Year 2020 was a star-crossed year for the humanity. It was the year when human beings were caged by nature and whole world population was imprisoned in their houses because of the fear of death. Many unseen and unexpected events were observed during this year. It was never expected by anybody that there would be a halt in our livelihood and we would have to stay indoors. People were compelled by nature to close all the offices, industries, markets, transport facilities and everyone was petrified with the fear of death. Everybody was living a scared life as there was chaos and confusion everywhere. Every sector of human life experienced a great loss and nobody could escape from the fear of this dreadful virus. Man, who was bragging of conquering the nature by science and technology, was compelled to bend the knees by a virus. This Chinese born virus got spread in the whole world in just two months and logjaming the world progress.
It took hundreds of years to humans to understand the nature and to take control over it. They came out of forests affrighted in search of food. They started cultivating crops near rivers besides hunting and learnt to cook food on fire. Then they made their settlements and in this way human civilizations came into existence. Slowly humans came to know that nature can provide them best wealth for a luxurious life and they can progress only if they can understand the secrets and principles of nature. This understanding of principles of nature was given the name of science. With this knowledge humans progressed by leaps and bounds and revolutionized the world with industries which was known as industrial revolution resulting into industrial civilizations. In this race of revolution, humans forgot that all the progress is based on the principles of nature. They even forgot the nature and started altering with the principles of nature. They polluted the mother earth forgetting they were minions before the nature and that their betterment lies in being limits and not altering with the principles of nature.
As we know to every action there is a reaction. This hauteur of humans compelled nature to create a virus which incapacitated them and all their progress came to a standstill. This virus paralyzed the human progress and pulverized the world economies. After working hard for one long year, there was a sigh of relief as scientists were able to prepare vaccine for it but this virus took a new shape and the dream of controlling it was once again shattered threatening humanity even in 2021 too.
However, humans will not accept defeat and will find ways to curb this virus but they need to understand the laws of nature once again to find the solution. Humans have already controlled the worst epidemics of cholera, tuberculosis etc in the past and one day they will control this pandemic too. But they have to listen to the warning of the nature. If humans fiddle with nature, the nature has its own ways to reciprocate.
Coronavirus pandemic is a serious warning for all of us. Nature is giving us message through this pandemic to stop altering with laws of nature for our avaricious means. It reminds us that we originally are from jungles but we have become the enemies of those very jungles. We are cutting them ruthlessly. We are digging the mountains which have given us beautiful rivers. We are polluting the air which is essential for our survival. We are making our soil poisonous which is giving us food. If we will continue in this way and will not stop polluting and harming our planet then our devastation is very near. Our planet is ready to fulfill our need but it will kick us away for our greed. Nature is signaling us through this pandemic to desist from our wrong actions or be ready for destruction.
Millions of people have died during this year. But this is not the end, it is just a warning by nature. If we will continue to spoof the nature then surely our doomsday is near. Learning from 2020, we should try to find solution to this pandemic in the new year and limit our ruthless activities. We have to slow down the race of industrial and technological revolution. The unlimited and unfair use of natural blessings need to be checked. It is true that man can’t live without science and technology in modern days but it is also true that there is a limit which should not be crossed. So there is a need of balance between science and nature for sustainable development and for avoiding such calamities in future.
The writer teaches Geography at GDC, Kulgam. He can be reached at rather1294@gmail.com)
