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In this war against corona, three things we can do without

ARUN RAM  20.04.2020

Despite the Sunday spike of 105 Covid-19 positive cases and one recorded death, Tamil Nadu appears to have been doing reasonably well in slowing down the spread of the virus. The political leadership has been less opaque than it used to be (though it continues to hold back numbers to be ‘distributed’ across days), the bureaucracy has been working harder than usual and health workers continue to be the frontline warriors. On the whole, everyone has been doing more. There are, however, a few things we can do without. Here are my three picks.

Corona graffiti: Talented artists including a few from Kollywood have been painting the novel coronavirus in brilliant reds and fluorescent greens. Street art for a cause sounds good, but those pictures of spherical monsters with protrusions don’t help alleviate the grim mood. And if the idea is to scare people to stay indoors, it doesn’t work. The corona faces are either comical or plain ugly, never scary. Instead, the artists could do some graffiti reflecting unity, resilience and hope.

Street art is believed to have originated in the 1920s when the gangs of New York went on painting boxcars of trains with vivid messages. It spread across the world as a philosophy, a cult. Chris Daze, Dondi White and Lady Pink are some of those street artists who left indelible marks, literally, on the canvas called Earth. Some of the outstanding works in street art have come from anonymous artists who conveyed strong messages, often with a generous dose of irreverence. But none of them was hired by a government to paint a pathogen.

Physical press conferences: I never thought I would use that prefix to ‘press conferences’, ever. But then, who thought we would be in lockdown for more than a month! After doctors and policemen, now two reporters in Chennai have been infected by the virus. This wouldn’t be a surprise for anyone who has seen how the Tamil Nadu health department press conferences are conducted.

The same journalists who write and speak about social distancing refuse to walk the talk, and jostle for bytes from the health minister and officials. Cameramen argue they don’t get the “right angle” if social distancing is maintained at these press meets. The health minister should ban physical press conferences and brief the media via videoconference, as social distancing is as crucial as transparency and information in the fight against the virus.

Petty politics: Working from home is a tough proposition for those who aren’t used to it (I can vouch for this). Changing the way we work isn’t easy, but the virus has taught us it is possible if we make an earnest effort. It’s a particularly tough time for politicians who enjoy mudslinging, but please resist the temptation. Dissent and criticism are inevitable for a healthy democracy, but most of our politicians consider faulting their rivals the oxygen of their profession.

As much as citizens, politicians should point out the government’s mistakes, but this is also the time to rally behind the government for a united battle against the contagion. Never stop asking those relevant, uncomfortable questions when the establishment tries to hide or distort facts, but also contribute ideas and resources that would reinforce the state’s efforts to handle this emergency. If a global pandemic can’t unite us, nothing else will. For its part, the government should adopt an inclusive way of working, taking all parties along. Let’s forget the colour of our flags, for the final banner that flutters over our victory procession should read: Humanity won.

arun.ram@timesgroup.com