We needed 2020, but we don’t want another one

Are you scared to look back at the delirious positivity of your first social post in 2020? You’re not alone.

2020 had such a nice ring to it..a perfectly rounded figure - as pleasing to the eye as to the ear. We had big plans for the turn of the century, but they were dwarfed by mother nature’s even bigger plans. Lessons for us, packaged in the rebellious fury of nature, the surreptitious spread of the unknown and the unshakable transience of life. Yet through it all, the single biggest lesson is the irrepressible power of human emotions.

YouTube cancelled Rewind this year saying "2020 has been different and it doesn't feel right to carry on as if it weren't." A lot has happened this year. 

The situation started to look dire at the beginning of the year with a 2-month long continuous, devastating wildfire in Australia that burned a record 47acres, affecting the lives of thousands of residents and millions of animals. Then WHO announced the novel coronavirus, which only in a few months spread across the globe to more than 20 million people, causing more than 7.5 lakh deaths worldwide; we’re still counting! Many countries announced a lockdown which triggered a global recession and the US stock market crashed. In India, thousands of migrants lost their jobs and had to walk to their native villages among cries of government apathy - and the emergence of heroes like actor Sonu Sood who fed and helped lakhs of migrants reach home safely. 

Then came the heart-wrenching Beirut explosion of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate that killed 190 people and injured thousands of others. Cyclones like Amphan and Nisarga hit India's eastern and western parts, respectively, causing damage in various regions. Defence personnel were wounded and killed in action in the ongoing skirmishes between India and China at LAC in Ladakh. Aircraft crashes in Kerala, Pakistan, Tehran killed hundreds of people on board, including passengers and crew. Floods, gas leaks, locust attacks, riots…  

It was only a matter of a few days from the announcement of COVID-19. The world lost the legendary Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a fatal helicopter crash in California. The entertainment industry and fans worldwide also mourned the shocking and sudden deaths of 'Black Panther' Chadwick Boseman, Bollywood superstar Sushant Singh Rajput, stalwarts Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. The Supreme Court Justice and unrelenting trailblazer for gender equality Ruth Bader Ginsburg's demise led to gloom worldwide. 

Let's also not forget the Twitter bitcoin scam when a team led by a teen, Graham Clark, took over the Twitter accounts of prominent business and politicians including Elon Musk, Joe Biden and more. 

The world suffered to a great extent this year! 

Nevertheless, there's always something good in every bad, and so much of the good in this silver lining was created by all of us, together. 

While being stuck at home, people from around the world, country after country, responded to the pandemic by coming out on their balconies and rooftops to play music, sing to one another, applaud, show gratitude to the selfless health-care workers, grocery stockers, and lift one another's spirits. Whilst the medical staff and researchers were leaving no stone unturned in developing multiple vaccines, millions of people decided to be responsible and do their best by wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. Millions took the difficult decision and chose to stay at home amidst anxiety and boredom, without meeting families and friends. This helped reduce the risk of spreading the virus and giving nature a chance to mend. Remember when lakhs of Olive Ridley turtles returned for mass nesting and numerous Sambar Deer and Nilgai were seen strutting around on the empty streets of Chandigarh and Noida? 

NASA's observations reveal that since human activity changed during pandemic-related shutdowns, the Earth's atmosphere has seen significant reductions in some air pollutants. The researchers found that since February, pandemic restrictions have reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%. This is good. No, it’s great. 

Amidst the pandemic, a record number of Americans voted in their national elections. It led to Americans voting for Democratic candidate Joe Biden and electing America's first female vice-president, first Black vice-president and first Asian American vice-president - Kamala Harris. 

In April when most of the world was locked down, Global Citizen movement and WHO organised a 'One World: Together At Home' concert where artists including Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, and The Rolling Stones came together from their living rooms to send a message to the world. Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, British soccer star David Beckham, former US first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Bill Gates, and dozens of others also contributed from their homes and event raised $128 million for the development of the coronavirus vaccine and regional charities.

Above all, when there was an outrage in response to the extreme police brutality against black people post the shocking death of George Floyd in police custody in May, half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States for the biggest mass movement in history. Some reports also suggest that about 15-26 million in the States participated across multiple locations in the demonstrations for #BlackLivesMatter. 

No one knew 2020 would turn out the way it did. No one had any control over it. Now, can anyone guarantee what 2021 will bring? However, amidst numerous things that I'd want to forget from 2020, one takeaway is that the good that happened was created when we all came together to solve the problem at a global scale. Yes, the digital revolution helped on multiple fronts, but all because of human tenacity.  

Yes, the year has been challenging, but tough times only reveal the truth - we need each other, no matter what. We learned the importance of being with other people and thus gave our relationships more time. We understood our priorities and learned to appreciate what we have. 

Now that the news of vaccines being ready is out, will we go back to our same old selves, or relook the way we live our lives with ignorance and devil-may-care attitude? Here's something for everyone to think about!

The Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu, wrote:

To-day that seems so long, so strange, so bitter,

?Will soon be some forgotten yesterday.

True, but let’s not forget 2020.

Let’s hope to turn back to these days and celebrate the lessons learnt, the impossibles made possible, the dreams realised and the priorities recognized.

Have a happy, brave, enlightened new year.