Humanity needs ventilators, not your bombs
BY: Mushtaq Hurra
The whole world has come to a standstill. Every heart is wrenched, every soul grieving, and every mind fearful of death. People are frightened of the tragic disaster which has assumed the shape of a monster, and is about to engulf the whole humanity. Every ray of hope has almost vanished but a little quantum of optimism is still there in our hearts.
In this extreme desperation, some are looking towards the skies for divine help while as some others are looking for a medical science miracle. The spike in COVID19 positive cases across the globe is emerging as a Herculean task for the world to battle with. Developed and the developing countries are in the same queue, watching their people dying for lack of necessary and proper medical facilities and services. WHO like international organizations have almost knelt down, and accepted their defeat.
Here, at this crucial juncture, a billion dollar question pops into the minds of many. What is the logic behind the scare created by the pandemic when its mortality rate is just four or five percent. Then, why are lockdowns imposed? Why are economies left to crumble? Why are children deprived of education? World has witnessed lakhs of deaths to H1N1 flu as well, but there was no such hue and cry then. There is something terribly serious which forces us to take the harshest steps. Leaders of the world have probably failed to invest in vital areas like healthcare and education.
Today, the biggest challenge before the world is the sharp and scary rise in COVID19 positive cases. Ironically, the world sans sufficient and adequate healthcare facilities and services to tackle this challenging situation! It may sound bizarre but it is a reality that the so-called great champions and ambassadors of human rights and democracies have failed to invest adequately in healthcare. They have fooled the masses of the world in the name of nationalism and patriotism. Their ambition to monopolize the global economy has brought us to the virtual destruction and the culmination of human race from the planet Earth.
After the World War-II, world witnessed a mad race of economic hegemony and nuclear weapons. USA and the former USSR fought a prolonged battle of nerves — the Cold War. This politics of power led to the accumulation of deadly weapons, missiles, fighter jets and other sophisticated armaments. The two blocks and their allies made every possible attempt to browbeat each other. They, probably, did it deliberately or they lacked the vision to let humanity bloom and live happily on the planet. Conquering Mars and the moon is not a sin but depriving a commoner of his/her rights is indeed very tragic and tormenting.
The big politicians of the world have never really been statesmen. Statesmen care about the welfare of people while as politicians care about their power and rule, least bothering about the welfare and development of people. The pages of the history are testimony to fact that rulers like Hazrat Ummar Bin Khataab (RA) were the real statesmen of the world. With a kingdom spread over twenty two lakh square miles, the Caliph had no fort to live in, had a single pair of Kurta-Pajama to wear. He (RA) would often be seen in the graveyards of Madina.
Our greedy politicians have put the whole humanity on a pile of bombs to exhibit their false rule and hollow showoff. Now, the whole world has understood their vision and mission. These ambitious killers have left the world barren. I challenge them to try their atomic bombs and highly skilled military to kill this tiny virus which is not even visible to our naked eyes. It is a proven fact that ambitions lead to disasters. The present crisis is the result of this ambitious approach of our so-called leaders. Had they been sincere and honest rulers, then the world would not have been running short on ventilators and other medical infrastructure.
It is pathetic that a country like America is begging before the world for ordinary face masks and hand sanitizers. And what is the scenario in the countries like India and Pakistan, one needs not mention.
Almost a year ago, I was about to board my car near the casualty gate of SKIMS Soura when I saw one of my close acquaintances crying bitterly. I rushed to him and enquired about his plight. He told me that his ailing mother was in dire need of a ventilator but all the available ventilators in SKIMS were already occupied. I believe, now I need not to give data and figures of medical equipments available in our tertiary-care hospitals.
The story is not different in most of other places in the subcontinent. After the colonial rule, subcontinent won its freedom but ambitious rulers didn’t let our chains to break. We are still facing the pangs of poverty, hunger, casteism, illiteracy and above all poor and substandard healthcare facilities. A big chunk of populace in the subcontinent has no access to any kind of medical facilities.
The emergent pandemic has unveiled the real designs of our political giants who would boast big of their political manifestoes and liberal outlooks. These hypocrites stand exposed before the masses, and they are accountable to them.
If analysts and experts are to be believed, India and Pakistan are going to be worst hit by COVID19. Given the density and the quantum of population in these two nations, people may suffer immensely due to poor healthcare facilities and services. I am of the firm belief that post-Corona period will cause big political changes in the world in general and the subcontinent in particular.
Belligerence and provocation in the name of nationalism and communalism will no more lure the electorate. These hypocrites should get ready for changes beyond their imaginations.
Raising armies and investing in the defence armaments is not bad at all. But, investing only in the weapons of mass destruction to prove your awe and majesty is criminal and unpardonable. We are not annoyed and jealous of your skyscrapers, but neglecting common masses is not lesser than being criminal and unjust.
Now, it is over and out. Let the world seek a new system of governance. Your communism, nationalism, socialism, and liberalism have been proven irrelevant and obsolete. From Chanakya to Machiavelli, all the models have proven inefficient to govern the world harmoniously. I guarantee the world that the model of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) will get you rid of all the worries and problems.
And who knows if the present crisis is a natural calamity or a man-made catastrophe. If the social media post are believed, then the present pandemic has been created to monopolize the global economy. If this information is credible, then these so-called champions of humanity have deliberately pushed the world to death. I don’t know how the blood of innocents suffices their consciences. Time will unfold and unveil the mystery behind this pandemic whether it was natural or artificial. But, one thing is clear that they were never the well-wishers of the humanity.
(The writer is a teacher and columnist. He can be reached at [email protected])
