The Mask

While I write this piece, I am conscious that I am writing one after a hiatus of one full year. That is, by any blogging standards, a pretty long time. Well, not so much, particularly when the year gone by was marred by one of the biggest challenges imposed on three or more generations of humans living on this planet earth. Unfortunately, as I write again, while certain parts of the world have started to recover from the havoc, others, including India, are facing much bigger crisis due to the COVID-19 virus. I think, in the given times, the topic chosen by me makes more sense than anytime else.

 

Last year, same time, as India and many other countries imposed strict lockdown and percolated the sensitivity amongst its citizens to wear ‘The Mask’, certain other countries, including the US, particularly at the leadership level, ignored the fact, that this simple piece of clothing could perhaps be the most empowering thing to save many lives. It was painful to see many leading economies, having best of the technologies, resources and means, losing people to this virus in large numbers. At the same time, it became a matter of pride of certain not so advanced countries having huge population base, to save many souls just by imposing strict protocols.

 

A year down the line, the situation on the ground is quite different. With new and more sensitive leadership in place, these leading economies have learnt their lessons and have quickly adopted the ‘The Mask’, apart from rapidly vaccination a large part of their respective population. On the contrary, people in India, in exceptionally large numbers, shunned this very piece of clothing, which had empowered them to avoid a catastrophe for almost a year. There are stories that a particular section of people had started to mock their family and friends, who were still wearing ‘The Mask’. The sad part is that this has led to a very grim situation with many lives lost. Hopefully, people who have been affected, yet saved, have learnt some lessons along the way.

 

While many of us, including leading doctors and scientists, may not be much knowledgeable about how this virus behaves, as it is completely new for us, one fact which has already been well-established is that its spread can be well controlled by the simple act of wearing ‘The Mask’. Let us take a pledge to have this much of sensitivity that we wear it for our own good, and for the well being of our family members, friends, neighbours, fellow citizens, and people of the world at large. It is also evident that this virus is not going away soon. So, let us break its cycle by wearing ‘The Mask’ and avoid more waves of tragedy possible in the future, by not doing so.

 

Let us empower ourselves with wearing ‘The Mask’, as Jim Carrey did in the famous 1994 movie, which changed the course of his life!