REDISCOVERING OUR ROOTS DURING LOCKDOWN
Advancing technologically but still striving to achieve global freedom from hunger, has always been a challenge for mankind. Now, Corona Crisis in its stages, as epidemic, pandemic and gradually advancing into endemic is teaching us new lessons in individual health consciousness, sustaining immunity, maintaining physical distance and all together, reminding us of the lifestyle of our ancestors – a way of living closer to nature.
As a child, till my school education, what I thoroughly experienced and enjoyed, was now repurposed. Corona Lockdown took me back to my roots, my ‘Mofussil Milieu’ (rural surroundings) and made nearer to nature – to unlearn the exuberant modernity and to relearn natural organic living. This lockdown took me back to my rural India!
This peculiar pandemic which is spreading not through water or air, but through living being as carriers (through nasal and mouth droplets), has caused almost the entire globe to lockdown, damaging $375 billion per month in economic output. This lockdown exposed gaps in changing family values, helping us re-discover the essence and fragrance of togetherness. India, with about 140 crore population, experienced huge job loss, traumatic distress and displacement with panic reverse migration. It may take much time for normalcy to resume in all activities. However, this pandemic is forcing us to discover new pathways in all phases of life; For instance, school and colleges that are reseraching various means to impart education. Even though this lockdown created distance between organisers and participants by limiting interactions, productivity and festivity, it certainly helped highlight our technical prowess thus creating India’s ‘Digital Socialisation’.
Every challenge is an opportunity. Create new space to move forward with sporting spirit!
MY ASSOCIATION WITH USO
I am native of a village called Kodakandla in erstwhile Warangal District of present Telangana state. As a student, I visited New Delhi twice for USO Annual Conference, held at Vigyan Bhavan. I was in Eighth and Ninth classes at my Zilla Parishath Secondary School (in 1976 and 1977), when I took part in USO organised English Declamation Contests. I recall one of the subjects very clearly, for which I won the second prize: ‘As the Education Minister of India, what changes would I make?’
Am sharing some photos of my participation:
Truly heartfelt insight; back to basics has been a strong theme in my personal experience of this lockdown!