Witoubou Newmai
The ‘coronavirus life’ has also taken us back and forth to the metaphorical realms and the realities. This ‘coronavirus life’ might have ripped open to some people's pretentious ‘being’ as well as their ignorant ‘being’ on their ‘walking’ with confronting issues. It may be about an environmental issue or on human rights or about people's movements or on political issues or on the COVID-19 issue, pretension and ignorance blend the ‘walking’ all along while defeating the very principles and worldviews of the issues.
Let us cite the daily happenings of the ‘coronavirus life’ as they bring enough items to build metaphors, and reflect on the realities. As in any other issue, the dangerous cross-currents, and at the same time, the hilarious ignorant practices are evident in this ‘coronavirus life’.
What about that case of a person who, unmindfully or mindfully, turns his mask into a multiple-purpose ‘project’ of handkerchief, neck-band and mask? We also have instances where people remove ‘hindrances’ (masks) for better and louder conversations when they meet someone in market places, but their masks are properly adjusted when they walk back in solitary.
But let us not be the most ‘amusing’ and 'dangerous' customers, choosing and trying out and 'massaging' as many masks as they can and then leave them behind to the roadside vendors only to be 'massaged' and tried out again by later customers.
Another ‘amusing’ case is also about some people, who, once stepped into the crowded area, will pull down their masks to any level as if they are looking for an air outlet in the suffocating crowd. But what about those people who pull down their mask to tuck ‘pan’ or ‘tamul’ into their wide mouth while employing the exposed hands? We also often notice people who pull down their masks for the abhorred ‘finger-nosy-business’. We will also not exaggerate to say that, while buying grapes or plums, it is not a rare sight where some people pick a fruit or two and quickly make it slip into their mouth after pulling down their masks. Still, we also see many people pull down their masks to have a finger-dip exercise in the mouth while counting money during this 'coronavirus life'.
There are also people who seem to be interpreting the concept and meaning of lockdown according to their whims. The term lockdown simply means closure. It also infers that we are not supposed to venture out. But many people, whenever they are alarmed by speculations of an imminent ‘total lockdown,” often rush to make queues in the nearest oil pumps to fill oil chambers of their vehicles. We don’t know where they are going.
All these purpose-defeating practices obviously return nothing except straining ear-backs by the pulling-strings of masks.
Take all these instances of the ‘coronavirus life’ and consider it as metaphors on how we ‘walk’ with the people's movements or the political issue or any other issue, one will notice that there are also people who strain everyone’s ear-backs by their pretension or ignorance.
On May 14, 2020, this writer had commented on this space as to whether we are doing things in this ‘coronavirus life’ because we are being imposed with guidelines or rules attached with warnings of ‘exemplary punishment’ by the authorities. Or, are we just doing things to be acceptable in our society driven by social consciousness? Or, are we honestly fighting the virus with the latest updated knowledge on the issue? As long as we do things only for the eyes of the police and the society, we may pass from the screening eyes of the police and the society but we may want to know that the ‘microscopic monsters’ do not screen us the way the police and the society do. The precise point being emphasized here is for the people to do more and beyond the eyes of the police and society.
The moot point is, thus, in any issue, the ‘walking’ must be more of the inside-out and with sound knowledge rather than hobbling over driven by pretension or ignorance.
Do it not for anybody's eyes if we want to see returns.
