy. One can overcome anything with a good immune system and healthy habits. We have survived a lot, we can survive this, too.”