Two ring-necked parakeets, normally fed by tourists, peck at an apple left on a spike by locals in Hyde Park, as the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak continues in London, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
India is under lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak. We all have to stay at home and stay safe to ensure that we beat the enemy called novel-coronavirus. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has implemented a well thought out lockdown across the country, this is a personal battle for every Indian citizen. India needs leaders to wade the country out of this crisis. While Prime Minister Modi is doing the job at the centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also led by example in her state. This is the time to rise above party and politics to save mankind. When the dust of coronavirus will settle, we will feel the economic impact as well but that can be managed with resolve, leadership and execution of plans. I am hopeful that India will come out of the COVID-19 crisis with flying colours.
But in this fight against a deadly virus, we have to provide leadership at our homes as well. I am approaching 60, but like someone said, age is just a number. A writer/reporter is as old as his reader.
Work from home has given me a lot of options. Yesterday, I watered the plants at home. I counted, there was a total of 61 pots. So many flowers were blooming! Hibiscus, rose among others. I watered the two tulsi plants. Tulsi is a great immunity booster and can help you prevent any disease not just coronavirus. It gave me extreme pleasure. Gardening, if tried at home, can easily open you to a whole new world. I also spotted a lot of new birds that had come. While running for office and getting stuck in traffic, I missed those chirping of the birds normally. Birds have a systemic way of flying. I observed they keep a distance from each other when they fly together. Something human beings can learn. Gardening, cooking and simply watching birds in the crystal blue sky is a joy. In the afternoon, I normally keep a tab of the news and answer phones of my fellow journalists. I tell them how they can also make use of this time. It will do a world of good if people actually find the upside of togetherness that social distancing has given us.
These days I am listening to Arti of Thakur Ramakrishna Paramhans, the evening prayers of Belurmath on YouTube. "Khandana bhaba bandhana, jagabandhana bandi tomay" is melodious and helps you get rid of the stress. Bengalis would relate to it more but as someone said, music has no language.
