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2020, an unforgettable year

Published : Thursday, 4 March, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 836

2020, an unforgettable year

2020, an unforgettable year

Everybody wants to forget bad times but sometimes reality stands different. Every disaster leaves some lessons for human beings. 2020 was such a year that can be analysed from different angles. From the very beginning the whole world was attacked by corona pandemic. As first found in 2019 it was named Covid-19 but 2020 is historic not simply for pandemic. Crossing 2020 it is easier to look back.

Powerful and wealthy western counties have been badly assaulted by this almost invisible virus. Certainly, incompetence and indifference of some political leaders were the main reasons. There is a doubt that economic losses caused by this virus will be long lasting and recovery needs international coordination and not to remain confined to own borders.

  Covid-19 has given some positive lessons. The first one is certainly lockdown, a term with which the world was not at all familiar though it took different shapes in different countries. Should restaurants look like hospitals? Shall we see waiters with mask on face and gloves on hands? Situation may be so though Bengalees go to restaurants not always for food but for passing some pleasant moments with friends, family and relatives also. If restaurant takes the shape of a hospital then it will no longer remain a matter of pleasure. As Bengalee foods are normally eaten with hands, washing and sanitising hands before eating has become almost a habit of many people.

Due to some positive and far reaching events reasons 2020 remain ever memorable. Not instability but uncertainty will be the hard reality. Vaccination began in Europe and America towards the end of 2020 but it is not yet certain how much effective it will be.           

Throughout 2020 disaster was everywhere like health, education, economy, export, sports, tourism, entertainment etc. After death no one dared to come forward for funeral. Even no doctor was available to issue death certificate. Members of law enforcing agencies, administration and some benevolent non-relatives were the last resort. A report of the Daily Anandabazar of Kolkata informs that tendency to prepare will has increased during pandemic. Elderly people are eager to settle their property because of uncertainty of life.

The worst sufferer was education sector. Institutions were (and still) closed for 284 days throughout 2020. Online class was the only alternative to uncertain future teachers could teach and students could attend. Video of theoretical and practical knowledge was shown. Students glanced if necessary but due to lack of infrastructural opportunity all students could not be connected and the benefit of online class remained questionable. Auto pass (though not acknowledged by government) has been granted for HSC students but many educationists are not hopeful about its consequence. Many students got opportunity to study abroad but they lost their chance.

It was thought that pandemic, epidemic and disaster affect the poor but Covid-19 has not spared anyone from Donald Trump to clerk Haripada. There was no difference between 31st December, 2020 and 1st January, 2021. We were aware of the impermanence of life but not of its extreme uncertainty. 2020 has exposed it clearly.

New expressions like pandemic, lockdown, social distancing, quarantine, isolation, unlock, virtual meeting, containment zone, work from home, virtual conference, zoom meeting, stay home stay safe, hand washing, sanitizer, face mask, hand gloves, new normal have been added to our life. Probably these words will not leave us shortly. No scope will come to forget the influence of these words in our life.

Basically, Bengalees are habituated with coughing and sneezing in public places without covering nose or face. They feel no sense of guilt to spit anywhere but 2020 has, to some extent, changed that age old familiar situation. Even slightest coughing or sneezing is observed by many conspicuous eyes. Pandemic has taught that at least nose and face should be covered when coughing or sneezing. Spitting everywhere is a crime. Mask and sanitizer must be used but how much we have learnt? Bengalees care nothing. Markets are overcrowded. Thousands of people are moving maskless, totally careless about health rules.

Health sector was at the top of discussion throughout 2020 due to unbridled corruption, irregularity at every step, plunder, nepotism, forgery in sample test, fake corona report, crisis of ICU, miserable condition and mismanagement in government and private hospitals, harassment of patients, death of 122 physicians and 18 nurses, arrest of Dr Sabrina Chowdhury, a cardiac surgeon of National Institute of Heart Diseases, Shahed episode, mask scandal etc.             

Pandemic has partly changed public perception and has shown the picture of humanitarian police. However, misdeeds of some derailed (please read -miscreant) policemen and their indulgent superiors have tainted that hard earned bright face.

Job sector was disrupted. Millions of people have lost their jobs and had to return from their workplace whereas a group of persons continued working from home. We have learnt a new word--home office. Another group was at the middle i.e. when necessary they were called to office. Millions of job losers had to choose different profession without thinking of skill or honour because survival was the only count. People working in government offices didn't face any trouble but situation was deplorable in private and unorganised sectors. Inversely, online shopping and home delivery gained wide popularity and simultaneously online cheating also increased. Many businessmen availed the opportunity of producing and trading sanitizer, gloves, mask, sprayer and disinfectants.

Naturally, everybody will want to erase such a terrible year from the pages of calendar or to forget it; but it is not practically and psychologically possible. Bad times also teach many things. William Shakespeare wrote, "Time and hour run through the roughest day" but nobody knows how long this run will continue.   
The writer is a former
Commissioner of Taxes









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