The second wave of COVID-19 has terrorized the entire situation more than before. Everywhere, people are feeling paranoid about their survival. They are unable to understand how to stay safe and protect themselves from the viral infection. During this pandemic, thousands of people are getting infected every day and a large portion of people are dying.
Lack of health facilities and the notion of fear are causing mass panic in this terrible situation. However, the sudden spread of second wave of the Coronavirus in India raises many questions not just about the public health infrastructure, but also the daily life of the common public. India’s public health system on the one hand is not able to provide basic facilities to its citizens, and the daily life of the common public on the other hand has also been responsible for the rapid spread of the virus.
In cities like Delhi, it very common that those who have been infected are not able to get the basic support either from the government or from their own family members. This is very terrible situation and has created an unprecedented health crisis in India. Many reports have exposed that in many cases family members are not supporting the patient psychologically, some even going to the extent of not retrieving the dead bodies of their family members due to the fear of infection. Many such images and videos are going viral on social media, clearly depicting how the common people have lost their confidence and sense of humanity. Elderly people have also passed away due to the dearth of hospital facilities, as well as due to lack of support from their family members. It can be observed that the current situation of India during this pandemic has been amplified due to the lack of understanding about science.
What Is Science And Why Should It Be Practiced?
The idea of science not only defines our daily life but also our thinking and behavior, in accordance with the principles of the scientific method. It always talks about cause and effect, and that nothing happen without a cause. Therefore, the principle of science helps us understand what happens around us, on the basis of observation, logic, and reason. It often challenges our beliefs and values which might sometimes create pockets of irrationality in our mind.
One of the key aspects of science is it tends to stand for humanity and develops a different kind of notion to protect the nature in totality. Many philosophers including Buddha, following the same idea of science, have defined not just meaning of human life but also nature and its connection to the human life. They challenged several metaphysical notions that often create irrational values and beliefs in our mind. The ultimate goal of science therefore is to expose the logic and reason behind everything. It offers not just a method to understand things logically, but also a philosophy to lead human life in a more scientific and conscious way for the future generations.
During The Pandemic, How Can One Practice Science?
The practice of science during this virus outbreak has raised many questions about the government and public response. On one hand, the projection of fear by the media and government has created panic and hysteria among the public, and on the other hand, common people are not following even the basic notions of humanity, togetherness, and shared values.
Several news reports have exposed that due to the fear of virus, no one is ready to help the infected. Most people are living with psychological trauma and not able get any support either from the government or from their neighbors. The reason behind this entire situation is lack of scientific thinking and rational belief.
If the common people follow the principle of science than it must reduce all such obstacles, which have been developed during this crisis. It also reproduces the core value of humanism, creating the notion of equality and justice within the society. The practice of science, therefore, is not just a process that redefines everyday life and belief on the basis of scientific logic, but also rejects all kinds of irrational values, behaviour, and thinking which exist in society. Gender based inequality, caste differences apart from religious and ethnic fanaticism that create many obstacles in society are being silently challenged by science. which makes society more progressive and conscious during the crisis.
Science Can Protect You In Three Ways:
The idea of science has close connection to human life, its surroundings, and geographical location. For that reason, if anyone practices science during this pandemic, it protects them in three different ways:
- Firstly, if we practice science in everyday life, it offers a ground for logical thinking and scientific understanding about the virus outbreak in India. During this pandemic, logical and scientific thinking will give the way through which anyone can understand actual reason behind the virus spread and its effect on human beings. It is also important to know that due to notion of fear and lack of factual information about the Coronavirus, large numbers of people are dying every day in our country. Logical and scientific thinking therefore is the first step towards developing rational thinking within individuals to protect them from the virus. In other words, the notion of science make the individual more logical and conscious about factual information regarding the origin of the virus and its effect over human beings.
- Secondly, science also makes the individual more conscious about their lifestyle. Many reports have suggested that the lifestyles of common people in India have completely changed. Common people are not just living under the grip of the global market, but also serving their daily life following the cold logic of the market. Nowadays, most of the common public are fully dependent on the market and they do not have the time to think over their changing behavior and thinking. Therefore, the practice of science forces an individual to think not just about their daily life but also to reject market interventions in daily life.
- Finally, science always defines the necessity of both physical and mental labor for a healthy life. To boost the immune system and make it more responsive, a scientific daily life forces the individual to be more conscious to balance physical and mental labor.