Crisis and calamity

Humankind, nation and society do not run only on 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14 wheels.

They run on, run for and run by the wheels of many verticals.

At times of catastrophe, calamity and chaos, especially like the one which is prevailing at present, where many are or perhaps everyone is clueless because of too many unknown variables at play.

It is vital for the rulers / elected representatives to tackle or minimize the impact of the crisis with prioritizing two predominant factors of saving lives and ensuring basic livelihood [preferably in that order] and not let it become a mega tragedy.

They are using all available resources, technology, all existing health care specialists [doctors, nurses etc] , hygiene providers [sanitation workers and cleaners] law and order enforcement forces [police , army etc] and also taken help from many NGOs and voluntary organizations.

To everyone’s surprise majority of ruling class across the globe have risen to the occasion and have sincerely tried doing that with the inputs from domain specialists [ in this case epidemiologists and virologists]and not media reporters, religious heads, businessmen or economists.

It would be insensitive and inhumane to say that death of a small percentage of population [especially when there were options that could help to save them] does not matter. One will know its impact only when it is at one’s own door.

It would be hypocritical and unreasonable to say that any aspect of /activity of economy that provides livelihood is not the primary and important denominator of socio-economic aspect of human life.

Human psychology cannot remain cocooned in solitude forever. It will return to consuming and carrying on all activities that can engage its talents and skills; entertain and enjoy in all forms of diversions and recreations be it from the world of entertainment industry or religious institutions or socio-cultural festivities or from the world of sports; enhance comforts through all possible technological and scientific advancements; relax and rest in multiple ways; reflect and recreate a better world.

Every industry is a chain as was very well and simply explained in “I, Pencil-My Family Tree” as told to Leonard E. Read [http://www.ccs.in/ccsindia/lacs/18i_pencil.pdf  to get more clarity

http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPnclCover.html] and for that matter everyone and everything is interrelated, inter connected and interdependent.

At times, some disruptive changes deprive some and develop something else. No typewriter, camera, watch manufacturer ever grumbled about mobile phones and even if they did who is going to care.  

Hotels have offered their rooms for quarantine facility; Automobile manufacturers could have offered their vehicles in factories and with dealers to ferry stranded workers rather than giving generous general advises.

It is not the time to play politics, spray criticisms based on some stray instances, spill excuses, grill with judgmental overtones the law enforcing agencies or drill panic and paranoia into people. We cannot afford to throw caution to the winds.

We can postpone all activities and revive, perhaps even with greater vigor but cannot afford to risk the life of citizens. Even now, all basic needs of food and commodities are reaching as many as possible.

Aviation, automobiles and tourism industries can wait but not life and not basic necessities for living in the present context.

Some aspects of life will return back to normalcy soon and some after a few months or a year or two.

 

 

We need not script apocalypses but look at alternatives or solutions to problems rather than resorting to excessive fault finding or false alarms and phobias.