As with any topic, there are always people at both ends of the spectrum. The
Corona crisis is no exception. At one end are the staunch believers, who latch
onto every bit of detail and take preparation and precaution to an extreme. At
the other end are the equally vehement non-believers who assert that there is a
greater probability of being knocked down while walking on a footpath than
being struck by Corona. In this tug-of-war, much like the proverbial eternal
tussle between the Devas and Asuras, it is tough to find a meeting point. In
fact, the believers want no meeting point, for it dilutes their message of
social distancing.
Another problem peculiar to the Corona crisis is that we cannot have
divergent opinions co-exist in the spirit of tolerance, as we do with any
sticky-topic. Here, the believers have no choice but to convert the
non-believers into believers, else the survival of both is in question. There
is no possibility of walking away from a non-believer with a “you can go to
hell” taunt. Here, the worry is, together they may land up in the same place!
Hence the need to deal with this crisis with utmost sensitivity. We have to
take everyone together, even the ones we detest most! For sure, at the end of
the crisis, we will be filled with the milk of human-kindness.
It is easy for social media to remind us that we need to wash our hands for 30 seconds and as often as possible. The messaging cannot be faulted. However, there are practical problems. Consider a place like Chennai that is plagued with water scarcity for most part of the year. At the rate people are washing their hands these days, the lakes will be bone-dry in less than a month and Corona may still be around. Moreover, we are not even mentioning the word “Kaveri water”. Our country is too complicated to implement any simplistic, over-the-top solution.
When we scour the neighborhood, all we see are masked men and women. That is the need of the hour all right. We wave at someone with all enthusiasm, and find absolutely no response. We get offended. Once the form comes to close quarters, we peer into those puzzled eyes and find it is someone entirely different! In this new guise, everyone looks alike- as if we suddenly landed in Kishkinda inhabited by a bunch of Vaanaras minus the tail. Another problem with the mask is the necessity to speak with it. Of course, in Corona times, we do not expect anyone to speak, but sometimes, there is a need. We cannot make head or tail of what anyone is talking. It is as though they are mumbling through a tunnel or resembling a sound bite with its speed altered. There is no point trying to decipher. We know the topic is about Corona; we simply nod and move on.
“Don’t touch your face”- any negative messaging such as this, is doomed to fail. The unruly schoolboy in us immediately surfaces. “Don’t copy, don’t drink water, don’t go to the toilet, don’t talk”- the more we hear this, the more the body fidgets to do exactly that. That is how we are wired. We cannot help it. It is only when we have mehndi in both hands, that the nose twitches or the eyes feel scratchy. We just have to scratch. In Corona times, I cannot scratch my face; you cannot scratch for me- we feel so terribly paralyzed.
Fashion is sure to be altered during these Corona times. Jeans will soon be out of vogue. We envisage that Kathakali skirts will replace them, for both men and women- skirts that are bulbous enough to ensure that no one comes too close for comfort. We look forward to the next innovation or desi-jugaad to ensure that we can mount two-wheelers and cars and still have the Kathakali skirts on!
As far as Bollywood is concerned, they are sure to latch onto the Corona topic. We look forward to blockbusters like “Corona Pyar Hai” (CPH) with situations surrounding the Corona scare. Songs such as “Hum tum ek kamre mein bandh ho” will need a novel re-interpretation to fit in with the new social distancing norms. The censor board can fold up. These folks can pack up their bags and opt for an alternate career since no one is coming anywhere close to anyone! We miss Ajit in these times. He would have had a field day and packed the movie with apt one-liners. “Mona darling, tum naa rona, naa rona, naam hai mera Coronaa!!”
Corona is sure to alter the world irrevocably- how we were in BC- Before Corona and how we are in AC- After Corona!
It is easy for social media to remind us that we need to wash our hands for 30 seconds and as often as possible. The messaging cannot be faulted. However, there are practical problems. Consider a place like Chennai that is plagued with water scarcity for most part of the year. At the rate people are washing their hands these days, the lakes will be bone-dry in less than a month and Corona may still be around. Moreover, we are not even mentioning the word “Kaveri water”. Our country is too complicated to implement any simplistic, over-the-top solution.
When we scour the neighborhood, all we see are masked men and women. That is the need of the hour all right. We wave at someone with all enthusiasm, and find absolutely no response. We get offended. Once the form comes to close quarters, we peer into those puzzled eyes and find it is someone entirely different! In this new guise, everyone looks alike- as if we suddenly landed in Kishkinda inhabited by a bunch of Vaanaras minus the tail. Another problem with the mask is the necessity to speak with it. Of course, in Corona times, we do not expect anyone to speak, but sometimes, there is a need. We cannot make head or tail of what anyone is talking. It is as though they are mumbling through a tunnel or resembling a sound bite with its speed altered. There is no point trying to decipher. We know the topic is about Corona; we simply nod and move on.
“Don’t touch your face”- any negative messaging such as this, is doomed to fail. The unruly schoolboy in us immediately surfaces. “Don’t copy, don’t drink water, don’t go to the toilet, don’t talk”- the more we hear this, the more the body fidgets to do exactly that. That is how we are wired. We cannot help it. It is only when we have mehndi in both hands, that the nose twitches or the eyes feel scratchy. We just have to scratch. In Corona times, I cannot scratch my face; you cannot scratch for me- we feel so terribly paralyzed.
Fashion is sure to be altered during these Corona times. Jeans will soon be out of vogue. We envisage that Kathakali skirts will replace them, for both men and women- skirts that are bulbous enough to ensure that no one comes too close for comfort. We look forward to the next innovation or desi-jugaad to ensure that we can mount two-wheelers and cars and still have the Kathakali skirts on!
As far as Bollywood is concerned, they are sure to latch onto the Corona topic. We look forward to blockbusters like “Corona Pyar Hai” (CPH) with situations surrounding the Corona scare. Songs such as “Hum tum ek kamre mein bandh ho” will need a novel re-interpretation to fit in with the new social distancing norms. The censor board can fold up. These folks can pack up their bags and opt for an alternate career since no one is coming anywhere close to anyone! We miss Ajit in these times. He would have had a field day and packed the movie with apt one-liners. “Mona darling, tum naa rona, naa rona, naam hai mera Coronaa!!”
Corona is sure to alter the world irrevocably- how we were in BC- Before Corona and how we are in AC- After Corona!
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