The borders are back. Has the mythical Laxman Rekha become a nemesis or a harbinger of new times? It depends … on nations and people. Laxman Rekha is a symbolic indicator for staying within limits for one’s own protection and survival. Quite different from, say, the bright-line rules of America, which is legalese for clearly defined standards as opposed to balancing tests. As the lockdown in India is reviewed, many states are indicating that inter-state connectivity should continue.
It is a matter of survival and lives. In the era of Covid-19, inter-connectedness is a waning mantra. Even as China was laying claim to containing the pandemic, cases are rising. The blame now lies at the door of ‘imported infections’. The ‘border’ is cutting across every spectrum in the life of nations and people. An image is continuously playing out in my head. All those hundreds of Westerners I met over the years. People I hardly knew. The greeting: two kisses on the cheek, or three—depending on the country of origin. Will it ever be the same again? It was interesting to watch Prince Charles recently. He almost put out his hand for a handshake—and then, it morphed into a namaste.
Now, namaste need not be in italics as non-English. The West seems to have conceptually struggled with something on the lines of the balancing tests— the weighing of several factors. UK or New York, across the board, they were all wavering with balancing parameters. Leaders flaunting handshakes and mentioning it with humour. Leaders dithering to take bold steps and ending up on a ventilator in ICU. Sounds harsh. Karma is harsh. It may not be overtly or covertly stated but, even in the face of an impending pandemic, the ‘greed’ for wealth was the winning factor in the balancing test.
Economy over the people. And the virus went on a rampage for, not just a life-long, but an after-life lesson. Even upto a week ago, as the pandemic was spreading in NYC, there was a scary headline. In poorer parts of New York, underground trains were still packed. Poor workers who had no choice, it said. So, surely, we need the balancing test. The situation of New York city vs. the migrant crisis in India. Informed decision, misinformed largesse, right, wrong …The numbers tell the story. The virus is making sure the debate can no longer be in black and white. People, we, as human beings, have to learn to see the grey that makes for the black and white. Off with the tinted glasses, the brandishing, the display.
NEELIMA MATHUR Email: neelima.mathur@gmail.com