29 April, 2020

A stream sustains life !


Every day for the last three months,  what occupied the attention of the world is lives lost and lives fighting the corona infection n 210 countries. The the hope that is in the horizon is vaccine trials under the Oxford University investigators have started in five countries. The possibility of a vaccine to arrest the savage created by the corona virus is in the horizon.

It is the first time humans have come face to face with their mortality by a febrile illness in the recent years. It was war, nuclear threat, terrorism, poverty and starvation that threatened us. While the debate continues if the virus was a result of human error in China or it a natural spread from wet animals to hums, the truth is that this virus has woken up the lasers of nations to a new reality. Any time, humans can face a threat to its wellness from biological hazards.

I go for a walk to look for King fishers, dragon flies, crabs, guppies, etc. along the stream which runs flows the edge of our property. Even during summer, the stream flows although the water level might be only a foot high, unlike afoot four feet water level. The stream sustains vegetation, cattle and aquatic life and is s source for replenishing the ground water level because of which plant life is preserved. 

For a short season this year the water got contaminated. The aquatic life disappeared. The king fishers no more came to the stream. The down stream vegetations got partly dread. The water had an odour. It too at least three months before life returned to the stream or the stream was 'life giving' to others. 

The humanity is like a stream that sustains life and civilisation. The voice of discordance, accusations, animosity and competition we witness during this fight aghast corona virus, between nations is too shocking to bear. Lives are being lost daily, over 200, 000 a soft now. Instead of sensing the horror of the hour, what the President of the USA initiated is a hate campaign. He even stopped the funding to the WHO,  which is the co-ordinating body to fight a pandemic. The president used the white house  press briefings to blame, accuse and give wrong informations. The latest was his advice to use Dettol or Lysol to disinfect the body. About 20 or so Americans are admitted in the hospitals with history of consuming disinfectant, so much so that the companies that manufacture the disinfectants had to put advertisements to stop people from consuming them. 

As against this the reports that come from New Zealand, Germany, South Korea, Australia etc give us a different perspective. These countries while fighting their battles, have shown generosity to help their neighbours in some tangible ways to hep and support. India too has been in this category by sending Hydroxy-Chloroquin to countries who asked for it. India sent its medical team to Kuwait and is now ready to send them to other middle eastern countries. 

Some voluntary organisations like Oxfarm, Save the children, etc have been most active. I do not get the same sense of participation from the church community in my neighbourhood. 

The mission of human society is to give birth to life, sustain life and lead humanity to be the cradle of  good deeds and neighbour friendliness between nations. Instead some countries like America, China and India are the three countries in the world, which spend the largest amounts annually for defence procurement and war readiness! Should we be getting ready for war or for sustaining life on earth! I wish these countries turn their attention to health, environment, hunger elimination, disease prevention globally !

Is  not the example of Bill Gates foundation an inspiration to these countries! The near success in Polio eradication, fighting Malaria and HIV globally, following the investment of the Bill Gates foundation in these activities globally, is a testimony to this reality, 'where there is a will, there is a way'!

The mission of Humanity is to sustain life and give birth to a civilisation that sustains life. Oh, how I wish, the government of India would view Pakistan not as a muslim country, but as our neighbour who needs a friendly neighbour! I wish Pakistan would cease to be a fighting neighbour to India!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)






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