We are busy in fetching wealth & attaining power. We have plans, investments and future planning. Unexpectedly we saw mass graves, deaths and destruction, suddenly we realized that power is not that valuable and money is not powerful.
It was December 2019 and most of the world was busy in preparing New Year’s celebrations, Chinese government announced the detection of an “unknown virus” in the area surrounding the South China in Wuhan city. After few days the mystery disease identified and Chinese scientists announced that the sick patients in Wuhan have contracted a previously undiscovered “coronavirus”.
Over the next 100 days, the virus freezes international travel, extinguish economic activity and confine half of humanity to their homes, infecting more than a million people and continuing, by the end of April the Covid19 (coronavirus) reached 212 countries and infected more than 2.2 Million people.185,062 people have died so far from the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes in pattern of cultural and social interactions almost in every society as from greetings to meetings a deliberate attempt of ‘social distancing’ is made to halt the spread of virus. Lockdown started and the business of life stopped. The world faces uncertain situation.
The virus is primarily transmitted through direct contact with infectious person or with droplets of the infected person’s cough or sneeze, or touching the surface that has cough or sneeze droplets. And later on touching mouth or face with the infected hand as the COVID-19 virus can survive on surfaces for several hours. By using precautions we can protect ourselves.
During this critical situation the international NGOs, institutions, organizations, businessmen and men from every business of life come forward and presented their services to save people from this pandemic. They provided masks, safety kits and other medical equipment to combat corona.
Suddenly, in our homeland these medical equipment have been extinct and the protection mask whom price was 10Rs before this pandemic is jumped up to 50Rs per mask, We have all seen the pictures, empty shelves and people fighting to stock up on everything from soap to tissue paper to food.
Panic buying is a symptom of a dysfunctional society, pervaded with individualism and short term thinking. Those who buy up packs of disinfectant in the hope to slow the transmission of Covid-19 are aware that others need it just as much, yet do not consider their needs as equal to their own.
This is all without realizing, that without others having access too, the one who hoards is more likely to become infected, not less as the other goes without disinfectant. This is a reflection of the political, economic and moral systems we live in, which have produced people to think and act in this way.
It is very painful to see a picture in which 5 big men are giving 500 rupee to a helpless lady with their haughtiness, how much shameful and condemnable this act is, what the use of this help is if the self-respect of the letter would devastate. Here, the question is where our ethic is? Where are our moral and social values? Everyone is delivering lectures of morality on social media but practically our social values are invisible. We are versatile in targeting government and the system, no doubt there are many faults and negligence, but criticizing to them is not the only solution of our problem, the solutions lies there in our approaches. The government has certain roles and responsibilities, the real onus is on the people.
The Holy Quran wants a Muslim to be beneficent. Surely Allah is the Beneficent, Who loves beneficence.
Islam forbids Muslims against committing hoarding and profiteering. Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (SAAW), said, “Whoever hoards food away from the Muslims, Allah will afflict him with leprosy and poverty.” (Sunan Ibn Ma?jah 2155)
Surely, giving charity and doing good and striving towards its spread among the society makes up a strong and homogeneous society in which love, co-operation and progress flourish. So, we need to revisit our approaches. The dream of “Islamic welfare state” could be true if everyone fulfil his responsibility.
The English Scholar Francis Bacon in his essay of great place, argues that a great place shows the true nature of a man. It reflects how he is. Some people prove to be better while others the worst. There are some people whom people think to be best, that is by attaining power, they proved to be worst. It is often observed that a man when sits in a great place becomes another man, however, he should learn to respect others as well. A man needs other to rise at a great place, but once he is elected, he should balance himself to represent the whole society.
Social Injustice has made life uneasy and disastrous in our society. People are moving towards depression and hopelessness. Actually, making fraud is becoming common and spreading all over. It can only be controlled if both politically and individually each citizen not only understand their responsibility but also take charge.
Pakistan is a well-endowed nuclear country in terms of resources. The location of Pakistan is important , we also has great potential in tourism, great irrigation system, one of the best army in the world, rich culture and each and every thing with the blessing of Almighty. We also have towering personalities whom rendered matchless services for humanity, we have largest volunteer ambulance service in the world. We just need to fulfil our responsibilities, government couldn’t do everything, and if everyone will justify his responsibilities most of our problem can be solved.
Government made policies and public make them effective, no policy can be successful without the cooperation of masses. In the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Farooq’s government has taken bold and timely steps to impose restrictions on gatherings, social and political activities by locking down the routine works, educational institutions and public transport operations. Thus people have been restricted to their homes to follow precautionary measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread.
The government only needs to provide and sustain an enabling environment in which effort is then led by the people as citizens and real power holders in the country. It is the responsibility of every person to help others in every way possible. Good citizen is the one who abides by all the rules and laws of the country. Allama Iqbal said: “Fortunes of States through individual prowess ripen, Each man is the star of their ascendant (Destiny)”.