Time to think beyond self

In this unprecedented crisis that the covid-19 pandemic has unleashed, normal life is hit like never before. The institutions of governance, from global to local level, are under tremendous pressure. In fact the governments around the globe are yet to fathom the depth of crisis, and the steps taken are only in the hope that the epidemic might taken a retreat.

There is no guarantee that even after lockdown this threat would disappear soon. Although one hopes that some providential stroke rescues mankind. What the governments around the world are doing right now is plain firefighting.

   

The results of the steps taken will only be known after a couple of weeks. In the developed countries it has brought the systems to a fatal halt, what can one think of the third world countries.

In our case things are even worse. Kashmir has been through a worst phase in terms of politics, economy and societal activity, and that was not yet completely over when this covid crisis struck. So we are in a double difficulty. Our middle class and poor had already been battling a tough period for past many months.

As a society Kashmir was under a tremendous pressure given the loss of businesses, and disruption in the routine life.  Now we are faced with another, and a very huge,  calamity. In this situation those of us who are well to do are under an obligation to take care of those who are in difficult conditions.

Since our businesses have already got a beating, and our daily wagers have lost months of work altogether, it is the responsibility of the rich and those who have an assured income to step out and extend a helping hand.

In this regard one must point out that we have a huge population of government employees, who get good salaries. They, being a part of this society, owe it to the people living around them. What they get from the state as salary is the money that the state collects from the people who do business and who work as daily wagers.

This is the time that this section of our society should not look the other way. It is their moral duty to take care of the needy around them. It is a test of their moral and ethical being.

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