Will lockdown wipe out lifestyles built over 30 years?.. – Greatandhra.com
Posted: September 28, 2020 at 11:58 pm
The ancient Indian protocol for social distancing is embedded in the lines my yoga guru, from the famous ashram in Monghyr, Bihar, taught me:
"Chaar miley, chausath khiley,
Miley bees ek saath.
Harjan se harijan miley,
Bihsain bahattar hazar."
(When two plus two i.e. four eyes meet each other; 32 plus 32, 64 teeth smile together'
10 fingers of both palms, greet 10 of the other, a total of 20.
Then a person, blessed by the Lord, is in union with another without physical contact.
This results in 36,000 vital points in one human body and 36,000 in the other, sending ripples of joy through 72,000 points in the two beings.)
The current etiquette of social distancing possibly has precedent in past practice. Arrival of outsiders may well have wrenched us away. With Freudian prescience, Akbar Allahabadi put his finger on the nub of the matter:
"Tifl mein bu aaye kya ma baap ke atwar ki,
Doodh to dibbe ka hai taaleem hai Sarkar ki."
(How should an infant inherit characteristics of his/her parents on a diet of powdered milk and government education?)
The lockdown outlawed any toing and froing, conditions which Ghalib had described with great simplicity about Delhi during 1857:
"Koi vaan se na aa sake yaan tak,
Aadmi vaan na ja sake yaan ka"
(No one from there can come here;
Likewise, no one from here can go there)
This limitation on visiting each other soon began to reveal our instinctive comfort level with social separation. We were quite comfortable within the Lakshman rekhas we sketched around ourselves. More revealing were telephone conversations with neighbours, and members of the Residents Welfare Association. What they expressed was indifference to the migrants who had walked away from the suddenly imposed penury, joblessness, no roof over their heads in the torrid heat -- and now it seems, the approaching winter. Were these millions condemned by their 'karma', to be judged for suitable slots only in the next life?
When I visited South Africa to cover Mandela's release, what struck me was not the exclusive white enclaves. I had expected them. After all that is what Apartheid was all about. What astonished me was Lenasia, the Indian colony outside Johannesburg. Sprawling mansions with two swimming pools was the lot of many Indians. Unlike the joyous 'Black' South Africa, much the overwhelming majority, Lenasia was uneasy at the end of White rule. It was possible to meet Manek Patel in his bungalow who thought "apartheid helped keep bloodline pure".
Hierarchies and class are inescapable. A revolutionary like Ho Chi Minh did live in a modest, two room, oak cottage but it had the nicest view of the lake. The rare visa which enabled me to cover the 1979 China-Vietnam war was arranged by a member of the Bao Dai family, an old Vietnamese aristocracy.
The Indian hierarchy, based on caste, is unique. Unlike racism, it is not based on prejudice: it is simply a time honoured practice which draws red lines, not to be crossed, between occupation based caste groups arranged in a vertical hierarchy. Egalitarianism disrupts these red lines. The unease with the Constitution is deep seated for this reason with the present regime which harks back to a pre Islamic 'golden past'.
As we enter the seventh month of the lockdown, it may be worthwhile taking stock. My wife and I (and a live-in help) have been moderately cautious: we have entertained, keeping social distancing and never having more than four guests. Likewise, we have visited friends for meals, and taken the masks off, once seated.
My daily three kilometer walk in the park adjacent to our apartment (I take off the mask; it suffocates me) has been sacrosanct as has been my yoga. The clan in hundreds spread across north India, has so far reported no expiry. But there have been three positive cases in Lucknow including an 85-year-old with co-morbidities. They recovered within three days and three children in the same apartment remained untouched by the virus.
The bleakness that I see ahead cannot be extrapolated from our experience in the health arena. It is the economic sphere, joblessness, abysmal drop in resources, redesigned kitchen budgets, even within cousins where darkness is catching up.
A visit to South Delhi's Select City Mall was scary. Hanuman Chalisa was being chanted in the biggest food mart to invoke the monkey God. The lobby of the five star hotel was as eerie as the empty road in Hitchcock's North by Northwest, where a biplane swoops down on a terrified Cary Grant. A five star restaurant without a customer abutting a bar, stocked to the ceiling, but without a soul. Trust Ghalib to invade my mind:
"Bhare hain jis qadar jaam o subu, maikhana khali hai."
(Goblets and cups are full to the brim, but the tavern is totally empty)
How long will Indian capitalism survive such tightly sealed goblets? Corona, I suspect, will wipe out lifestyles boosted by 30 years of reform. The new middle class will revert to their first car, the Maruti and mother's vegetarian recipes.
This middle class may adjust without too much fuss to the pre reform austerities, a mood that will dovetail nicely in the march towards Hindu Rashtra. A fly in the ointment may well be mass anger. After all, those who walked, their ranks swelled by the jobless and the hungry, will ask questions. Will bread trump faith? To forestall any trouble on that count, the regime has already unfurled a range of draconian measures to put away anyone with a talent to mobilize public anger. As a backup there is also the scary virus as a deterrent against public anger bursting onto the streets. This scarecrow can be made scarier. But that might accelerate velocity of the economy's nosedive. Which economy? What better way to stop the leak than to sink the ship? Salvation shimmers over the sands as silhouettes of the Hindu Rashtra appear.
(Saeed Naqvi is a senior commentator on political and diplomatic issues. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)
The latest info on OTT/Streaming content, Home Delivered!
Excerpt from:
Will lockdown wipe out lifestyles built over 30 years?.. - Greatandhra.com
- Israeli gymnasts win gold, bronze medals at European Championships - The Times of Israel - December 17th, 2020
- Ashram system schools to be set up in 20 districts of UP - United News of India - December 17th, 2020
- Ashram system schools to be set up in 20 districts of UP : Tribal Museum in Lucknow - United News of India - December 17th, 2020
- Exclusive! 'Ashram' actor Aaditi Pohankar: Explore the power inside you, then nobody can stop you from fu - Times of India - December 17th, 2020
- For I Was Thirsty & You Gave Me Something to Drink! Churches Provide Drinking Water Facility - Mangalorean.com - December 17th, 2020
- Gandhi Pokhrel, The Unsung Freedom Fighter Who Pioneered Swadeshi In Sikkim - The Better India - December 17th, 2020
- Will Swami Shivanand, other eco-champions' drive to clean Ganga ever succeed? - COUNTERVIEW - December 17th, 2020
- 10 songs that bring back great travel memories: Jennifer Lucy Allans playlist - The Guardian - December 17th, 2020
- 'Ama Pathaagaara' An Initiative To Re-Ignite Library Movement In Odisha - Kalinga TV - December 17th, 2020
- Reviving the heritage and history of Chhattisgarh - Mid-day - December 17th, 2020
- Chandan Roy Sanyal On Insider Vs Outsider Debate: No Insider Would Have Played The Roles That I Did - Koimoi - December 17th, 2020
- Osho and his controversial life: All you need to know about Acharya Rajneesh - Times of India - December 17th, 2020
- Now 97 percent of the people in Chhattisgarh have food security under Universal PDS Scheme - Odisha Diary - December 17th, 2020
- Song of the Hills - Outlook India - December 17th, 2020
- When Bobby Deol Had Spilt The Beans On Getting Replaced By News Faces; Actor Had Revealed Getting Into Alcohol Addiction During Bad Phase - SpotboyE - December 17th, 2020
- Is Ashram based on true story? Heres the truth behind the series - Republic World - November 30th, 2020
- Mentally upset woman reunited with kin after 8 months - The Tribune India - November 30th, 2020
- 2 Covid deaths in CDPO office, Jalandhar ashram on toes - The Tribune India - November 30th, 2020
- Anupria Goenka shares her experience of working in MX Player web series Ashram: Chapter 2 - Mumbai Live - November 30th, 2020
- Separating the Art From the Artist: Yoga Edition - Book Riot - November 30th, 2020
- Promoting Rural Tourism: Badanavalu Khadi Centre to be developed on the lines of Sabarmati Ashram - Star of Mysore - October 1st, 2020
- Bihar elections: BJP alliance will win with thumping majority, says Fadnavis - Mint - October 1st, 2020
- IT-savvy Indian youth urged to help elderly with e-Census - The Star Online - October 1st, 2020
- Winners announced for 2020 Better Photography Magazine Photo of the Year competition - PhotoReview.com.au - October 1st, 2020
- 'Goblets Are Full to the Brim But the Tavern is Empty' - The Citizen - October 1st, 2020
- BJPs Uma Bharti, Covid-19 positive, admitted to AIIMS Rishikesh. She gives 3 reasons - Hindustan Times - October 1st, 2020
- Alwar news: Businessman's father's eye light went away, then Kalyugi sons tortured and pulled out of the house - Pledge Times - October 1st, 2020
- Delhi ashram became infamous, a woman gets raped in the name of 'Guruji' - News Track English - September 28th, 2020
- Opting Out Of The Media Mind Game, An Excerpt From The NY Times Best-Seller Think Like A Monk By Jay Shetty - CBS Sacramento - September 28th, 2020
- India got independence due to these 5 movements of Mahatma Gandhi - News Track English - September 28th, 2020
- I want to leave behind a legacy of good cinema. - Bhumi Pednekar - Filmfare - September 28th, 2020
- HC order to allow publication of book on Asaram case is victory of free speech, says HarperCollins - Scroll.in - September 28th, 2020
- Coronavirus in Mumbai: Latest list of COVID-19 containment zones from Colaba in SoBo to Borivali in West and Mulund in East issued by BMC - Free Press... - September 28th, 2020
- Tantra: From Enlightenment to Revolution review shock and awe - The Guardian - September 28th, 2020
- My Transformative Time With the Beatles in India - The Daily Beast - September 7th, 2020
- Book to explore life and times of Osho aide Sheela - Devdiscourse - September 7th, 2020
- Does Aashram Season 2 Exist? Know The Whole Truth: Season 2 Plot, Expectations, The Road Ahead, And Where ... - Bullet News - September 7th, 2020
- Asaram bragged about political connection during arrest, recounts IPS officer in new book - Deccan Herald - September 7th, 2020
- Sadhus living in Jharkhand threatened with Palghar-like consequences by goons - Times Now - September 7th, 2020
- A principled principal - The Tribune India - September 7th, 2020
- Only 2500 isolation beds readied in Kathmandu Valley - Khabarhub - September 7th, 2020
- Five Holistic Getaways to Restore Health & Wellness this Fall - Barron's - September 7th, 2020
- To All The Girl Gangs Out There, Check Out These Five Destinations in India For Your Next Trip Post Pandemic - India.com - September 7th, 2020
- Woman raped, confined for over 1 year in Gujarat ashram; accused blackmailed by 'NGO workers' - Times Now - June 30th, 2020
- 10-year-old pushes mom and sister on wheelchair for 350 km - The New Indian Express - June 30th, 2020
- Shock treatment, exorcism, psychotropic drugs: behind conversion therapy for queers - The Hindu - June 30th, 2020
- Sevagram Ashram president withdraws resignation after appeal by several Gandhians - The Indian Express - June 17th, 2020
- A bobbitised godman and a constantly changing story - Times of India - June 17th, 2020
- Badly-hit India will only hit virus peak in November, experts warn, as train carriages become wards - Telegraph.co.uk - June 17th, 2020
- Yogini Ekadashi 2020: Date, Timing of puja and the significance of this vrat - World Wire - June 17th, 2020
- Radhika Apte Is On Cloud Nine As She Announces Her English Film Libert: A Call To Spy; To Be Released By IFC Films - SpotboyE - June 17th, 2020
- Title insurance is broken. Heres how this $623M startup hopes to rebuild it - The Real Deal - June 17th, 2020
- Sevagram Ashram chief removed over allegations of being Godsewadi, he strongly denies it - The Indian Express - June 2nd, 2020
- Father dead; future of 2 kids gutted in fire - Ahmedabad Mirror - June 2nd, 2020
- No admission of tribal students in English schools this year - Outlook India - June 2nd, 2020
- Yogi who claimed to have survived without food, water for 76 years dies - The Tribune India - June 2nd, 2020
- Pentecost Tongues of Fire - The Free Weekly - June 2nd, 2020
- Rajasthan: Sadhu accused of rape commits suicide, declares himself innocent and a victim of blackmail in video message - OpIndia - June 2nd, 2020
- Guiding Light: Others are a mirror - Free Press Journal - June 2nd, 2020
- Uttarakhand News: Gayatri Puja With Social Distancing From 9 AM Today in All Households to Fight COVID-19 - India.com - June 2nd, 2020
- Mangaluru: Thirteen-day novena begins in preparation for annual feast of St Anthony - Daijiworld.com - June 2nd, 2020
- Global Social Connect webinar on COVID reaches out to Indians across the borders to US, Malaysia, Singapore & Canada - India Education Diary - June 2nd, 2020
- Akal Ashram Colony residents rue shortage of drinking water - The Tribune India - May 8th, 2020
- Netizens mark birth anniversary of Tagore with online performances - The Hindu - May 8th, 2020
- 83-Year-Old Hotelier Maps Lord Ram's Exile Itinerary on Atlas to Pass Time in Lockdown - News18 - May 8th, 2020
- How will the 'new normal' look like for two gyms? - Sports Interactive Network Philippines - May 8th, 2020
- Prasar Bharati to telecast Bengaluru play - The Hindu - May 8th, 2020
- Ash immersion in Haridwar begins after govts nod to rituals for the dead - Hindustan Times - May 8th, 2020
- Poet and the Pandemic - The Statesman - May 8th, 2020
- Where Indias government has failed in the pandemic, its people have stepped in - The Guardian - May 8th, 2020
- How troublesome are these Sadhus, just burn and kill them: Mob in Haryanas Mewat attacks Mahant Ramdas of Muktidham Ashram - OpIndia - May 1st, 2020
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla Is Balanced To Allow You To 'Play The Content You Want' - PlayStation Universe - May 1st, 2020
- Noted author Kundanika Kapadia dies at 93 - The Indian Express - May 1st, 2020
- These rare pics of Irrfan Khan with wife Sutapa at Badanwal Gandhi Ashram bring forth his humble and unseen... - Zee News - May 1st, 2020
- Bandcamp Recs: Escapist Tunes and Mood-Lifting Grooves to Melt Away the Blues - KQED - May 1st, 2020
- Where is Real Marigold Hotel 2020 filmed? - The Sun - May 1st, 2020
- Chinmayanand case: HC rejects law students allegations of bias, harassment against SIT - The New Indian Express - May 1st, 2020
- Vinod Khannas 3rd Death Anniversary: The Actor Cleaned Toilets, Did Dishes At Oshos US Ashram After Walking Away From Films - SpotboyE - May 1st, 2020
- I pleaded for my life but they continued to attack me, Sadhu in Punjab mercilessly beaten, Rs 50,000 stolen as he lay bleeding - OpIndia - April 25th, 2020
- Foreign tourists found self-isolating in Indian cave - CNN - April 25th, 2020