WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT FROM THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to everyone to light a candle on April 5 to show solidarity in the fight against the coronavirus attracted a remarkable response. The lockdown has allowed, even forced, us to turn the searchlight inwards. Based on conversations I have had, anecdotes I have heard, social media posts I have read, and emotions I have experienced, there appear to be three crises confronting society.
The first is the crisis of purpose. One of my political friends wrote on his Facebook wall: “I was scared of the emptiness initially. But soon I realised the power of doing nothing. And in the process, questions cropped up in my mind: Was my remaining busy genuinely productive ? Were the meetings I attended, events I ‘graced’, and the series of formal interactions truly designed to be result-oriented? Were the ‘hectic schedules’ fundamentally purposeful at all ?”
The time that we have all got to ourselves in this period has actually made us redefine the nature of our life’s goals and ambitions. It has made us realise that there is a greater common good, which is beyond temporary individual achievements. This period forces us to introspect on the broader purpose we have in life.
The second is the crisis of relationships. This has two separate elements, of authenticity and depth. The current situation has made people realise the need for relationships that are based on confidence, trust and integrity. This is possible when there is authenticity. Otherwise, as a journalist friend wrote, on her social media post, suspicion and scepticism creep in. If you want social institutions, including the idea of family, to stay intact, there is no substitute for authenticity.
An inter-related element of this is the depth of the relationships. A popular film personality told me that he made it a point to make at least a dozen calls every day to cultivate relationships. He claimed that the lockdown had taught him the futility of artificial emotions, and the futility of keeping up ties with individuals who were not important or were “spurious”. “I have realised the sheer hollowness of hundreds of hellos,” he emphasised.
The third is the crisis of ownership and responsibility. A government official, interacting in a video conference, spoke of how the situation has made him look within. “I am ashamed of my habit of refusing to consider things in their entirety. We are accustomed to shrug responsibilities and to that end always think only compartmentally,” he confessed.
The pandemic has made us realise the inter-connectedness of everything around us. It has made us realise that till we take responsibility and ownership of our actions, across spheres, we are all at risk. Some individuals and groups were irresponsible; they did not take ownership of their actions, and, in the process, put everyone at risk.
The three aspects of this challenge — the crisis of purpose, the crisis of authentic and deep relationships, and the crisis of ownership and responsibility — are important in shaping the future of our society. This is an opportunity for all of us to consider a set of questions; why do we do what we do; why do we work in the manner that we do; how do we channel our time and energies; what are the relationships which have some value, and which we must continue to invest in; what are our roles and responsibilities and are we prepared to take full responsibility for them? The lockdown will end, and the pandemic will be contained. But the questions these trying times have raised merit introspection.