A mild Indian Summer ? Day # 94, 27 Jun 2020

An Amphan (means “Sky” in Thai) in the East and a Nisarga (means “Nature” in Bangla) in the West heralded the Indian Monsoon this year.  The migration of locusts across the sub-continent was talked about a little.  And a major eclipse of the Sun came up June 21, 2020. Coinciding with Father’s Day. 

But the rains are just so, this far.  

Not so the urban to rural migration of the past 8-12 weeks. This has devastated many lives. The promise of rebuilding each livelihood closer to their respective roots is bettter for any. Work, worship and wait out The Unseen Enemy.  Someone talks of Skilling, someone else mentions Jobs Creation. 

Urban enterprise want the migrants back . So what if activity levels are lower? “We provide livelihood”.  Migrants feel safer and wanted, back home – recuperation in natural environment, is better for medium to minor ailments. 

Which is really what The Unseen Enemy is all about – as per the learned doctors. “Not nearly as fatal as a few other epidemics of the past”.  But yes, this is a pandemic. It spreads.  It is unpredictable. Stay at home.  Shout not, sneeze not, socialise not. 

No absolute certainity on testing, curing methods.  It will emerge. The most important message “Let the fear psychosis not take you over”.  What are the mantras to live by?

1.     Practise Patience – not Panic.

2.     Plan by the day and the hour – maximum a month?

3.     Persistence is in – being pushy is out.

4.     Be Penny Wise – stay Pound Foolish : on all matters except Health 

We now understand the importance of Lives over Livelihood. Has the Community Transmission phase of the pandemic begun? Never mind – but each indvidual needs to Steer Clear. Practise hygiene, social distancing and masking – if I visit your place, who is risking more? Don’t know, do care and hence regular temperature check is important. Maybe an Oximeter test too? 

And then – activity, economy, earnings, expenses? Keeping each of us occupied.  Look, Health is the Greatest Wealth. Protect it, preserve it , cherish it. Once each of us mend our ways, nature will heal – both human beings and the ecosystem.

Father Time looked at Mother Earth “Are human beings seeing The Gap Year that 2020 will be”. 

Mother Earth shot back “ Not unless YOU slow down”. 

The Indian Summer itself is still Mild. And monsoons have a couple of months to go. In God we trust, everything else is a Matter of Faith.