This 21-day lockdown can pave the path for a more beautiful world – Keya Seth

Couldn’t remember when last time I had seen such blue, clear sky in my City of Joy.

The myriad rhythms of life have been keeping me busy and I hardly remember when was the last time I had looked at the sky with the awe of a child.  I have been completely at home since the lockdown has began. Just yesterday, I had to go out to the neighborhood for some essentials. Not away, just a few steps from my home and it was actually fascinating to find the place had changed so much in the past few days. The locality, the lanes and by-lanes where I have been living all these years of my life, the same known places have taken a completely new look. Clean, Fresh, Calm.

One more thing that caught my eyes, in fact, relieved me, few people were talking to each other on the lane but each of them was maintaining proper social distancing and they were not there just to gossip. They left as soon as their purpose was over. It was reassuring to see the awareness, the willingness to stick to the rules for a better tomorrow.

These 21 days of lockdown, might actually give us a more beautiful future. Not only free from the fear of the virus, but also a world that is more beautiful and a life more in balance with nature. The possibility of extension of the lockdown period is certainly there, but for now we can make 21 days the bull’s eye and this stay-at-home period will gift us a cleaner, fresh, pollution-free world to live in. We have already covered the most part of the lockdown and we can surely follow it through for the few more days left.

Our family, our loved ones are the biggest treasures of our life and we have to bear with the occasional boredom of stay-at-home for their wellbeing. Keeping the virus at bay is important not only for your health but also for your whole family as you can be a asymptomatic carrier of the infection. 

In our pursuit of economic well-being we have done immense damage to this planet in an uncaring manner. If we don’t give this time to the mother nature to recuperate and get back to its nurturing self, it may cost the human race dearly. Birds, fireflies are now back in town. We are seeing a peacock dancing on the streets of Mumbai, Dolphins once again flocking the Mumbai seashore.

We had forgotten that the earth is not only for us, it is for every creature on this planet.

It is really important to live in harmony not only with other people around us but also with other lives, plants, animals, birds, as every creature has its own importance in nature.  As human beings we consider ourselves as the most powerful and intelligent life-form on this planet. It would be a good time to remind ourselves of those famous lines - “With great power comes great responsibility”.

In my office, the rule is, every employee should have a plant and a small aquarium beside his or her desk. It not only helps to improve focus at work but also brings an organic touch in the office environment and teaches us to share and care. While building my house, I made sure, not to cut down a single tree and that is why now I can enjoy three huge trees right on the terrace of the 2nd floor of my home. I just love to spend my time there, amidst the nature. 

It might not be possible for everyone to build a house without cutting the trees, but all of us can easily care for the trees in the neighborhood or instead of pestering your neighbor to cut down a tree as it is shading your property, you can just start caring for it. You might not have an aquarium at home but you can easily feed the stray dogs. Actually, that’s all we need.

In this 21 days, just the way we are giving time to our family, caring for ourselves, healing our exhausted body and mind, let’s give this time to the nature as well to heal. And let’s take a pledge, when we are back again on the streets after the lockdown, we will be more conscious and caring towards other lives around us and moreover towards the mother nature.  

Read this Scribble in Bengali on The Wall.