Collective Indian Resilience in War with Corona!

By- Ramesh Sangare, President & CEO, HRDC Group, Nagpur Pune Hyderabad (India)

Little about the past—

World Wars I & II

Today we are amidst the onslaught of Covid-19 invasion on the entire Global Community and the whole world is fighting this invisible enemy. All the resource are diverted to fight this dangerous aggression of pandemic. World War-I was just the beginning of international involvement of Western countries with its little ramifications on some Asiatic countries then which were colonies of Western Rulers such as British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Germans etc. World War-II pulled more nations into the direct conflicts more viciously and aggressively from Western and Eastern countries pulling some of the African countries killing over 85 Million people who were directly and indirectly involved. However the countries which were burnt out were mainly from European continent and barring One country Japan from Asia, which tested the wrath of most deadly weapon then invented by Americans i.e. Atom Bombs, which killed 1.2 lakh followed by another 90,000 people instantly in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and then went on killing people for next 2 to 3 decades with killer Radioactive fallout of two Atom Bombs. People around the world were shocked to the core by witnessing the massive destructive capability of these manmade weapons of mass destruction. It brought halt to bloody World War-II, giving rise to Cold War between Free Enterprise World dominated by the then New Power USA and Communist-Socialist world dominated by Soviet Russia. Emergence of Newly liberated Free Nations such as India and many others in series such as South Pacific countries, many small African and Latin American countries added spice to the Cold War scenario. There was one more emerging set of countries which adapted itself to the principles and practices of Communism ruthlessly in the same period i.e. China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba, and some smaller Latin American countries with blessings from Soviet Russia. The wars changed its forms but never ever stopped.

 Cold War

Gradually the world was splitting into ideological conflicts, which are far more vicious than the wars for materialistic things. Logically most of these countries engaged themselves in the rat-race of developing their armies equipped with latest arms and ammunition and of course the most lethal weapon i.e. Atomic Bombs to prove their power superiority over others and balancing the power equations. However the futility of developing Atomic weapons was realized gradually by both the parties which were locked up in Cold War and new era emerged through Denuclearization by both super powers i.e. USA and Soviet Russia followed by fall of Communism in Soviet Russia turning it into free democratic country devoid of control over their satellite nations such as East Germany, Ukraine, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Poland etc. With collapse of Soviet regime the world felt at ease with no visible war-mongering competition. The world was naturally divided into Developed, Developing and Under-developed nations. Asian continent began coming into prominence due to its hopes, aspirations, dreams as the new nations and also with their demographic situations. Two largest countries started attracting the attention of the world politically, financially and socially. India and China, both with its rich cultural heritage came to be known as the new distinct entities but with big political differences- India as the largest secular democracy by the people, of the people and for the people with all of its right and wrong ways and means and China as the largest undemocratic Communist country headed by the Dictators from time to time starting with Mao Zedong now to the present Dictator President Xi Jinping with no freedom of speech and faith to the people, which is exactly opposite of free world.

With complete lack of foresight of the then Indian Leaders and Government, China was made Permanent Member of UN Security Council, with insistence by Indian Government then. China completely misled India by its bogus propaganda of Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai slogans and then suddenly attacking India in 1962 in NEFA, after their complete take-over of Tibet. This was first betrayal by China and then followed by befriending Pakistan against all kinds of Indian interests.  This was beginning of emergence of global agenda of China to make its presence felt everywhere. Altered model of communism in relation to Industrial and Economic development was developed by them without touching the core aspects of draconian suppression of Freedom of all kinds. In response to WTO initiatives and American acceptance of their trade participation with Western world, Chinese began meddling in world affairs substantially.  The rapid industrial development of China grabbed the global markets with all possible industrial and consumer products of all kinds, making itself more ambitious commercially, politically and militarily. Utter lack of labor laws, no trade unions and no political disturbance in meddling with Industries, unlike India, it emerged as the powerful nation economically, industrially and politically expanding its aggressive activities and good number of times militarily against its neighbors like India and Taiwan. In absence of Soviet Russia, China emerged as the natural leader of smaller Communist countries and their sympathizer nations, which were overpowered by developmental Chinese aids to dozens of these smaller Asian, African and Latin American countries.

Trade War-

With formation of EU, rise of democratic Russia, bloody conflicts in most of the Middle East Islamic countries with exception to UAE, shrinking of Globe with digitalized world with IT and ITeS, over dependence on China as the manufacturing hub, financial gloom in US due economic recessions in 2005 and 2008, China’s thirst for power further geared up giving rise One More War and that is Trade War! West wants to contain China’s aggressive gestures of assuming itself as the emerging global power. Politically and economically it has continuously challenged US and EU and gone ahead with blatant disregards for the safety of world by open support and help to the whimsical dictator of North Korea, against the global economic sanctions to North Korea. China does not hesitate in openly supporting another rogue state i.e. Pakistan which is the home for all kinds of Jehadi Terrorists groups and enemy no.1 against India which attacks India almost every week by proxy war through infiltration by terrorists in India. Americans are worst affected from Chinese infiltration by way imports of all kinds of goods, which in fact had been complete strategic failure on the part of US. Thus the tussle started clamping the trade tariffs against China and the Trade Wars flared up between China and Western powers especially with US. China knows that if Trade War gathers momentum, it would have biggest problem of feeding their half a billion workers, which solely live on manufacturing sector. Demographic strength would become demographic weakness. It also cannot win the conventional war with military might of US and NATO forces with their ultramodern defense capabilities. So what is the way out?

 New Intangible War-

Although at this juncture, it is difficult to straight away prove that China has played dangerous game of experimentation of Biological Warfare. The possibilities of playing such diabolical game by China cannot be ruled out in the form of most dangerous New Corona Virus alias Covid-19 from their Wuhan Research centre and unleashing it to the whole world around them taking calculated risk of losing some lives of their own people, which is not new for them. Its history is replete with strategic mass annihilation of their own population during and after Great Leap Forward by Mao and Chow En Ly team in which 10 million people were directly and indirectly killed by Chinese Govt. That is their culture. So what if few thousands of their own people are killed in the larger Global-power centered interest of Chinese against the world? US administration and most of international news media have already expressed doubts about the Chinese sincerity and transparency about the whole episode and actual deaths and real origin of development of this virus. Global TV channels openly expressed the doubts on Chinese intentions. According to most of them Covid-19 is the result of complete failure of Global intelligence in relation to smart operator China! We only hope that we are wrong in these assumptions of the global channels and experts, yet it confronts us as the virtual reality of most inhuman, invisible and intangible warfare i.e. Bio-weapon called Covid-19.  

What next?   

This intangible, invisible war is scary. This invades very insidiously. With initial slow entry, it gathers up its momentum and it flares up  exponentially with very high morbidity. If it is not controlled in the very initial phase, it explodes substantially covering larger population with higher mortality. It stops everything in its tracks. It paralyses entire human activity thereby affecting the normal rhythm of society. Families are under house-arrest by command of this micro sized deadly enemy Covid-19, by bringing complete halt to the industrial, business, agricultural, social, economic, financial, political, religious activities further damaging national security and safety measures. The biggest impact is on the people throughout the cross section of society, as their daily life becomes completely stagnant. Zero-mobility, house confinement, social distancing, physical self-protection, complete void of work, loss of earnings, shortage of essential things needed in day to day life, coupled with bombardment of negative news on media, all of this and more have its terrible negative impact on the morale and productivity of nations. Political, social and financial instability sets in pulling the underprivileged and poor into the whirlpool of matter of day to day survival. The downward journey of the nation begins, losing whatever has been dreamt, developed, created, built over the years with biggest blow to morale of the people. In conventional wars, you could shoot and kill the enemy, but in this war you are totally helpless and your only way to win this war is that YOU DO NOTHING, which our psyche and physique are not tuned to. Utter lack of human activity, complete immobility and going into isolation take its own toll of our fighting spirit. This mindboggling inactivity and forced immobility unleashed by this invisible enemy New Corona virus or Covid-19 itself is also strategic counter attack that we, the people can launch against this invisible invader in this intangible war!

Collective Resilience- Strength of Homo Sapience

All the living species have one thing in common and that is an urge to survive and grow, against all the odds and adversities. Human beings have been evolved and grown up to this stage for millions of years along with other species on this unique planet Mother Earth. We do not know whether there is another Earth-like planet in galaxies of which we are the minutest part. Imagine if the Earth is the only planet with Life on it, how precious it is? And how lonely we are in the entire universe probably? With this thought one shivers to imagine this universal loneliness. And more importantly sustaining life on this planet must be the No.1 agenda of today’s global community. Man understood the futility of making weapons of mass destructions but his greed for overpowering others at the cost of wholesale destruction of life, property and other living species still lurks its ugly head more often than not, evident from bloody killings by terrorists, planned skirmishes with each other as neighboring countries, sanctions on each other and now use of powerful Biological warfare, if it is the reality!

If this is really Bio-weapon, then it is the greatest global insanity! Nobody can really be beneficiary of this war in the long run. All the Global leaders are united in fighting this menace, with some exceptions of the countries wherein there is utter disregard for scientific spirit, total blind faith and practices in the outdated dictates of their religion, further aggravated by venomous propaganda by their leaders against others. The country of Corona origin is playing politics by shading crocodile’s tears and making show of aids to some affected countries, that to with substandard materials which was rejected by Spain, Italy and some others. The capital markets are its lowest ebb and China has grabbed stocks of most of the Global companies from West and East. Today, Indians are pained to read that China has grabbed 1.78 Crores shares of HDFC Bank, which is one of the most prestigious private sector banks in India. When world over there is rise of Corona invasion, in China it has regressed and stopped with complete opening of Wuhan province. If gaining Economic superiority through onslaught Corona infections in other countries has been achieved by China, though world is not speaking openly on this at this juncture. Because the first and foremost priority to all the countries and people globally is to fight against Covid- 19. “Jaan hai, to Jahan Hai!” – this is the priority.

In India Central and State Govts. have been doing commendable job in containing this spread of this virus. We are witnessing the rising awareness among all sections of society about the protective measures that are needed to be taken. Medical fraternity, paramedics, police and other civic security forces, health workers, people from essential services are all doing their work 24 X 7, hats off to them for their heroic work! It is indeed very sad to note that there are some sections of the society which broke the discipline and norms blatantly aggravating this menace of spreading this infection, not only dangerous to them and all others connected with them. But 99.99% of Indians are rigorously following the discipline needed to fight Covid-19. Centre and most of State Govts appear united. They are trying to formulate the strategies not only for fighting virus but to make the life of all, livable in this extraordinary situation. The political parties in opposition must not use corona for political purpose. This is not only national calamity but it is international calamity. In the past the decency and maturity in behavioral sense in political culture was very high. There is need to bring it up. In the past opposition leaders used to support in action and spirit, the ruling party despite political differences whenever the country was endangered by external aggression of all kinds. Today it doesn’t seem to be happening. Politization of war with Covid-19 would be very dangerous for social, economic, industrial and cultural safety and security of the nation. Collective resilience to fight this menace is the only answer.

Futuristic Strategic Interventions to win war with Corona-

• ·        As a nation, we would need to become a Challenger to confront this invisible invader, in spirit and action.
• ·        We would need to become Modifier to alter, change, transform and modify the present ways of doing things industrially, economically, socially, and agriculturally.
• ·        We would need to become Synthesizer to synthesize the new with the old, tangible with intangible, tried with untried
• ·        We would need to become Risk-takers as nothing new can be achieved without taking calculated risks. Facing enemy in war is always full of risks, thus we need carefully conceived and designed Strategic interventions
• ·        We need to become to become Practicalizers as we need to practice self-discipline, mass-discipline and put into actions, directed at containing the onslaught of viral spread not only for safety and security but Re-building India and World.
• ·        We need to become Planners as without it there would be no direction, we can’t afford to go wrong any more.
• ·        We need to become Innovative as there are newer challenges and opportunities which are unforeseen in the human history so far. The new economic and social orders would emerge worldwide with huge upheavals round the corner Globally.
• ·        We need to become highly Creative as there is huge untapped potential in us which is  hardly used to the tune of 15 to 20 % of Human potential globally like the tip of an iceberg.   
• ·        And finally we need to become Reproducers of what has been lost, what has not been produced so far, what could alleviate human misery, what could bring the succor to millions of poor and helpless, what could negate the negatives, what could heal the fractured world, what could reestablish the peace and prosperity, and what could rejuvenate the Spirit of Living with great health and happiness of Global Community for peaceful coexistence!

India would emerge as the great economic and political power, as now rest of the Global community is in the process of understanding, realizing, experiencing the strength of Collective Indian Resilience with Vedic Philosophy of “Vasudheiva Kutumbakam” (Whole world is one family!) in practice. Global community barring few, would rely with deep faith in Indian values embedded with obvious Human overtones! Wait and watch, world would flock to us, New India is emerging!

Thanks.