CORONA is not a laughing matter – The lighter side – 20

CORONA is not a laughing matter – The lighter side – 20

I wrote on the lighter side of Corona virus on April 26. Let me pick up the threads again. Things are moving at a fast pace. The nation-wide lockdown is in place till April 3. Some states, like Punjab, have already decided to extend the lockdown, keeping in mind the local situation. It is apparent that we are to undergo the restrictions and resultant restrains for some more time. There is no option. It is a matter of satisfaction that the governments, both at the centre and those of the states, were fully engaged and geared up to meet the situation except a few irritant which are still trying to negate the

Photo going viral on the social media

gains – one is incorrigible media which is still fishing in the troubled waters by giving undue and avoidable air to unfortunate communal divide prevailing in this national emergency and second is politics played by some short-sighted politicians both of the ruling outfits and those of the opposition. We need to be careful as a democratic and federal polity to ward of the danger, spelled out by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, of ushering the country into “Grammar of anarchy” if we resort to unconstitutional methods to achieve political goals. I wrote on Lockdown and Food for thought on April 31 on a serious note which may be seen at link:

I was thinking to close the series of the Lighter Side of the virus at 19 to say goodbye to COVID – 19. But one of my colleagues Ambassador Achal Malhotra in one of his Facebook postings gave me some additional motivation to continue with the lighter side to lessen the burden of confinement in the lockdown. Meanwhile some of my friends were good enough to keep me loaded with some interesting material. Yet another friend from the IFS fraternity, Madhup Mohta who is a poet of standing advised in his poetic style to stay at home and rest to beat the virus:

नर हो न निराश करो मन को

आराम करो आराम करो

Someone else has compared Corona with Ishaq (Love) and taking a que from Mrja Galib’s famous couplet: - Ishaq par jor nahin; yeh who atish Galib’, Ke lagai na lage aur bhujai na bane.

Said:

ना कोई इलाज, ना टीका ना इसकी कोई दवाई है।
ऐ इश्क तेरे टक्कर की बीमारी पहली बार आई है।।।

One of my fellow residents at Silver Residency Apartments shared a likely difficulty in getting birth certificates for the babies conceived during the lockdown:

“No birth certificate will be issued by the Indian Govt. for children born between Jan. 2021 to Feb. 2021.

REASON: Parents did not maintain ‘social distance’ during Lockdown”

Yet another self-explanatory gem sent by Pooja Sahni:

हाथ धोते जा रहे हो पर कभी दिल भी धो लिया करो;

  नफरतें भी तो बीमारी की तरह फैल रहीं हैं.

My heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of two of our Bollywood heroes, Irfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor who entertained millions through the films and left an everlasting mark of their acting prowess. May they rest in peace One of my friends, Paramjit, my fellow Jalandharite , now living in NCR of Delhi, a Shayar of standing has shared one of his latest poems, a telling commentary on the current situation, on her Facebook Timeline which I share here to conclude today’s piece:

*कभी सोचा नहीं था ऐसे भी दिन आएँगें*

*छुट्टियाँ तो होंगी पर मना नहीं पाएँगे*

*आइसक्रीम का मौसम होगा पर खा नहीं पाएँगे*

*रास्ते खुले होंगे पर कहीं जा नहीं पाएँगे*

*जो दूर रह गए उन्हें बुला नहीं पाएँगे*

*और जो पास हैं उनसे हाथ भी मिला नहीं पाएँगे*

*जो घर लौटने की राह देखते थे वो घर में ही बंद हो जाएँगे*

*जिनके साथ वक़्त बिताने को तरसते थे उनसे भी ऊब जाएँगें*

*क्या है तारीख़ कौन सा वार ये भी भूल जाएँगे*

*कैलेंडर हो जाएँगें बेमानी बस यूँ ही दिन-रात बिताएँगे*

*साफ़ हो जाएगी हवा पर चैन की साँस न ले पाएँगे*

*नहीं दिखेगी कोई मुस्कराहट, चेहरे मास्क से ढक जाएँगें*

*जो ख़ुद को समझते थे बादशाह वो मदद को हाथ फैलाएँगे*

*क्या सोचा था कभी ऐसे दिन भी आएंगे*

*जिनकी पिक्चर देखकर समय बिताते थे*

*वोह यूं हमें ‌‌छोड़ जायेंगे*