Even as the land’s media has been drumming up the unsavoury phenomenon of slowdown of the nation’s economy, invoking global rating agencies as well as World Bank and Asian Development Bank along with India’s noted economists, we are presently facing another unheard of and unprecedented happening, now familiar to all as lockdown emerging dramatically after shutdown in some regions of the country. India’s Prime Minister has called upon the country’s diaspora on two occasions through nationwide telecast in a week’s time to fight the dreaded virus COVID-19 with courage and hope by joining the Government in following every advisory being publicised through all channels of media. His clarion call to maintain self-restraint in undertaking journeys, observing the symptoms of the effects known to be caused by the pandemic, crowding in public places, littering the living areas and so on bring to our mind the role played by Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill during second World War through exhorting his fellow-citizens to fight the enemy from their homes, in the streets and everywhere.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, pandemics, forest fires, droughts, heat waves, cloud bursts and so on, happening in different regions across the world throughout the year continue to be occasions for testing the resilience of human beings, animals and plants in overcoming the trials and tribulations thereof. Now, it is lockdown for 21 days as the testing time of India’s diaspora.
