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Yes, Covid-19 offers us the opportunity to change our lives for the better
Our two children, like others around the world, are die-hard cartoon film buffs, who even on normal days can spend hours watching TV. But now, as their schools are
Our two children, like others around the world, are die-hard cartoon film buffs, who even on normal days can spend hours watching TV. But now, as their schools are shut and they can’t go outdoors to play, there has been a drastic shift in their TV-viewing habit.
Time spent before the small screen has been reduced, courtesy Ramayana and The Jungle Book, which are currently being telecast on Doordarshan every day and have quickly become their staple. So much so, they have almost stopped watching other shows.
The reason for that, as my better half puts it, is that it is for the first time in their lives that they are getting to enjoy stories that are culturally rooted and are high on ethical values, quality and content. Be it Lord Rama’s obedience and loyalty to his father, Lakshman’s love and respect for his brother Rama or Mowgli’s friendship with the jungle animals, there are valuable life lessons from every character and scene for them to learn.
A welcome change
There are no robots whipping out gadgets, no nonsensical dialogues, no violence or vulgarity. This is a welcome change both from the perspective of children and parents.
But that’s not the only silver lining to the otherwise grim situation we are living in at present. As compared to the pre-coronavirus period, a lot of people now have an opportunity and the extra time to sit together for meals and activities with their children and parents and revive their bonding with each other. Many are taking up forgotten hobbies such as painting, embroidery or craft to fill the time, while others are picking up activities they have always wanted to pursue, such as cooking, movie-watching, gardening and yoga to keep their nerves and anxiety at bay.
A sizeable number of people are supporting the poor and needy through charity. Hygiene and cleanliness too have become a part of our lives now, both at home and at the national level.
Crime rates down
Another positive development is that criminal activities such as chain snatching, robbery, rape and murder, have come down considerably, not just in our country but all across the world, and so have the air and water pollution levels.
Traffic mishaps, including incidents of road rage, have also declined dramatically as there are fewer vehicles and pedestrians on the streets. Another unexpected positive development is that wildlife – from birds to wild animals – is reclaiming its place in towns and cities, which is unprecedented and a welcoming change.
However, as we all know, this is just a temporary, fleeting phase that will pass sooner or later once the world conquers cornonavirus and we will be back to square one, to our previous fast-paced and stressful routines of commute, work, sleep, or métro, boulot, dodo, as they say in France.
Therefore, the opportunity for us to make a change is now while we are still in the middle of this crisis, which, despite its challenges and severity, has presented us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reflect upon the larger scheme of things, recalibrate our priorities, distinguish our wants from our needs and take steps not to repeat our past negative actions towards ourselves, our communities and our planet to build a new future together, one that leads us to live a modest life, value family time, treat everybody as equal, do charity, reduce our dependence on private vehicles and respect nature.
So, are we going to treat this crisis as a passing moment (before the next one takes us by surprise) and let nature take its course, or, are we going to play our part and put ourselves on the right path to make a difference to our future? The choice is ours to make.
rajeshkrishan77@gmail.com
The writer is based in Panchkula and formerly taught French at Army Public School, Dagshai. Views expressed are personal.
