CORONA is not a laughing matter – The lighter side – 25

CORONA is not a laughing matter – The lighter side – 25

It is 50 days of the lockdown. The figure of the positive cases has reached 75 thousand with 2500 deaths. It is not an alarming figure as compared to some other countries in the developed world given the size of our population of 130 crores. It is gratifying to note the recovery rate, at 33 % as of today, is slowly getting better. The worrying factor as now is the migrant workers. It is a matter of regret and concern that the governments could not handle the issue satisfactorily. I wrote about this earlier also. With a view to coordinate the efforts and give a single window solution, it would have better if the financial aspects were undertaken by the central government and local issues of confinement, social distance, quarantining, food etc. were taken care of by the state governments. But it did not happen. The problem is on the road, unfortunately. The poor people are made to suffer unduly. Let us hope that in the 4^th phase of the lockdown starting from May 18, we would in a better position to face the crisis.

PM Narendra Modi spoke yesterday, May 12, to the nation for the fifth time ever since the lockdown starting on March 19. He spoke with a sense of fulfillment on one side and a call for a matching resolve on the other in the fight against the pandemic. PM Modi reminded us our civilizational ethos and glorious past and said that

immediate lesson of the deadly virus was to ensure “Self-dependence” through “Swadeshi – Made in India “mantra by resorting to “Local and Vocal” road for our day to day needs to live. These well formulated rhythmical utterances sounded good. We need to sit, think and work and come out of the trap of the said glorious past:

जरा देख उसको जो कुछ हो रहा है, होने वाला है;

धरा क्या है भला अहदे कुहन की दस्तानो में !

PM Narendra Modi also announced a much expected financial stimulus package of 20 lakh crores to bring on track, energizes, stimulate and reform the health of the economy and provide for the social health of the society. The details of the package are yet to come. PM Modi rightly said that we are to turn the ‘challenge into Opportunity’ to make the 21^st century as India’s, as visualized by

the international community. Yes, it can happen, if we transform our ‘political democracy into social and economic democracy’ as thought by Babasaheb Ambedkar, father of the Indian constitution. The constitutional edifice, including the federal structure, of the country has to be defended and preserved. It seems that the GOI under PM Narendra Modi has arrived to start the second phase of the economic reforms started by PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and then FM Manmohan Singh. We are yet to reach.

All said and done, now let us come to the lighter side of the virus to kill the boredom of lockdown. The joke machinery is kicking.

Some husbands take consolation in fact that their celebratory anniversaries fell in the days of lockdown and they could save their money:

इस लॉकडाउन में सबसे सही वो पति रहे जिनकी सालगिरह या पत्नी का जन्मदिन इस दौरान रहा!
"मैंने तो इस बार बहुत बड़ी पार्टी प्लान की थी एक शानदार गिफ्ट भी सोचा था लेकिन लॉकडाउन की वजह से सब बेकार हो गया है!"

Friends take pleasure in teasing each other:

Feeling bored in lockdown; want some adventure in your life?
Tell your wife that your mom did much more cooking and cleaning and she never even complained.
All the best!

On opening the Thekas – Wine Shops, the thirsty crowds of tipplers queued to purchase their quota of alcoholic drinks. Somebody commented on the coming scenario when the beauty parlours will open:

शराबियों की भीड़ तो बस झांकी है;
ब्यूटी पार्लर खुलने दो, आँधी तो अभी बाकी है!

One of my friends, a poet of standing, Sonia Rai shared her thoughts on migration of poor workers and I quote her to close this:

भूख की मार

पुलिस की मार

किस्मत की मार

*क्या क्या झेलेंगे यह बेचारे किस्मत के मारे*