Khursheed Ahmad Wani
The first quarter of the 21st century is coming to an end after 3 years but it seems that the whole world is about to fall into a quagmire. The world is gripped by viruses, and getting out of the house feels scary. The virus is hidden from the naked eye. Looks like they’re playing a death game with us. Experts keep changing its name but in our eyes it is like old wine in brand new bottles. The government is issuing advisory and updates which are useful in this bad situation but it is very unfortunate for the people that they do not follow their advices. They are still interested in their traditional way of life. The intellectuals are also in the same boat and are moving forward with the same thinking. This is a moment of reflection because we are suffering so much. As time goes on we should also change our habit of living because living in a traditional way is a maelstrom for us nowadays. The WHO is studying these viruses and is advising us to take precautions from time to time. To prevent from infectious disease, we urgently need to take personal precautions, such as wearing a mask, physical distancing, avoiding closed and confined places, hand hygiene and proper breathing etiquettes. Every kind of media covers these things in detail and puts them in front of us in an artistic way. Going to the market for no reason during pandemic is to endanger yourself and your family. Your life is a precious and God-given blessing. So protect it for God’s sake.
We are in the age of information. Most of the world’s population is unaware of its importance. There is no denying that knowledge is the greatest asset of man. If we had known, our children would not have been like the ” Neem Hakeem Khatra Jaan” for the last couple of years. We all know that a man with little knowledge is like a frog in a well, ready to be devoured by its prey. The complex situation is disrupting the education system, which is severely damaging the education of our children. Children are losing interest in reading. Far from reading, they don’t know anything about their bags. Our children today are just waiting for the mass promotion when the government will issue such an order. A fraction of parents are also happy that their children are passing and entering new grades. But how do these poor people know that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? Our future is in the hands of this generation, God forbid, which is clearly visible in the foothills of darkness. This is largely due to the effects of bad ballgames, some innate naturally and some from human activities. It is very annoying for our children to play games late at night. They enjoy these things so much, it’s like they can’t see the wood for the trees. We must use information technology for active and productive learning, and not waste time on frivolous things. As a helpless parent here, I think it’s fair to say that if we didn’t use technology properly, it would be our negligence. It is the parents’ responsibility to show their children the right way at the right time. But we are far from it because we are impatiently waiting for the magic of the magic wand. The government has closed all tuition centres. Instead of weekend lockdown and complete closure of tuition centres, they should think of alternatives. The government should focus more on SOPs than on lockdowns. The global economic crisis has begun because of the lockdowns. Over the last few decades, we have experienced such kind of cliff-hangers. With information technology we can help our children. So that they do not lose interest in their studies. The underprivileged part of the population is in trouble because they do not have access to information technology. I think it is better to advise them to follow SOPs in letter and spirit instead of enforcing lockdowns. Handfolded request to decision makers , kindly rethink on it and come with alternatives as we all know lockdown is not the only option. By getting education we can build a modern society. Can live happy and prosperous life. Can do great work for the community. If we do not do this, we will soon face ruination in the future. Then there will be no time for repentance. Honestly speaking I am feeling the blues .
(The author is a teacher)