How did the students feel on the outbreak of Corona?
How do you feel when you’re running a marathon, and once you are this close to the finishing line, the finishing line disappears? Well, that is how students in India felt when their last few exams were postponed with the outbreak of the novel Corona Virus or the COVID-19. The corona virus has certainly made headlines after being discovered last November, having affected thousands of people especially in Italy, China, Spain and Germany. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it as a global pandemic, leading to cities going under lockdowns, closure of schools and colleges, people getting into fights with each other for buying basic groceries and hand wash/sanitizer companies reaping profit margins like never before.
As far as India is concerned the corona virus hasn't failed to create a stir either. We saw some students frustrated because they couldn't finish their board exams, we saw some students happy to have missed their school. We saw happy office goers glad to work from home. We saw people filled with delusion chanting slogans, we saw our diligent scientists working hard to find a cure. We saw protests stop, we saw families spending time together, and we saw lesser cars on the road leading to less pollution. We saw faith; we saw fiction and everything in between.
However, as a student, the most concerning thing to me, is not the delay in the exam, it is not the anxiety regarding finishing the syllabus, it is the growing stigmanisation that we are witnessing thereafter. Being a resident of Kolkata our China Town is one of the most iconic places that we visit so frequently. However, with this recent outbreak, small Chinese business is suffering extreme losses even though these business owners are no way associated with the cause of this virus. Many international students from China are being victims of various uncalled for circumstances.
Quoting the famous Hebrew saying “this too shall pass” the corona virus phase shall pass too, however such mind set and its manifestations need to be addressed on a priority basis.
