Calling Covid an act of God is the most honest political confession ever. Please show some respect!
Last year when an Indian politician called Covid ‘an act of God’ it was met with severe criticism as well as fierce support on social media. Yup, social media – the only place that reflects the mood of the nation. Hang on, isn’t that India Today’s plan B for escaping serious journalism? You know, whenever they run out of news ingredients, they serve us with fresh and hot ‘Mood of the Nation’ even when the nation had just displayed their mood in a fairly conducted democratic election. The culinary equivalent to this half-baked spicy journalistic endeavor is Poha, served anytime anywhere.
Anyway, who is responsible for the spread of Coronavirus in India? Is it an act of God or human made (no, can’t say ‘man’ made – let’s be politically correct!) crisis? This question has been at the heart of debates on Indian TV channels where the end goal is to end any goal of the debate culture, conclusion and communication itself. Clairvoyant news presenters who know everything about everything - which is basically Pakistan and its problems - have surprisingly not been able to resolve the issue. Therefore, I am here with my two cents (that’s all left after GST).
Since I am no longer a TV journalist, let me start with facts. An act of God has been defined as “an instance of uncontrollable natural forces in operation” or “a natural hazard outside human control, such as an earthquake or tsunami, for which no person can be held responsible”. Established definition argues that no ‘person’ can be held responsible. Fair enough. What if the persons responsible are not normal persons? What if they possess extraordinary qualities and abilities? The answer is simple: analyze the qualities of those persons and make a distinction. Ok, it’s not as simple as analyzing whether Rahul Gandhi is a serious politician or whether Giriraj Singh understands geo-politics. The fans of Giriraj Singh, I am not talking about Geo TV in Pakistan - as understandably the country is your point of reference for everything under the sun - but the word ‘geo’ has another meaning. Try searching. No, not on WhatsApp, please Google it!!
What comes to your mind when you think of the following? People, who consider themselves as the savior of the nation. People, who consider themselves above questioning. People who command absolute respect. People, when they do their jobs, for example, announce schemes to build roads, are considered ‘gift’ to the citizens. People, accused of heinous crimes holding power. People, who are showered with petals. People, who can get things done when they want. People, who can control our food, entertainment and even religion. People, who want to capture our thoughts and follow a certain path. People, who like us to stand outside their residence in long queues to get a glimpse of them. Basically, people above everything and everything below them.
Any idea who these could be? Let me help. These are the same people you proffer power on a platter every few years under the impression of being a kingmaker in a democracy. If the virus originated under mysterious circumstances, its effect was exacerbated by the ruling class. If the people died waiting for hospital beds, health infrastructure has been stifled by those sitting at the throne unwilling to take any responsibility for decades. Yes, Covid is an act of God because those who hold power consider themselves one, and calling it an act of God was an inadvertent act of honesty by the politician!