COVID Lessons

Almost four months into the mayhem brought about by COVID-19, the world is none the wiser about the exact source of the virus which has brought us to our knees. Did it come from bats or pangolins? After a possible mutation, did the virus directly get transferred to humans or it happened through another animal? We still do not know. But one thing is for sure. This catastrophe might, just might, make the humanity and more importantly, the world leaders, to rethink the way we treat Mother Nature.

An article in CNN explains how the destruction of natural habitats, illicit smuggling and the resultant stress on the animals could lead to shedding of huge virus loads, especially in a wildlife market environment such as the one in Wuhan. When wild animals are restricted, put in small cages and weirdly stacked, there could be a scary mix of viruses from different species which are under tremendous stress. China’s illegal trade in wildlife over the past several decades is well-known and it has obstinately withstood global opprobrium and censure. In 2003, in the aftermath of SARS outbreak, China ordered the closure of all live animal markets and banned wildlife farming. Unsurprisingly, the ban did not last long and soon the wet markets were up and active just like before. Until now. It is believed that China is planning to roll out a stringent ban on wildlife farming and trade across the country in the near future. But can we trust China? Several newspapers have reported that the wet markets have reopened in China only a few days back but this time with security guards stationed to prevent visitors clicking uncomfortable pictures of bloodied floors and wild animals in cramped cages.

With humanity in virtual lock down, it seems that Nature is heaving a temporary sigh of relief. Like a golden thread of hope amidst the all-pervasive gloom that is enveloping us, Nature is bouncing back with her characteristic vigour. Pollution levels have dipped across the globe and streams and rivers have begun to show a sparkle in their flow. A senior forester in Chhattisgarh has observed that for the first time, elephant herds have covered a long distance without troubling any villages on the way. Now bird songs are more frequent and diverse near the balconies and mornings are calmer and soothing. In Kerala, Uttaranchal, Maharashtra and several other places, wildlife have slowly started venturing near the habitations, emboldened no doubt by the total absence of human activities. Their ancestors owned these places a few centuries ago, didn’t they?

As we hesitate to lower emissions and dither on slowing down the pace of climate change, is this Mother Nature’s way of compelling us to fall in line? We are so arrogantly sure about the inevitability of the cutting down of forests at the altar of development that we refuse to look at alternatives that could be more expensive but less destructive.  It is as if all of us have buried our heads in the sand, not wanting to see the devastation wrought by the Frankenstein monster of unregulated development, all the while hoping that somehow the problem will get fixed on its own.  Now we have got more than a wrap on our knuckles. Sorry, we have been told. Things cannot go on like this. We have been ordered to pause, reflect and slow down.

In the larger scheme of things, our planet is just a pale blue dot and we are only one of the millions of species inhabiting the earth. We need Nature for our own survival and let us not forget that it is not the other way around. As a Native American once said, “When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realize that one cannot eat money”. This unprecedented human calamity due to Covid-19 is clearly a wake-up call. There have been and will be extensive job losses and disruption of many a contented lives. There will be considerable pain ahead for most of us. But a little blame for this misfortune must be apportioned to ourselves. Haven't we been reckless? Haven't we been inconsiderate towards Nature? Haven't we been pursuing a policy of progress at any cost? As a WhatsApp forward aptly expressed our predicament - till yesterday we were planning to reach to the Mars but now we are afraid even to step out of our houses. It is time to shed hubris and become humbler.