Hoping for the best amid pandemic

 PC THOMAS

Coronavirus has apparently created massive financial disproportions in humans from all walks of life. What is even more worried is the striking reality that many lives are falling into poverty, particularly from the lower middle class that includes skilled labours, hawkers and workers. With the earning hands shifted to jobless or endured pay cuts, many families are finding it hard to cope with things in their life, which ultimately affected the education of their children.  

Recently, media reported a Class-X student of Indore allegedly ended his life as he had no means to pay his outstanding fees which was forcefully demanded by his school authorities. In another report, a man who was rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, hanged himself at Kanpur in UP. In July, media reported, children in about 62% households discontinued their education amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Suicide Cases during Corona Lockdown in India are many.

Numerous reports also came to light showing that many parents are very much hard-pressed to maintain the education of their children due to their job loss. Many unaided parents have been forced to sell their valuable resources for buying the gadgets for the virtual education of their children, driving them further into poverty.  

Also Read: Stay Positive in Negative situation

Obviously, the pandemic crisis has led to a massive spike in the unemployment rate of the country. A latest report of the CMIE revealed worrisome data, which says more than 1.8-Cr salaried employees lost their jobs in India since April, followed by one lakh job losses in May.  

As a result, education is mainly undergoing a severe predicament at the moment. Presumably, schools and college campuses will be shut through 2020 due to an increasing number of COVID cases. In the midst, the shift of classroom experience to virtual platform has highlighted digital disparities, exposing vast tracts with internet connectivity problems. Parents find it difficult to pay for laptops, iPads, smart-phones or the data packs for their children to log into online classes.

While everybody suffers differently, it is of serious concern, how can common people or unemployed parents survive? When and how the economy will recover?  As far as school authorities are concerned, how can they ensure the security and wellbeing of students, teachers and staff? How do they discipline students? How can they protect teachers? How do they revamp classroom experiences? Can parents afford to pay school fees without job? Can institutions afford to pay teachers without students?   There are many unanswered questions.

Also Read: Corona crisis and coronation of our lives

The crisis has revealed that hoping for the best does not help us. On the other hand, we must plan for the worst and hope for the best. The time is ripe that governments should vehemently address this issue – Save our souls and save our States is the weep of people. All state Governments must prioritize the most deprived children and their families through significant social protection schemes including child benefits, remote learning opportunities, healthcare services and generate more and better quality jobs for people to survive. It is also significant that each State and districts have a plan for how to ensure that the pandemic does not derail the aspirations and achievements of this generation of students.

 

Traditional drugs for Covid-19 faces bottleneck pressure

PC THOMAS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his video conference on March 28, said that the AYUSH sector has a long tradition of keeping the nation in the pink of health and its importance has increased manifold in the continual efforts to tackle COVID-19. The Government has set up the Department of AYUSH – which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy – to utilize and promote these therapies in the field of healthcare.

While Covid-19 looms large, it is commonly seen that no allopathic doctor is supporting or acknowledging the traditional treatments such as Homeopathy, Ayurvedic and so on. Last month, media reported that Homeopathy treatment was given to 42 Corona-infected patients in the Rajastan by physicians of the Homeopathy University of Jaipur, which yielded positive results. There was also another news reported that thousands of homeopaths in the public and private sector are outraged at the state directive restricting them from practising their system of medicine.

Traditional medicine has some features that the allopathic class does not have. Similarly, Allopathy also has its own features that the traditional does not have. Medical Experts believe that in the event of an outbreak of infectious or other serious diseases in the country, all these therapies will work together to tackle the disease effectively in prevention and treatment of cases. It is in this light that the Prime Minister said that traditional therapies could suggest better ways to combat the virus.

While modern medical field has not yet succeeded in developing a timely and effective drug against the coronavirus, there is a growing public demand to use non-allopathic therapies to treat the patients who are found to be Covid-19 positive. In India many people take traditional therapies such as homeopathy or Ayurvade for making themselves immune and fight against the virus.  Many local communities are also taking interest in distributing homeopathic medicines from the source to the public interest for the prevention of disease.   But the Allopathic community or modern science never acknowledges or supports the quality of the drug.

In view of the huge increase in the number of Covid patients in Kerala, the Government of Kerala has decided to appoint non-Allopathic doctors and staff to run the first-aid centers. But no further pursuance has been taken by the government. The reason is said to be due to the opposition from the allopathic medicine sector. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), an organization of allopathic doctors, is strongly opposed to alternative therapies, especially homeopathy.

Immunity drugs in traditional therapies are often demonstrated since they are scientifically based. Government hospitals, medical study facilities and graduate colleges have been set up in all these medical units. The government also pays their employees. Every day thousands of patients approach such hospitals and achieve the results. Yet what is the logic of saying that such treatments cannot be acknowledged even when epidemics are rampant in the country? This discrimination must be ended. The government needs to settle the Cold War between the medical communities and work towards a co-operative treatment plan on a war footing basis.  This article published in Metro Vaartha on 7.8.20- Stay updated with the Best Blog PC Thomas

 

E-learning challenges pushed or pulled?

GREESHMA THOMAS

Coronavirus attack has split a large portion of India's education and turned upside down the life of students, teachers and parents. As per reports, more than 150 crores students overall the world can't go to school or college, as the fight against this deadly virus brought the world to a halt.  However, this pandemic has made all the educational institutions over the planet to take up educating on the digital divide.

While the students are left with no option other than virtual learning now, many children of primary standard say that they lack a conducive environment or necessary gadgets in their homes to create an online platform. Many children have complained about having no access to the internet, laptop and mobiles, and have raised their issues with their schools too. If there is one mobile or laptop at home, they say, it might be used exclusively by the parents who are working from home as well.

At the same time, the parents have been much worried about not being able to deal with their children’s academics and their work together.  In addition, many people are stressed as they have lost their jobs and run their lives out of limited savings or by borrowing money.

The wealthier parents also face trouble in setting up an e-learning platform at home, and dealing with the timely stress and difficulties of their children. It is also difficult for them to manage their children’s activities between their own official works and household works. However, most of the wealthier parents feel comfortable with technology and hope that this is a temporary difficulty that will fade with the lifting of the lockdown and the reopening of schools, while teachers are at pains to make their classes interesting and creative for children after the opening of schools.

As millions of students around the world struggle to study at home, it remains to be seen how teachers and the educational institutions will deal with the new reality of learning at home.  Governments all over the world are making efforts to alleviate the impact of school closures and to make possible the continuity of education for all through remote learning.  

What is in store for us tomorrow? What we think about it is entirely in our own hands.  Change is inevitable even in the digital era. In the midst of the new situation created by the pandemic, it is the duty of parents to keep children engaged in activities at home wherever possible, in their usual routines in line with their learning. This will support their wellbeing, connection with others and their learning to match with the digital push. Regardless of whether we utilize the opportunities vis-à-vis the current pandemic time, it will pass by. Better that we navigate correctly in our journey for our bright future and for a better world tomorrow.

This article published in Metro Vaarth on 29.6.2020

Preparing Children to face Pandemics

This Covid-time is an unprecedented situation for all and has ripple effects into almost every phase of our lives. In the midst, children are the most vulnerable because of their increased exposure to the background to disease. In their tender heart, they experience a state of worry, anxiety and fear of their relative’s death and miseries or a fear of what it means to receive medical treatment for all.

Anxiety and panic about the virus and what could happen can be irresistible and cause strong emotions in children. Public health protocols such as social distancing can make them feel isolated, secluded and can increase them more stress and anxiety. However, children should realize that these precautionary actions are essential to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and managing the stress in a positive way will make people healthy and his community stronger.

It is quite difficult to determine the horrible impact of the virus spread on children be it emotional, health, education, and many other ways. Due to the uncertainty of COVID situation, children tend to develop short-temper and anger. Considering the risk to the children, the healthcare workers across the world have been warned to be more cautious for the patients under the age group of less than 18. Though every year of a child's life is valuable, their primary stage or the first ten years are very crucial because the basics of emotional, social, physical and psychological development are laid down at this stage.  

Staying out of school for more than three months has made children restless and reduced their physical activities. The social distancing has made them lonely and irritable in this crisis because they are not getting to visit their granddads, extended family members, and go for family tours as they used to enjoy during their last summer vacation.

Many experts have concluded that expression of Covid-19 is diverse as children are in constant emotional tumult. However, the parents are the caretaker of love,  care and positive thoughts to their children but in the present crucial time, parents are too busy in their own official backlog and finding less time to be with their children.  However, the adherence of being indoors has made pressure on children to be more disciplined and occupied themselves with screen-TV, computer, laptop, and mobile - either for online education or entertainment and play.

It is said that the future of tomorrow is laid on the hands of children, but they can shape the future only if their own future is secured. Therefore, it is important to pay special consideration to the children in the present times of COVID so as to keep them safe and sound.  It is also important that they must be occupied in physical, music, Yoga and other recreational activities to become active and dynamic. Their anxieties and concerns related to the pandemic must also be addressed through proper communication. There is a need that all the important counselors like teachers, parents, social workers act jointly to cope with the challenge posed by COVID-19.

Words beyond Words: Uses of effective words in Writing

PC THOMAS

How many words are there in the English language, how many words generally do we need to get along or how did we get into the ways of using the apt use of words with its structure?  These are questions which are often raised in the context of writing. Almost everyone in the writing career has faced such questions.

English is a language, which is being enriched by new words, phrases and usages every day.  People are always discovering new ideas, places, and things as a result new words come into life. With the newest word additions and definitions the Oxford Dictionary-2018 contains over 8,29,000 words, senses, and compounds.  Every year, it generates more than 1000 new words.  This spiraling growth is due to various ‘attacks’ of other world languages on English.

How many words in English do we need generally? It has been found that with about 5000 words we can just get along. But we require over 25,000 words to express our complex ideas in this cyber age. However, words are power, which we apply in reading, writing, speaking etc. Without this tool we cannot comprehend what is being communicated to us and we cannot respond adequately and appropriately to any communication. By developing our word power we can strengthen the thrust of reading as well as the flair of writing.

While reading, we come across loads of news words.  When we encounter new words, which are unfamiliar to us, usually we may ignore them. If we ignore those words or a word we may not  get the denotation of the sentence, since the meaning of the whole sentence may perhaps be hung on that particular word.  Unknown words appearing in sentences kill the spirit of reading, and cause problems for our understanding of the text.  Therefore, enriching vocabulary everyday is indispensable in the process of learning. One might say we can dispense with difficult words and phrases because simplicity is the rule of the day. Answer to this that we have to understand the views of those who write and talk using words which may be simple to many but difficult for us because we have a poor vocabulary.

We can do much to develop our mastery of writing by paying attention to the apt use of words with its structure. All the way through, our writing becomes concise and attractive.  There is a saying about a man who wrote a long letter because he did not have the time to write a short one. It means, a great faculty is required for clear expression in short and making its meaning wider and it is attained by enriched vocabulary and its proper utility.

Writing in a short and snappy way is a great skill, for which we require a fitting vocabulary and the correct knowledge of structuring sentences.  The necessity of good vocabulary and its usages cannot be overemphasized.  Therefore a constant effort to learn more and more words should be the aim of anyone who uses English for any type of communication.  Increasing word power means to enhance the quality of reading making us feel the real experience of the meaning of words in their context of usage. It can be obtained only thorough devoting a little time regularly for reading.
Stay updated with the best Blog PC Thomas

Published in Metro Vaartha dated 24.6.20

How impractical to worship as a Community adhering to Social Distancing!

P C THOMAS

The response of churches to the challenges presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic invites a closer examination during a time of social distancing where every religious institution is permitted now to reopen for worship.

As the country is still under the slavery of Covid-19, human life is now rapidly returning to normalcy with a few important restrictions after almost a three-month long hiatus due to Covid-19 lockdown. The central government has set a number of community guidelines which include that all religious places such as temples, mosques, churches must follow stringent rules, like  no touching of statues, idols, holy books and other things inside the premises of the places of worship, no offerings like prasad or sprinkling of holy water etc.. It is also demanded that the doors of these holy places are to be opened only for a limited period of time and numbers of the faithful to attend the worship will have been vigilantly restricted. For Churches, thermal scanners are to be used at the entrance, allot sitting places with numbers on the pews.  After each Holy Mass, sanitize the church, pews, chairs etc and the Priests carry sanitizers and if need be, use it during the worship.

In my point of view, with the restrictions it is not all conducive and comfortable to worship as a community of the faithful because the Christian worship has both personal and communitarian dimensions. Since the community of the faithful cannot worship together without restrictions it is better to be satisfied with personal worship of God with our minds concentrating on God and in communion with all humans of goodwill in the privacy of our homes for a little while longer until the conditions become favorable for public communitarian worship. There is also no pressing need for the faithful to seek public places of worship for his or her spiritual exercises amid the fast spreading virus.  None would be a ‘lost sleep’ in the lockdown period because he or she is unable to go to church, temple or mosque. In this circumstance, we should ask ourselves whether we would get the mental peace and serenity we seek in a worshiping place when there are many restrictions on getting a darshan or a blessing. How impractical for us to get divine blessings at this point adhering to these stringent social distancing and protocol?

In a way it is good that several states including Madhya Pradesh have now determined to extend the re-opening of religions places, knowing that the virus spreads fast, there is no medicine yet to combat it for certain.  Every believer should be aware that the number of patients is already alarmingly high in the country and it may take some time to fully cope with the situation. Therefore, it is the obligation of the believers to take necessary precautions in order to contribute to the survival and security of society in which they live. Love and worship of God need to be expressed in the love of others. Perhaps, not visiting the places of worship at this time of social distancing due to coronavirus is a better act of worship of God than visiting them and probably causing danger to the lives of others. Only those who are able to experience God in the temple, church and mosque of their hearts will be able to experience God in those temples, churches and mosques made of stone and wood!.

The Author can be reached at askpcthomas@gmail.com

This article was published in Metro Vaartha on 10.6.2020

Elderly deserve serious attention in the Covid times

If the India government tries to follow this method nationally, it will obviously be a blessing for the national old aged ones in their life.

P C  THOMAS

COVID-19 has impacted quite a lot of lives and is steadily increasing its reach in India even in the midst of locking and unlocking. In this juncture, it is the elderly section of people who has become the most vulnerable of the attack. Beyond the threat to life, the endemic is putting the elderly who are above 65  at higher risk level as compared to other group, due to their decreased immunity coupled with  their multiple ailments.

Health experts and governments state that if the Covid-19 attacked the old-age people, the treatment will be complicated for them.  Therefore, they are recommended to stay indoors. They will have to stay home until the covid-19 departed from the world. However, the government of India in its newly economic package, has not mentioned any plan to safeguard the elderly people who are locked at home.

Due to the lockdown situation, in fact, most of the financially distressed elders feel loneliness as they have lost their independence, self-esteem and even dignity to some extent, as they have to depend upon others for their needs. Many have said they were suffering from depression, lack of sleep and appetite, and other associated ailments. As the COVID-19 cases continue to soar in India, and looking the plight of the old-age people, the physical and psycho-social health of them needs urgent attention by the Government.

Since the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government came to power in Kerala, there have been many developments taken place  for the sake of the old age people where one thing  catches more attraction  i.e - every senior citizen having  less than Rs 1 lakh  yearly income gets a pension of Rs.1300. The Finance minister Thomas Isaac has announced that the same amount will be increased to Rs.1500 by next year.

Currently, those who are above 75 years are getting Rs.1600 per month. If the India government tries to follow this method nationally, it will obviously be a blessing for the national old aged ones in their life.

Good Friday: The Human Hope for A Better World

P C  THOMAS

Since the title itself is self-explanatory, let me come straight to the point. Now we are in the ‘CORONA Era’ where the world is facing one of the greatest challenges the human history has ever faced.  If we study history, we can see many epidemics ravaged humanity throughout its existence. And in 2020, the COVID-19 malady is spreading across the Globe geometrically. No society is spared whether national or regional or local.

The Latin word 'Corona' means crown. It is said that the name is derived from the fact that these viruses can be seen like a crown through electron microscope. However, these corona situations made many crowns in the human life and taught him many lessons.

In the modern world, many have doubted whether power is great or money is, but we have learnt now that these are not at all great compared to this contaminating virus. We have now seen radical changes taken place in the world due to corona virus and its devastating effects.

Cities and streets are silent, marriage, festivals and meetings are postponed. Churches, temples, mosque, pilgrim centers, tourist attractions, theaters, fitness centers, night clubs, beauty parlors saloons are shut until further notice.  Airports are seen empty; voyage is prohibited. Crimes and killings seem to have declined. Work of mercy has increased in the world. There is less accidents, less pollution in the world, everyone in the world ate his/her own meals, and there is ample time for those who hardly found time for family and relatives. For the Christian faithful, their Good Friday, Easter are in their personal prayer at home.

In the midst of this, nations are proud of medical help of the human fraternity at large. Big salute to Police force, doctors, nurses and helping hands who are extending their noble work without break or rest in spite of the crisis and risk involved in their own lives. Police personnel have been working tirelessly for protecting and helping people worldwide and we do not have sufficient words to express our gratitude.  

During the Good Friday and Easter prayers inside home, let us specially pay tributes for the front-line workers such as doctors, nurses, hospital staff, police force and social workers who are helping to keep society going amid the crisis. Let us pray to the Almighty God to eradicate the malady from the world. Let us hope for a resurrection to the world. 

Holy Week Thought: Learn From Yesterday, Hope For Tomorrow

P C  THOMAS

As the novel COVID-19 has given new understanding for self-sacrifice this year 2020, whole human race has taken positively to challenge  combating the virus threat by lockdown including all religious rituals irrespective all communities. Public worship hitherto common has been reduced to personal observation. The most important Christian celebration of Holy week rituals – the Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter services – are cancelled so that the worshippers should not be exposed to this deadly virus. All places where the public assemble, state and country borders and even personal closeness have been made either naught or minimal to the core.  

Why do these miseries happen? As common believers, we are going through a time when many doubts haunt in the minds of all of us.

During the start of lockdown period I came across a message through social media, the essence of which is given below:

There is a drama titled ‘The Last War’ written by the famous British writer Neil Grant in 1935. In this script, it was portrayed that there was a high battle grown among the counties of the world, using scientific weapons filled with viruses, causing total death of people, throughout the earth.

Following the war, the entire mankind has been wiped from the world and finally, somehow, a group of animal including dog, horse, monkey, lion, snake etc, who survived, held a conference to assess the situation of the losing of mankind, where each animal started blaming human for the disaster. Every animal but dog was happy that human perished. Horse had foreseen the precarious situation as he was the constant companion of soldiers so do with all the animals had their opinions.

As the animal group continues to engage in such discussions, the real hero VIRUS who vanished the entire humanity come in the midst of discussion in the form of a big bug and added his report – he said, “despite knowing how dangerous I am, it was the scientists who have brought me up in the laboratories to develop me as a big weapon to use against his enemies.

The appearance of an angel changed the whole scenario, who cleared the discussion by unequivocally proving that the destruction has been the by-product or result of human selfishness and pride.

At the end of the discussion, somehow a single man who escaped from the virus attack comes in to the final scene. Then all the animals tried to attack him, the angel helps him and saves his life.  However, the man determined himself that it is pointless to live alone in the world and felt it is better commit suicide. He recognized his wrongdoing and apologizes to other creatures for all the offence he has done to the universe. Then the angel protects and saves his life by taking him away from the animals – the curtain falls, the drama ended here. 

This play gives much thought during the Corona Virus period. Even though everything that has happened in the world and what is happening now is according to God's plan, God is still able to care for the people of God who pray. Suffering is not caused by God. Since all miseries are the manifestation of divine plans, there is only one thing we can do – pray to the God as His plan is unknown. Let God save and take into life. All suffering have an end, after the Good Friday (suffering), there will be Easter the resurrection for hope.  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow, God Bless the World.

Published in Free Press View