KUPA MANDUKA: DISMISS DIVERGENCE AND DIFFERENCES MALIGNING A FROG

 The Exchange

“Kupa Manduka”! (Frog in the well). 

The trailing text was loud and emphatic!

Though the reference was to self-admitted limitations and the usage purportedly for himself, it left a sour taste. Was it just self-depreciatory idiom or a snub and beyond?

A different opinion, a divergent view, expressed politely on a benign subject like ‘charity’ eliciting an uncharitable response, though self-accusatory, from someone[1] with excellent command on the language, was surprising. Condemnation of a divergent view and its proponent? Inability or unwillingness to accommodate discussion? A novel method of typecasting the opponent as illiterate, unaware and blind to the ways of the new world and therefore unfit to continue discussion?

Such retorts are weapons of intimidation or call to shut up, often deployed to silence opponents in political discourses. But, in a benign discussion its is certainly out of place even if it was used self-depreciatingly.

Regardless, of the purpose and for whom it was meant, “Kupa Manduka”, is now considered derogatory!

The Famous One

The most famous public reference to ‘Kupa Manduka’, 'the frog-in-the -well' came from Swami Vivekananda, on 15 September 1893, at the Parliament of the world's religion at the Art Institute of Chicago. Swami Vivekananda was essentially attempting to acquaint the delegates with the state of impermeable confinement people subject themselves to, with dogmas, preventing them from understanding the ‘other point of view’.

The story is about a poor frog, who grew up in a well and had seen nothing beyond it. Another frog, from the sea, somehow came into the well. The discussion, between the two, reveals how the frog in the well finds it difficult to accept the existence of the world outside. The story moves forward through the dignified two-way communication between the two. As the well-frog bares its ignorance and lack of exposure to the vast world outside, the sea-frog neither castigates it for its deplorable level of ignorance and inability to fathom the vastness of the sea nor does it boast of its origins or claim any high grounds of wisdom. Both frogs, though convinced of their positions, are open to discussion. As the story progresses, the sea-frog persists and succeeds to motivate the well-frog to leave the well and explore the world.

Few Other Frogs

There are other ‘frog-in-the-well’ stories. Although the protagonist remains the well-frog, the guests are different and so are the outcomes.

According to a Taiwanese folktale, it was a yellow sparrow that talks to the frog and helps it experience the world beyond the well. In Alvin Tresselt’s story, the frog, driven by a drying well, dwindling food supplies and possible hunger overcomes his fears to venture out. Unlike other stories where there is an external entity to show the mirror, motivate and provide a way out, here adversity seeds the desire to explore and the fire within sets it free of its confines.

Frogs in all these stories, are well-dwellers not by choice but by events beyond its control. Its inability to understand the unseen world and its complexities are not its own creation. It makes peace with the world it knows and can comprehend. He hasn’t been adequately exposed. With the appropriate intervention he is able to free himself from his confines.

Unfair in Perpetuity

Over time and with usage the ‘frog-in-the-well’ has been vilified as ignorant and unwilling to accept anything new, a cruel contradiction to the truth. Though, the frog, constrained by circumstances in all the stories leave its comfort zone, the well for uncertain new world, we continue to brand it as ignorant, petty and narrow minded. Our own impatience, ignorance, propensity to jump to conclusions and lack of empathy perpetuating injustice on all the ‘frogs in the wells across the world?

Perpetuating Unfairness

This, unfortunately, is the story that is repeated every day, in every society. Driven by some queer sense of superior knowledge and unaware of the constraints of the other, fuelled by impatience, filled with ignorance we pre-judge individuals, groups and societies based on their surroundings and origins. Anybody, with a different thought, could easily be labelled Kupa Manduka.

Such an attitude to diverging views, incongruent opinions, differences in ideologies and disagreements in discussions, with someone who has the wherewithal to inflict damage to the opponent can have serious consequences for individuals and society. Even without such powers, this attitude has great potential to wreak havoc in interpersonal or intra organisational transactions. 

Irrespective of how good or bad, confining or liberating one’s environment may be, isn’t there a world outside to be explored, experienced, and understood? Then isn’t each one who settles to makes peace with one’s state of existence a Kupa Manduka?

Challenging Status Quo Stability

It’s natural for everything to settle down, over time, making peace with its surrounding. Inertia is naturally tempting. Conditions may be trying, limiting or even stifling, yet individuals adapt and accept. We eventually gravitate towards status quo, driving ourselves into the deeply limiting and dangerously confining wells.

Even slavery and other discriminative practices have been accepted as fate by generations. It wasn’t surprising to see blacks opposing slavery, or women protesting abolishment of Sati. ‘Status-quo-ism’ provides familiarity and builds comfort zones promoting internalisation and acceptance of debilitating conditions as inevitable truth.

Change, in its wake, brings turbulent uncertainty. It needs immense fire with in to overcome inertia and fathomless reserves of motivation to sustain the quest. It is only when one dares to question the status quo, that possibilities outside the familiar appear.

It takes a proverbial ‘sea-frog’ or a ‘yellow sparrow’ to motivate people, show them the light ahead and egg them to explore, and experience the horizons and beyond. All socio-political reforms and science and technology developments happened because someone became the sea-frog and helped challenge the status quo.

Sea Frog and Yellow Sparrow

Organisations, societies and Nations periodically need sea-frogs or yellow sparrows to hold mirrors, persist and convince others of a better world outside. The propensity to label and therefore shut out possibilities is cruelty of a different kind. Depreciatingly labelling oneself a ‘Kupa Manduka’ too is a crime, though against one’s own self.

Come to think of it, ‘Kupa Manduka’ is a state of denied opportunities for no fault of that person. Cutting out a differing voice, an incongruent logic labelling it ‘Kupa Manduka’, is either incompetence of the labeller to continue the discourse or sheer intolerance.

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[i] With no malice whatsoever, my gratitude to the individual for providing the seed for this article.

RELEVANCE AND REVERENCE : STORY OF THE INVISIBLE VIOLINIST AND A BULB

 An Unlikely Waiting Room

It was not like any other day!

I was just one amongst others seated, keenly watching the digital screen indicating the progress of operations in the theatre[1]. It was not a waiting room by any standards but a landing on the second-floor doubling up as space for sitting and for people to board or alight from the lift. Rows of metal chairs were the only comfort there. Each one was occupied. If at all anyone got up, there was someone ready to take it. Hardly anyone got up.

The chairs were inseparably welded together, three of them to a set. Each of us sitting on them, though together in anxiety, were on our own, individually struggling to fend off our own demons! I too sat, with nothing but worry on my mind.

All those sitting there also had someone dear, either being operated upon, in one of the eight OTs or waiting for their chance to be wheeled in. There were a few, whose loved ones had been shifted to the post-operative room. Obviously, they seemed to look better!

Each One to Oneself

Many people passed by us climbing the flight of stairs up or down while dozens pushed themselves into the lifts even before those inside came out. Burdened with their own worries, they were engrossed in their mission, oblivious to our plight. Many would have even wondered why we were waiting in front of the lifts without even attempting to board it.

The green wrist bands on our hands declared that we were all covid free. We were not tension free. The N-95 masks we wore, hid our faces well. It couldn’t hide our eyes, dead giveaways. Each one seemed to have settled on the means to manage their own fears. Two kept wiping their tears and the equally burdened neighbours attempted to console them. Most immersed themselves in solitude, eyes fixed on the screen, hung above, as if they were witnessing the operation live. Few sought divine support, fervently pushing beads or just mummering prayers to their Gods. Few like me, chose to whisper to the person sitting next. The air was thick with anxiety.

The Lifts

With hours to push and unbearable anxiety to unload, the middle-aged man sitting next to me, like me, wanted to talk. We spoke of everything under the sun. In the course of our conversation, I told him that I used to be a two-star general in the army. 

There was no response from him for a while. 

I understood that he was struggling to digest my claim. In an age where everyone is seeking to be a VIP flaunting designations, past glory, connections or references to demand and obtain preferential treatment, how could a real general be one in the crowd? To him, it would have seemed that I was pulling a fast one. 

I am now used to such silences and the questions that follow in different forms. “If you are a retired general, why aren't you getting VIP treatment?” It was a straightforward response.

I smiled and pointed to the two lifts in front of us, impersonally loading and unloading people, few walking, others on wheel chairs or in stretchers pushed by attendants.

“Is anyone even looking at us?” I asked.  "No”, he replied.

"Do we know who they are and why they are here?" I asked.  "No”, he replied.

Then I told him the story of the ‘invisible’ violinist and the ‘fused bulb’.

The Invisible Violinist

12 January 2007, another busy day in Washington, D.C.

A man stood in the L’Enfant Plaza subway station playing his violin, its case laid open so that passers-by could throw in money. In the 40 odd minutes, over a thousand people passed by. Very few took note of him. Few, tossed coins without even looking at him. He collected $32.17 dollars, of which $20 is said to have been given by one who recognised him. 

Joshua Bell played, on his handcrafted 1713 Stradivarius violin, reportedly costing $3.5 million, six classical pieces, two of which were by Bach. The week before, he had performed to a sold-out audience.

How did Joshua Bell become invisible? 

Despite being famous, why did people not recognise him?  

Why didn’t people stop and listen to him?

The answer lies in understanding the ‘relevance - reference’ window.

Relevance the Visibility Factor

To a commuter, burdened with daily life complexities, rushing to catch the metro, how relevant is a violinist, playing in a corner of the platform?

However famous the violist maybe, he is irrelevant. He might be playing the best of compositions on the most exquisite violin; it doesn’t matter. The more relevant someone or something is to an individual, more liked, feared or visible it becomes to him. Joshua Bell could have certainly missed the applause, if not adulation, but the commuters certainly had other priorities. Joshua Bell was invisible.

Charity?

Why did people toss coins into an invisible Mr Bell's violin case? 

People give alms as a matter of practice. It’s an acquired habit, a religious practice, or even presumably an inner call of good, to help a needy fellow being. It’s more of a compulsive act than genuine concern or involvement. One doesn’t need to identify the person or his problem to help. Rarely anyone stops to find lasting solutions. The street performer’s ‘relevance’ to the passers-by was restricted purely to meet this point of reference. To those who tossed coins, his relevance was only in terms of fulfilling the charity call, definitely not music.

Why would anyone in their right senses give alms to Joshua Bell?

Reference the Visibility Assistant

If the event was promoted or advertised and if  commuters knew that Mr Bell was performing free, there could have been a stampede. If a stage had been set up on the platform or beamers and posters promoting Bell’s concert was around, many would have stayed on to watch him. If students from the local violin school were at the station, they would have stayed on to study him. 

For an everyday commuter, without any such reference there is no difference between a celebrity and a man trying to make ends meet. Recognition needs reference.

Relevance - Reference Combo

Each one of us has a ‘moving reference frame’ that helps us focus on what is existentially important. It helps our brain declutter and focus. Our likes, dislikes, aspirations, anxieties and emotions play significant role in developing and deploying our ‘frame’ depending on the situation. Relevance of a person or thing in relation to the ‘frame of reference’ in context dictates its importance.

The public display of respect shown by people to senior government functionaries stems from this relevance - reference frame. In most cases it lasts only till the individual holds the appointment. People deliberately flaunt connections and drop names in conversations with the aim of establishing or reinforcing their position in the relevance-reference frame. For many, devoid of stuff of their own, such act serves as lifelines.

A veteran, doesn’t naturally occupy compelling presence in the relevance- reference frame of the hospital. If I had the recognised potential to be of detriment or promote the hospital’s existence or growth, I would have easily been a relevant pixel in its frame. In that case, without my asking, they might have found me and offered me preferential treatment. Otherwise, I should have secured the required reference to be of importance.

Should I have asked for it?

Electric bulbs[2] have a lesson or two!

Glorious Days

Contemporary lives are incomplete without electric bulbs! They come in different shapes and sizes. Bulbs have even turned smart, switching on and off on their own! Switched on, they light up in glory. It’s the bulb that brings out the beauty of its shade. It dispels darkness and reassures everyone. But all that happens, only if it is functional. Safe in the shade, bulb is valuable only if it can light up. All bulbs eventually burn out. The owner is free to replace the existing one, even if it is functional. Even relationships are like that.

Entrusted or Entitled

Designations and positions in organisations are responsibilities entrusted and not entitlements. They are the shades we associate ourselves with. Importance enjoyed holding these positions belongs to one, only by association. Authority, power and indispensability one experiences as well as eternal continuance one hopes for,  are illusions of grandeur, fleeting myth. They have to be given up some time in life. We can glorify positions we hold by our actions. Those very designations may even shield us from our shortcomings and flaws. Sadly, it’s not an eternal relationship.

Sometime in life, however high or mighty one might be, one has to make way. However well we are doing or have done, there comes a day when either we can’t do it anymore or we are not required to and therefore make way for somebody else. It is a natural process. For every waxing phase there is a waning one. Earlier this truth is accepted and internalised, better it is. Life becomes that much more peaceful.

Without the authority and position, as reference depletes, the number of people recognising and finding relevance in the person, who once held sway, depletes. Unfortunately, it’s a reinforcing cycle where depletion increases geometrically as time progresses arithmetically.

Shifting Spotlights

Who doesn’t like preferential treatment? 

Who doesn’t want to be eternally revered? 

But it doesn’t happen so.

While in office or at the helm of affairs, the spotlight could be on us. People know us. In that environment, we may continue to be recognised for some time. Little later, we might need to introduce ourselves. The spotlight has to shift. 

Both, Alexander the great and King Porus, rest between the same book's cover. History is continually being made. "Old order changeth yielding place to new"[3]  Accept the truth with dignity that, the 'one- and-only - one' soon becomes just 'one amongst many'. Earlier one realises, better it is.

I saw the screen change. The status read, "Operation Completed". Then I heard someone shout, "Who is with 'xxxx' ?  "Please come here".

I picked up my bag and got up to leave. 

As an afterthought, I opened my wallet, took out my calling card and gave him one. As he was scanning my card, I said, "Thank you for the company. Do keep in touch".

The mask hid his face as he shook his head. I didn't miss the change in his eyes. Was it belief or disbelief?

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[1] Caritas Hospital, Kottayam, 27 April 2021

[2] The story is often quoted and available on the web in many forms.

[3] Lord Alfred Tennyson Morte d'Arthur

RIDING THE THIRD COVID WAVE

Ant and The Grasshopper

The story of the ant and the grasshopper must have been narrated countless times in our childhood. The ant survived the famine and the famished grasshopper perished! Most of us, forced to by our kids or grandchildren would have re-narrated the story with all the sound and action to make it captivating. The last line is often about the moral of the story! They say all these childhood stories convey some profound message, which we conveniently forget as we grow up. 

Let us recall the story in another setting!! The 'covidian' setting!

Did it evolve naturally or was it synthesised for weaponisation? Even as debates rage, accusations denials and counters fly, covid continues to wreak havoc across the world. The second wave was deadlier than the first and everyone is now talking of a third. 

Will there be a third wave? Will it be deadlier? Then what do we do?

What Numbers Say

A distinct rise, a fall and the relative calm thereafter is referred to as a pandemic wave. Lethality dictating intensity of affliction and virulence dictating spread, differ from region to region. India weathered the first wave without much damage compared to others. Mistaking the calm before the storm as the end, we declared victory. But the storm struck again.

A comparison of figures available in public domain in respect of the top ten covid affected[1] countries throw light into the magnitude of affliction.

	Country	Total Population	Total Cases	Total Deaths
1	USA	33,27,70,250.00	3,40,43,068.00	6,09,544.00
2	India	1,39,23,45,967.00	2,80,47,534.00	3,29,127.00
3	Brazil	21,39,34,926.00	1,65,15,120.00	4,62,092.00
4	France	6,54,05,173.00	56,66,113.00	1,09,402.00
5	Turkey	8,51,64,357.00	52,42,911.00	47,405.00
6	Russia	14,59,91,530.00	50,71,917.00	1,21,501.00
7	UK	6,82,10,816.00	44,84,056.00	1,27,781.00
8	Italy	6,03,80,707.00	42,16,003.00	1,26,046.00
9	Argentina	4,55,73,096.00	37,53,609.00	77,456.00
10	Germany	8,40,28,088.00	36,87,715.00	89,051.00

 

In terms of infection rate, Andorra, a tiny European country with a population of 77,378 leads the table with infection rate of 17.74 % that translates to 13,727 in absolute terms. The USA, with 10.23%, at 13^th spot of rate of infection leads the list in absolute numbers with 3,40,43,068. India with infection rate of 2.01%, stands 105^th but comes second[2], in absolute numbers.

In absolute numbers of covid deaths, India stands third. However, with a fatality rate of 1.17% amongst the infected, it stands 139^th. Compared to many advanced countries, COVID has been kind to India. Percentages are dangerously innocuous. Increase in percentages impacts countries depending on the population size. For a large population base, even one point increase can mean colossal numbers. One percent for India, translates to a humongous 1,39,23,459 infections. At the current fatality rate of 1.17%, it means 1,62,904 people more dead. While the numbers are large by themselves, the economic and social cost of losing citizens especially young would be huge.

The second wave was characterised by increased fatality. How the third wave would impact whom remains a speculation. If bravado of the grasshopper about doing better than other countries in competitive covidian statistics consumes anyone, it may tempt them to let guards down. It can be a terrible mistake. Only ant-like single-mindedness can prepare countries adequately enough to face the third wave. With a huge population to take care of India has a lot to do.

Combat Strategy

A two-pronged strategy of ‘Prevention’ and ‘Intervention’ is required to tackle the third wave. Prevention is the best weapon against COVID. Quantum of beds, oxygen, doctors and medicine etc required will be inversely proportional to the success of the preventive measures. More successful the preventive measures, lesser required the medical intervention. With one new variant being called an “absolute beast”, it is wise to be the ant and be prepared for the worst.

Prevention The Remedy

The primary focus of the government and citizens in the war against covid, must be prevention. Prevention has many facets.

Physical Distancing. It is proven that physical proximity greatly curtails spread. Physical distancing (NOT Social distancing) between people can drastically cut infection. This can be enforced by lawfully restricting movements of people and preventing congregation and maintaining stipulated interse distances between themselves. This can be successful only if citizens participate voluntarily and wholeheartedly. Such participation can come about only through building awareness. If physical distancing can be truly enforced, the third wave can definitely be defanged.

Masking. It is now confirmed that the disease spreads mostly through air. Though there are conflicting reports on the efficacy of masks in reducing spread of infection, it is widely believed that probability of infection can be greatly reduced if citizens use masks correctly. Pulling up a mask over one’s mouth and nose only to escape law enforcement doesn’t actually help. Use of mask must come voluntarily and correctly.

Vaccine Protection

The accepted practice to curb spread of a pandemic is universal vaccination. The probability of spread of epidemics considerably reduces in an immunised population. This should have been easy for India, the vaccine hub for the world. Analysis, of how we have done so far, done purely for administrative purposes and devoid of political aims, can help evolve strategy for future. 

                   https://dashboard.cowin.gov.in

The Numbers. As on 03 Jun, 21,98,43,531, doses have been administered through 33,996 (32878 Government & 1118 Private) centres. 17,56,89,202 were first doses and 4,41,54,329 second doses. 21,98,28,465 doses (19,48,14,503 Covishield & 2,50,13,962 Covaxin) have officially been given to 21,98,43,531 people, saving 15,066 precious doses through careful handling. 3.17 % of the population have been inoculated and 9.40% partially vaccinated. 

Citizens can legally receive vaccines only after registration on the government portal. As on 03, Jun only 25,73,76,403 citizens (only 18.49% of the 1,39,23,45,967 population) have registered for receiving vaccination. This low figure could be attributed to any one or more of contributing factors like vaccine hesitancy, access to portal or lack of awareness. This calls for serious policy thoughts and introducing incentives or penalties for registering.

The highest single day vaccination was 2,47,46,875 on 03 Apr. If the government pushes to maintain this figure it will take only 102 days more to immunize the country. But even those who have registered find getting slots for vaccination a challenge. This has come about due to vaccine shortage and the current policy.

Capacities.  According to available data, India has a total installed capacity of 8.2 billion doses per year. This includes capacities of “SII, Bharat Biotech, panacea Biotech, Sanofi’s Shanta Biotech, Biological E, Hester Biosciences, and Zydus Cadila”[1]. In addition, different vaccines are expected to be imported. Prima facie the entire population can be vaccinated twice over in one year. Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out this way. What then is holding India back?

Complexities. Underutilised capacities, pricing fiascos, and confusion over sourcing have added to the complexities. Introducing different types of vaccines to overcome shortages or provide flexibility have only added to the complexities. However, these can be surmounted even now. Three factors have to be ensured; vaccine willing people and the bridge between them. Here lies the visible challenge!

Medical Intervention

Despite the best of intentions and implementations virus will slip through and there would be infections. Since the infrastructure seemingly got overwhelmed, patients were advised to stay home till they developed serious complications. Left to non-medics and a combination of ignorance, aggravated by asymptomatic infection, high incidences of happy hypoxia and lack of access to emergency support, many succumbed. The high fatality rate of the second wave could have been different if all patients irrespective of their conditions were placed under medical supervision. That is the real challenge!

Covid has very serious and unpredictable pattern of attack. It needs medics and medicines. Faster the response better the treatment. Facilities have to me made as close to the population centres as possible to elicit credible results. A chain of treatment facilities, akin to evacuation and management of causalities in army, that takes cases depending on severity should be designed.

Kerala Model. Kerala steals a march over others in this regard. Rather than creating and operating unwieldy mega facilities it continues to micro managing. The primary health centres in each village or panchayat is the first line of defence against the attack. It is these facilities that continue to play stellar roles in curtailing fatalities. If the state had mandated even patients with mild symptoms to PHC care, Kerala could have seen very few fatalities.

First Line Treatment Centres (FTC)

The most effective way forward to handle the third wave is to open as many small centres, twenty to thirty bed capacity, as near to the people as possible. Every case reporting must be attended to and tested for covid.  In fact, it will do the community good to encourage people to report to the FTC at the slightest doubt. With antigen tests and such other tests becoming more available, covid can be detected early on.

Those confirmed positive must be taken in and kept under medical care. It will separate the patient from others, minimise community spread and ensure better survival rates. Those needing more support can be send up the chain for treatment.

Many railway coaches were ceremoniously converted into wards. How they have been utilised a cross the country is not known. Every railway station has space to park these coaches. Wherever there is scarcity of infrastructure local administration must be assigned a coach.  These, assigned with doctors and nurses and equipped with adequate medical equipment can become the first line facilities. Thousand bedded mega centres can grab eyeballs and headlines but smaller establishments give outstanding results. It also provides locals to contribute and even provides that many more opportunities to those hungry for media glare to satiate their desire

Medical Hands. The most cited reason for poor rural medical care is lack of doctors and nurses in the front-line treatment centres. Even in this sphere Kerala is a beacon for other states to follow. India has a huge bank of medical practitioners at the house surgency level. These qualified individuals under the guidance of a qualified doctor can handle the point of contact. They can evaluate the patient and send them up to the higher facility if the need so arises. Similarly, we also have a large number of nursing students across the country. They too under the guidance of qualified nurses can augment the fight against covid.

Costs

Covid is an extremely destructive phenomenon and once in a life time experience. It inflicts uncalculatable economic and social costs. Combating it also demands tremendous costs. Preventive measures essentially are disruptive and directly or indirectly impact many economic activities. Restructuring or reorienting existing processes involve costs. Many social functions, part of our culture, would be impaired or altered and they too have serious impact on micro economy. But all these combined could be minuscule compared to the cumulative costs of treating infection post infection activities and deaths.

Preventive measures disrupt life, citizens are used to, and therefore could evoke poor voluntary compliance. Making people see reason is a painfully slow process. It needs concerted efforts to create favourable awareness. It would also need coercive implementation and that could hold political costs. That is where strong and visionary leadership stands apart.

To-do List

Aware of the difficulties of implementing even the most well-intentioned programmes, a list of implementable steps is suggested.

·       Legally enforce physical distancing.

·       Enact and enforce a national policy restricting types of congregations and stipulating numbers needs to be. It may be good to remember that virus doesn’t differentiate or make concessions based on type of congregation.

·       Incentivise production and businesses centres to devise means to stagger staff presence and self-regulate.

·       Adopt and implement concept of micro containment zones where lockdowns are complete in all aspects.

·       Make wearing of masks compulsory by law. Impose hefty fines on anyone breaking masking law.

·       Allow manufacture, distribution and sale of only correct pattern of masks.

·       Regulate price and prevent profiteering.

·       Open at least one micro treatment centres in every village panchayat.

·       Use out of service railway coaches, if need be, to create infrastructure. Allocate them to panchayats/ villages / local governing bodies to manage.

·       Equip these with medical equipment to function as primary covid treatment wards

·       Deploy house surgeons and final year medical students to man these facilities.

·       Similarly deploy final year trainee nurses to meet the need for nurses.

·       All district headquarters to operationalise a control centre operating on common platform to bring about transparency and asset sharing.

 ·       Ensure truthful reporting.

Wisdom in Caution

When initially cautioned about the tenacity of the virus to stretch the human species beyond 2020, many were scorned those who sounded alarms. Declaring the ‘song and dance’ for new year 2021, many ridiculed those advising caution as alarmists and worse, driven by personal agendas. The bravado vanished and those who scorned slithered behind the shadows. The virus continues to test. To beat the virus, whether it was an evolutionary curse or the folly of careless weaponisation only fortitude of the ant can help. Others can be allowed the freedom of the grasshopper. 

[1] https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

[2] Contrary to the prevailing tendency of covid competition, comparison made here is purely with the aim of gauging how covid has impacted the population.

[3] Business Today 14 Apr 2021