Pandemic has done more harm than tangible losses of life, livelihood, and economy. While most of us already lacked empathy (and it is okay), this pandemic has taken away sympathy from almost everyone. Each day government published data of number of cases, number of deaths etc. and most of us carry on with our life exactly the same way as if these are just numbers. Only if we knew that these numbers represent humans and since those humans did not live in isolation, we would have understood the true impact of this pandemic. Now one may argue that I am being harsh. I must not call someone "sans sympathy". But I have my own reasons and I believe it has a lot to do with the privileges we enjoy. Hear me out. "Thank god it is not me or the people I love." This is the modus operandi that is making the situation worse with each passing day. Until one of the close ones get affected or suffers , we choose to have a goldfish's memory span. We want our life to stay norma...
We all must have gone through the history of Colonial India where the phrase “Dogs and Indians not allowed” was common to see on government buildings and other public places. When I read this for the first time, in junior class, I could not synthesize the fact that Indians were treated in this manner in their own country. I did hurt to imagine myself standing in front of a railway coach but unable to enter it or going to because I was an Indian. I am sure it must have affected minds of many of us in a similar manner. But did we as a nation learn anything from that? Recently we celebrated our 70 th Independence day and the same question was put before us, independence from whom and independence of what? Each year I see people flooding social media with their short lived patriotism. But the real independence and sense of patriotism lies in, to start with, learning to be considerate towards fellow citizens. I don’t mean to talk of high and hefty ideals. This thought...