Indian Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has urged people to
introspect on their lives during the last few months under Coronavirus induced
confinement and assess if they have learned the right lessons and equipped
themselves to deal with such uncertainties.
Naidu stressed the pandemic needs to be looked at not only as
a disaster but also as a ‘corrector’ for making necessary changes in the
perspectives and practices of living so as to live in harmony with the nature.
Seeking to engage with people on the causes and consequences
of Covid-19 pandemic, Naidu took to social media where he posted the “Musings
of Life in Corona Times”. The thrust was to properly define the purpose of life
besides revisiting the course, nature and pace of modern life with suitable
alterations for a harmonious and measured living.
The suggestions include; thinking and acting right like
looking at food as a medicine that sustains healthy life; acquiring a spiritual
dimension to life going beyond material pursuits; adhering to the principles
and practices of right and wrong; sharing with and caring for others; nurturing
social bonds and repurposing the life
for a meaningful living.
Dwelling on the causes of frequent disasters, he said; “The
planet does not needs us while we need the planet. Claiming sole propriety over
the planet as if it is meant only for humans has upset the natural balance
triggering adversities of different kind”.
The 10-point matrix suggested by him for self-assessment include,
if one ; is aware of the causes of the pandemic; willing to make amendments to
the ways of living before the corona outbreak; has redefined the meaning of
life; has identified the gaps in playing out different roles like taking care
of parents and other elders; has equipped to face the next adversity;
understood the dharma of life; understood the need for spiritual awakening;
identified what has been missed out the most during confinement; is aware of
the causes and consequences of differential vulnerabilities to the impact of
the pandemic and if one sees the pandemic only as a disaster or as a corrector
as well.
