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March/ April 2020 Diary: Lockdown


It is a time when people are locked at home and birds are singing outside their balcony, a time when people are locked at home and animals walking through the streets. Are they looking for human or they are claiming their territory that was gradually invaded by human?



In winter 2019 when leopard was a common scene in the colony, I was excited about how the animals are claiming their territory. And now, when I see videos of animals walking through the streets of cities, my heart feels with joy. Am I a nerd? I love the birds chirping outside my balcony. There are more than 10 varieties of birds now singing early morning to greet the sunshine a warm healthy day. To me, this is cool! When the world is busy investigating whether Covid-19 is biological weapon made by China or America or both OR an animal virus that got its way through raw bat to human, when scientists are researching on medications for Corona Virus, when doctors and nurses are themselves dying while saving lives, when the people in most developed countries around the globe are dying like human life has no meaning, when elderly population around the world is in panic because of the news broadcasters who don’t care about what harm their reports can do or the way they deliver news can do, when Hindu extremists are busy blaming Muslims for the spread of Covid-19 as a few videos are made viral over social media, when fake videos are circulating over media confusing people and sprouting hatred over one another, when people from countries that suffer most are trying to convince people stay home while the world is eagerly waiting for lockdown to end as if Corona Virus will automatically vanish after a few days of lockdown, when Prime Minister of India is determined to save lives and is providing all basic essentials to people at their doors (he is an example of what good one single person can do), I simply fix my attention to praying for the best changes in human thoughts and attitude this crisis to bring.

I don’t watch television [– no movies, no news, none of the other programs, not even Ramayan and Mahabharat that are being played on DoorDarshan these days. I have read Mahabharat several times when we were working on the Mahabharat audio drama project back in 2008 (??? Forgot even the dates haha) at Studio Mandala. Watched too when I was in the school – those were the golden days of life though they didn’t seem so during that time.].  I don’t play games on phone or computer. I don’t chat with friends or family very often. I don’t use social media like crazy. I don’t because I don’t have so much of free time. I am a woman. A woman locked at home and households from years. A woman, to whom, spending time with her children or stretching her body for two minutes has become a luxury in the lockdown. To a household woman with kid, sitting on the computer to work, chatting with friends and family over phone, working on creative stuffs with her children, are generally a far away dream near to impossible. Lockdown has made it more severe.

To men and women staying home due to lockdown, this is a good time to make family bonding more loving - men can support women in the household and offer her some time to enjoy with the family, play with children, involve in creative activities with the children which supports in the children’s physical, mental growth, practice and teach mantra chanting to children – this is a good way of keeping mind in peace, practice and teach yoga to children, sing together with children, play musical instruments. Working on own projects is of course one of the biggest parts, but working on the project called family is the most rewarding and meaningful.



The lockdown will be over. Corona Virus will say a goodbye. The world will still fight the game of power and wealth. People will still blame one another and continue the filthy fights. The world won’t change much. These birds will then fly to somewhere very far from human civilization. Animals will again limit their walks and tours. I know this is inevitable but let me enjoy the present moment. Besides all the chores, it is the presence of human in home and the music the beautiful creatures out their create please my heart.

Dear person reading this, - stay safe, stay at home, love unconditionally and please spread positivity. Yes, life is a challenge but since you are the one can make a huge difference in promoting humanity – please do!

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