<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Nothing has changed as fast as corona virus. The world business scenario, office pattern, education delivery, online business to return to physical shopping, home from office to rising domestic violence across the world are giving new dimensions to connection or connect or not to connect. The world has never changed as fast as it is now. It is making governments heartless and people helpless. Panic is from official sources and fear psychosis grips the people. Old order changeth yielding place to new is the adage. But no order ever has changed that fast. It evolves with practices, food availability, technology, war and conflicts and relationships in the society. The peer pressure is there, pre-generational modes are there and post-generational pressures shape up many things.<\/p>\n
That is what the mankind is used to. In Indian context civilization is not same in Ramayan, Mahabharat, Buddhist, post-Buddhist revival and the various phases of Muslim and European incursions and trade practices.<\/p>\n
In the European context through various phases from Greek, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval cross-country voyages to unknown not only changed behaviour but also changed the New World, from highly civilized pagan to a violent settlers from Europe. The indigenous people in the North and South Americas were eliminated through wars, germ wars and extreme subjugation.<\/p>\n
The subsequent phases saw lot more faster world, splintered families, career-oriented gold diggers and well-knit societies to isolated self-centred individuals. But each took years or decades to have a new look. The two World Wars subsequent cold war, Iraq-Iran war, Kuwait war changed the world rapidly through 20th century.<\/p>\n
Satellite war brought wars to the bedrooms through television during the Kuwait war – spectacle of arms and spectrum. The post-Kuwait rapid internet, intranet, 2G to 5G mobiles are agents or miscreants of that change phenomenon. Every morning and evening the world is changing, globalizing, bringing corporate closer and distancing people.<\/p>\n
If the 17th to 19th century were the era of indentured labourers or slaves, 20th century changed that to mercenary soldiers fighting for their colonial masters, or evolving covenant corporate officials, public relations giving impression of a good work, Gulf labourers, to East Europeans taking up menial jobs in Western Europe, to cyber coolies dotting the world traveling to show their ‘skill’ at jet speed leaving their families asunder.<\/p>\n
Yes, the world never changed that fast. In never took to new norms in a matter of days. It took decades to switch over from hot metal printing process to computerized cold press, from wood and charcoal fire to liquefied gas to microwave cooking.<\/p>\n
It took two generations to move from landline to mobile and not even half a generation from heavy, slow mobile phones to multimedia receiver – phone, radio, video, audio, television, cinema and many more on one platform. It has connected billions and disconnected families or those in their personal physical proximity.<\/p>\n
Misinformation<\/p>\n
The corona is changing the world fast. It is causing disbelief, rise in distrust, woes of the working, non-working, semi-working and poor migrant labourers.<\/p>\n
Misinformation that spread by western official media that it hits the geriatric the most has caused distrust within families in the west and more so in the east.<\/p>\n
In Delhi, a 30-year-old man on April 4 loged a police case against his 59-year-old father for allegedly not following the lockdown and repeatedly steeping out of their house in south Delhi’s Rajokri near Vasant Kunj. There are other reports of elderly persons almost being manhandled by their children for going out of their house. The reason is the suspicion that the elderly man can get the infection nad imperil the lives of the younger ones. Th3e official agencies and social media are spreading misinformation.<\/p>\n
A glaring example of the misinformation is by the power ministry. No sooner Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nine-minute home black-out and lighting up of ‘dias’, the power ministry through an official release spread the confusion that the PM’s black-out call can disrupt electricity grid. It was not corrected by the government till a senior journalist covering power for 30 years posted on facebook and twitter that low voltage home lights switching off cannot disrupt the grid. Power minister accepting it came out with the necessary clarification. A Delhi housing society imposing monetary penalties on residents for moving out of the premises, forgetting that housing societies have no such powers. Women all over India found that home stay of family members was disturbing their schedules, privacy, leisure and even subjected to many violent behaviour by husbands, other members whether at their in-laws place or parental home. The UN Secretary General Gueterres has to issue worldwide appeal to protect the women.<\/p>\n
Shifting office or schools to home online has its own problem. A study in India found 43 percent families do not have a computer. So is the case with many office workers, teachers or corporate employees. Most do not have a system of their own. Will it change the system in future? If they have one and decide or told to work from home, would it be a convenience or domestic trouble? A trimmer office may have advantage on space but may act heavy on human relations.<\/p>\n
The closure of hospital OPDs are also telling on patients. Is the patient-doctor relation to be on computer screens? So an informal chat or query would be difficult without digital payment. In case of a mistake by the physician, who would bear the brunt? The patient?<\/p>\n
Even the mohalla mom and pop shops have come into reckoning. Realisation is there that online shopping is not that simple if either here is physical lockdown or the computer or phone fails.<\/p>\n
A great experiment is of living without a metro, public bus, taxis or trains. Can this be the “new normal”. If all these close down and those engaged lose jobs, would a new economy emerge or everything is doomed in a world fraught with many mysterious happenings.<\/p>\n
So would the wage cut as announced, for prime minister, cabinet ministers and MPs by 30 percent could be the norm for all employees? It has already happened in Telangana – 75 percent cut; Maharashtra – 50 percent; Rajasthan – 5 days’ wages; 15 to 25 percent in airlines in India and may many other corporate who have laid off workers or not.<\/p>\n
Less spoken about the farmers, migrant workers and private education, the better. Yes, the world is changing fast. Covid is just not a health virus it is sapping economy, society and bringing changes never dreamt of. It is to change human, industrial, medical, familial and social relationship. Await the new normal.<\/p>\n
Shivaji Sarkar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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