WE SHALL OVERCOME

WE SHALL OVERCOME

Humans : We are unable to go to work , school or college and meet our friends and relatives  because of you . It's really stiffling to be cooped up all day at home. 

Covid : What's holding you back? Go out and enjoy with your friends. 

Humans : Don't try to act smart. You jolly good know the reason. It's been a year since you came and held us captive . Now you refuse to go. You are jealous of seeing us together . That's why you are hovering around us . 

Covid : Ha ! Ha! You are scared of me , aren't you?

Humans : No , we are not scared but concerned about the wellbeing of our fellow brethren , especially the children and elderly . You have preyed upon so many lately. Still you aren't satisfied . Who are you? What right do you have to torment us ? May I know what your plans are ? How long do we have to bear with you?

Covid : I love the Earth and all the humans living there . I am in no mood to leave you soon .

Humans : But why? Stop bothering and hurting us.

Covid : This is punishment for your own doings . You had been warned many times earlier , but you never paid attention to them .

Humans : What punishments and warnings are you talking about ? 

Covid : Do you remember my relatives and friends who had come to visit you many times earlier ?

Humans : What rubbish ! We don't remember meeting them . 

Covid : My relatives and friends named floods , droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, typhoons , dengue , malaria ..... and many more have visited you sometime or the other earlier .

Humans : They had come here and caused loss of life and property , but never held the world hostage like you have . You have single handedly paused the whole world.

Covid : It serves you right . You all now have to face the grave consequences for your past misdeeds , selfishness and greed . You always ignored their repeated warnings . So, now they have sent me  to teach you a lesson. 

Humans : What misdeeds and lessons are you talking about? I just can't fathom what you are saying. Who are you? Why have you come here? Just leave us in peace and go away from here.

Covid : I am Corona or Covid 19 , a dreadful virus . Mankind has invited me on the Earth . 

Humans :What do you mean by that? Why should we invite you and cause trouble for ourselves?

Covid : Yes , that's exactly what you have done. God sent you on the Earth with a purpose . He bestowed upon you with his blessings but you never understood their worth . You have exploited Mother Earth of her bounty.

Humans : She is our mother . Why should we do that ? We love her . We have created beautiful poems , paintings , art and literature to honour her . We have always treated her well. 

Covid : But as your needs increased, your greed for wealth too increased . Slowly, you became materialistic . You forgot that you too are a part of the nature .  You forgot your responsibilities towards nature and took her for granted . You began disrespecting and ill _ treating her. You defaced her and exploited her resources .

Humans : We needed the resources to survive. God has given them to us for our own use . These are our rights . 

Covid : Sorry to say , I disagree with you . These resources are privileges and blessings which God has bestowed upon you . But you mistook them as your rights . You have forgotten that nature and her resources are your friends not slaves. So now nature is paying you back in your own coin with a vengeance. 

Humans : Now we realise our mistakes. We ignored the signs of climate change . Our reckless acts of deforestation, killing of animals to the verge of extinction , pollution and depletion of resources have led to this catastrophe. 

Covid : You are absolutely right . 

Humans : What is the solution now? When will you ever leave ?

Covid : Only precautions like sanitizers, regular hand washing , masks , social distancing and Staying at home can help you now . We don't trouble those the hygeine guidelines of the WHO.

Any little carelessness on your part will cause you problems as you will give me a fertile home to breed and thrive . 

Humans : Never can we think of letting you prosper at the cost of our health and lives . We have thought of every means to see you defeated and gone. You may have dominated us for long now but soon the tables will turn. 

Covid: Really ! But how ?

Humans : We have used technology to be connected with our friends and relatives, for work and also films , dance and music launches. 

Covid : Yes , I have heard about all that. I have come to know that online classes and work from home have become the new normal for you all . I can't see big crowds anywhere . Curfews have been imposed and the world has come to a standstill. Sanitizers and masks are flying off the shelves .

Humans : The world is now moving on . After the initial setback when you claimed millions of lives and left many jobless , we are now more determined to get rid of you .

Covid : Are you sure about that ?  

Humans : Adversity has taught us to be more positive and resilient . Staying at home for so long has helped us to rediscover ourselves . We have now reinvented our hobbies , hidden talents and potentials . We have learnt to be loving, caring and kind to our fellow beings . Our Staying indoors has also healed our Mother, whom we had recklessly tortured.

Covid : Will this alone help you to fight me?

 Don't underestimate my size and strength. I may be a tiny microbe , but I have brought the whole world to a standstill . Your mere determination to fight us by keeping away from contacting each other won't help. You very well know that without vaccines , your

 species will never be able to outsmart us. 

Humans : We humans are working on that . The day is not far off when you will have to go away. 

Covid : Will keep in touch with you to know about the latest developments.

Humans : Ha ! High hopes ! That day will never come . We humans are far more 

 intelligent than you . Scientists all around the world are working hard to invent vaccines that could stop you from spreading your deadly fangs any further . Now, nearly a year on since your emergence , several promising vaccines are being rolled out.We all are keeping our fingers crossed that ,"We shall overcome one day ."

MOUSUMI BISWAS