The Other Side of Covid-19: How Crisis Emerged as Binding Force, Helped India Heal its Social Fabric

The impossible, rather the unexpected, seems to be happening at long last. Minority mainstreaming, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proclaimed as one of his priority concerns in his first address to the parliamentary party after the elections, seems to be emerging as a proximate reality than a distant dream. The coronavirus care seems to have given a jolt to the communal scare in the country. The agitation on the streets in the backdrop of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) pointed to a possible polarisation of minds in the country on sectarian lines fanned by external forces, aided and abetted by political rivals. The silent majority found in the agitation the beginning of the end of social harmony in the nation. Engineered hatred ruled the roost and India was pictured as a volcano which could erupt any time.

Then came COVID-19 and there was a sea change in the attitude of both the minorities and the presiding majority. The moves were quick and swift. The Grand Mufti of Muslims in India, Kanthapuram Aboobacker Haji , reverentially referred to as Ustad or Sheik Sahab ,came to Delhi and had detailed parleys with the top brass of the ruling dispensation. Issues were discussed, fears allayed, areas of convergence identified, consensus arrived at and then there was no looking back. The Grand Mufti had no doubt in his mind that the Muslims of India are an integral part of its social fabric and will and should remain so.

The ice having been broken, the stage having been set, the Grand Mufti and his team met Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Modi. As the Grand Mufti told this author, it was all sweetness and light in the meetings with the duo. The new found camaraderie resulted in tangible action.

Coincidently, the meeting between the Grand Mufti and the Prime Minister took place on the eve of the lockdown. Coronavirus gave the raison d’etre for “acts of kindness and of love” on both sides. Grand Mufti wrote to the Prime Minister, offering all possible assistance from the army of his volunteers and the humongous number of his institutions to combat the virus menace. The Grand Mufti stated in unequivocal terms that they were against holding congregational prayers during the virus battle as that would upset the vital requirements of social distancing. In the context of the Nizamuddin incident, Grand Mufti’s position was pregnant with meaning and proved to be a shot in the arm for social harmony in the nation.

Grand Mufti wrote to Modi, saying, “In order to avoid public or private crowd, we have stopped religious congregations, including the Friday Juma prayers, weddings and all types of social gatherings.”

As this path breaking move was taking place in Delhi, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, wrote to the Prime Minister saying all the personnel and institutions under the church would be left at the service of the nation in its efforts to contain and combat the coronavirus menace.

Coronavirus seems have emerged as a binding force to knit together India with the gossamer thread of social harmony. Where does this take the nation, a bright future or a bleak interlude? The need of the hour seems to be the formation of a Social Integration Council at the national and state level. This council should emerge as an effective platform where the representatives of various communities can sit together and discuss matters of mutual and national interest. Not just a talking shop but a forum for discussion before decision. The preposterous political game in which decision precedes discussion, has had its causalities in the street.

Democracy should in no case descend to mobocracy. Voice of the people is the voice of God; (vox populi vox dei) but genuine voices can also be mimicked beyond recognition. The voice of sanity should prevail over the nation. Coronavirus has taught the nation how to come together for survival. It has motivated the ill-advised actions of well-meaning people who started finding ghosts behind every wall.

At once, India seems to have matured to the Amar-Akbar-Antony mood. It seems the outbreak came as an accidental boon binding society together. A boon which came as an accident should not be lost accidently. If the nation fools around with this God-gifted opportunity, the new generation will say, ‘the hell is empty all the devils are here’.

Corona has taught us to increase physical distance and decrease mental distance. Lord Nelson said, ‘England expects every man to do his duty’. Our Prime minister also has given a similar call and the entire nation responded to it enthusiastically. Of course, in a country with 1.3 billion people, some instances of aberration cannot be wished away.

The Nation witnessed the coming together, keeping together and working together of the civil society organisations all over the country. The catholic coalition for health came forward, offering 60,000 beds spread over their 1,000 hospitals in the country for Covid-19 treatment.

The dedicated volunteers of Seva Bharati, Iskon, Satya Sai Trust, Mata Amritanandamai, Jagad Guru Swami Isha, Sree Sree Ravishankar, Mulliayoor mutt and a whole host of individuals and institutions took it as their bounden duty to work 24/7 to contain this menace and bring succour to the suffering millions. The RSS is there everywhere, setting examples with efficiency in social service.

Our children repeat every day in the school assembly, “India is my country, all Indians are my brothers and sisters.” Now the whole nation realises what it means. We had a disconnect with each other, with our neighbours, family members, nature and even with ourselves. Covid-19 has connected us all. It is for us to make sure that we stay connected. Yes, coronavirus connects.