COVID-19: the drama of life reenacts the struggle for survival
BY ALI NAQVI – Life as we know it did not come forth in a moment of creation by any designer, it rather evolved in a long struggle with itself and its surroundings. The recent proof of this fact is COVID-19, popularly known as the Coronavirus. The evolution of COVID-19 is one small step in the long journey of evolution that still continues in the most inconspicuous manner imaginable.
If life was created with the divine will of a single creator instantaneously and that too on the scale of perfection, Corona must have existed since the beginning of life. Before giving a verdict on the creation of life, it is important to understand and study the immense variety of animal and plant life that surrounds us.
The recent health emergency is not limited to biological level only. The struggle for survival in the drama of life is also clearly demonstrated on the social stage. After creating havoc in China the virus is now shaking all parts of Europe, America and Asia. According to recent reports, there is a weapon shortage in America. People in USA are more interested in buying guns than hand sanitizers because the situation could possibly get worse and there might be a shortage of food and provisions leading to a kind of a civil war.
Morality evaporates into thin air when man comes face to face with the naked reality of the final instinct to survive and to exist. Most of us don’t realize it unless we see it happening. There is no bigger morality than the urge to exist and everything else comes later.
In Pakistan, things are not as bad as in Italy and most parts of Europe, but still sanitizers have already gone out of stock. We are good at creating crisis even before it actually arises, but mostly we don’t pay attention to it unless it hits us hard. Take for example the arrival of international passengers from Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and other Corona-hit countries. The government should have been vigilant before any case was reported in the country. We waited until it happened. If the borders and international airports were carefully monitored, screened and affected patients were properly quarantined, the situation would have been much better.
COVID-19 is the hottest topic around the world. Everyone is talking about it. Artists are also talking about it in their own fashion. Recently Ali Zafar has composed a song about Coronavirus. The song attempts to create awareness about the virus and its precautions in an amusing way. Ali has used the melody of an old classic song Koko Korina and turned it into Ko Ko Corona. The song has gone viral on social media.
COVID-19 is test of humanity on many levels. The virus is going to test the limits of our physical strength and resilience. It is going to test our mental and intellectual ability to come up with a vaccine to cope with the disease. And it is also going to check our morality as human beings in the face of a possible socio-economic crisis. Remember when it comes to the struggle for survival; you are on your own.
