Unforgettable Lessons of Literature
from Pandemic Covid -19
While it has given a tough time it
has revised many forgotten things
Dr. Mudasir Ahmad Gori
Guest Faculty
Department of English
Directorate of Distance Education
Maulana Azad National Urdu University
Telangana, India
Abstract:
The worldwide lockdown imposed at the
outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic created a dilemma over the continuation of
on-campus classes for students’ right from kindergarten to University pupils.
The semester got interrupted midway and learners were missing out on classroom
lessons. Administrations around the globe deliberated on how to keep the teaching-learning
process going during this difficult time and it did not take long before
everyone unanimously agreed on conducting classes online in the backdrop of the
pandemic prevention protocol. A host of apps was readily dished out for this
purpose, and deployed for the entire student population worldwide. The mere
mention of the terms 'Halo' or 'crown' creates an aura of wonder and a sense of
delight in the human mind. However, the name 'Corona' derived from ancient
Greek referring to the characteristic appearance of the particles of the
eponymous virus reminiscent of a crown or wreath, has struck fear and panic
deep in the hearts of people.
Keywords: pandemic; crises; teaching,
revisiting; new normal
Introduction:
This global lockdown of Corona virus pandemic has put under
restriction more than a third of the world's population. Mandatory quarantines,
curfew, closures of schools and non-essential businesses, work from home
directives, ban on gatherings of more than two people, and travel restrictions
with the closing of international borders have left the world struggling with a
sudden change in day to day activities. After more than two weeks of strict
lockdown in the subcontinent, people are craving for the lifting of the ban.
Confined to their homes, people want to get back to the routine lives they had
been leading pre-Corona. Meanwhile, the real heroes- first responders and
doctors have been tirelessly serving humanity to contain the spread of the
deadly disease worldwide. With everyday-life thrown off track, there is a great
deal to be learned from this; every ordeal comes with its own set of lessons
and this is no different.
The first thing we all learned is
that we could limit our use of resources- natural and otherwise, to the
minimum. The temporary closure of businesses has given us the gift of the
discovery of our own resourcefulness, where we realize that the rich do not owe
any superiority over the poor for the preference of obtaining essential
commodities. Having loads of money in bank accounts would by no means be a
ticket to enjoy preferential treatment during an epidemic. When something as
deadly as Corona virus strikes, it is as merciless to the rich as it is to the
poor. No rich has ever been historically recorded to have bribed disease or
death into sparing him. We have also learnt that privilege extends only to the
events we have control over. What's beyond human control does not differentiate
between the rich and the poor.
With more
than three hundred million students enrolled in on-campus institutions in
India, a plethora of options have come up for the continuation of their lessons
online. A majority of students in India were exposed to digital learning only
when they needed to gather more information than what the textbook was
offering, or as a complementary accessory to the education being imparted in
the classroom. From searching for solutions for snags encountered in school or
college projects to reading current and advanced course topics to competing in
online academic quizzes and contests, students have done it all. But they had
not experienced online education as full-fledged as it is now. The first couple
of days of digital learning during this time had been riddled with a lot of
hiccups where most of the learners and teachers had to get adjusted to
downloading compatible apps, signing up and setting preferences.
India is
the second largest market for online courses after the US, and e-learning has
only grown in popularity in leaps and bounds. Higher education students have
had, one way or the other, been using this option for long, but the majority of
enthusiastic learners are from schools who have joined online classes just
recently in view of the lockdown. Students belonging to the newer tech-savvy
generation are enjoying the benefits of online classrooms which offer a wide
range of feasible features and options. For them, it is a break from the
regular face-to-face interaction and campus-based learning, a chance to explore
the recent trends in technology and putting to better use digital resources
than just playing games and watching short music videos. From submitting
assignments to meeting deadlines to becoming digitally responsible is what kids
are learning from the prevailing situation.
Though
attuned to the traditional method of classroom learning, the zealous student
community quickly adapted to this novel method of attending classes. The
interesting part is that instructors accustomed to the conventional method of
teaching in a brick-and-mortar institution have also easily accommodated this
contemporary approach in their routines. Nevertheless, everyone soon got used
to this mode of teaching and learning, and there has been no looking back ever
since. The online classroom model has both teachers and learners exploring for
better utilisation of digital resources and finding effective ways to exploit
the full potential of the one link that is keeping them connected during these
difficult times. Amid network outages, connection errors and device glitches,
there is an entire generation of students who is keen to continue learning
lessons, and a clan of teachers going the extra mile to ensure that it happens.
Though
network carriers have seen a surge in data usage, not all students get to
experience fast network speeds; many have access only to the slower and older
generations of mobile telecommunication standards. If it is a family of
teachers, then there would be an equal number of devices connected
simultaneously, each trying to find a corner to settle in for a focused
teaching session, while the children of the house vie for time slots for
accessing the limited number of gadgets available at home. In the middle of all
this chaos, there is an unwavering interest in academics that keeps flowing
from resolute students and an immeasurable amount of devotion from instructors.
There is no waning of this spark and there is no stopping them from teaching
and learning.
From
nursery kids learning rhymes online to PhD scholars defending their theses in
virtual setups for viva, the digital framework has helped take students their
academics forward. Though considered a temporary arrangement to be followed
until the lockdown ends, digital classrooms are here to stay. Online learning
has now become the only mode of study as long as the 'work from home' directive
continues. Post-normality, it will remain a favourite and a supplement to
face-to-face interaction. What this technology has to proffer to the young and
old generations alike is the ease of access, the sea of options and a wide
range of available preferences.
Here's
hoping that students complete their academic year and continue the learning
process without interruption.
As the world enters the fourth month of the
spread of the virus and is still grappling with the havoc it has created, it is
worth visiting a few overlooked ideas centering around the concepts of peace,
tranquility and resourcefulness. A few truths have been acknowledged which were
awaiting long overdue recognition.
What this
outbreak has shown us is that nobody can fight fate- what is destined to happen
will happen. Fortunes or misfortunes find their way right through anything.
When nature takes its course, there's no stopping it. But amid all this chaos,
the lockdown has taught us to appreciate the little things in life that we had
overlooked for long, and the big things in life which were taken for granted
since the beginning of time, so to say. Before the outbreak of the pandemic,
most of us had stopped acknowledging the significance of family and the comfort
and support they provide us. But now we have begun to actually hang out with
family more. Movement bans have forced us to discover how nice people in the
family are. Instead of hurrying to leave the house and go meet acquaintances
for idle gossip over a cup of tea at the cafe round the corner, we have learnt
to devote time to family. Also, we have learnt to know the value of home-cooked
meals and to appreciate the culinary skills members of our family possess,
which had been overshadowed by our desires to dine out to satiate our ever
increasing appetite for piquant foods.
Post-Corona, the world has witnessed that
people can actually focus on what's really important than just the mundane. We
all can survive without expensive holidays, cruises, lavish parties and a whole
lot of other indulgences. We have learnt that being content is a luxury we all
can afford. We also learnt that we can actually do well without maliciously
speaking about others, or being spitefully critical in others' absence. This has
also taught us that we human beings have a higher purpose in life than just
idle talk and backbiting. We have also learned that the world can live without
war, without the urge to establish territories and without the need for
recognition of supremacy. The world has also learned that the lockdown in
certain parts of the world affecting daily lives is just a fraction of what
people of Syria, Palestine and Kashmir have experienced over the last few
decades.
Also, this
period had taught us to develop hobbies other than just binge watching series
after series on our favourite streaming apps. We learnt that human beings are
capable of good things. We have learned to appreciate the quiet and peace
around us. We have learned that humanity takes the front seat during difficult
times and distinction of religion is not a hindrance in spreading love. Also,
not all wars are fought in the battlefield, with weapons. When it's an
invisible enemy, the war is fought from within the confines of our homes,
protecting ourselves and the human race. In these difficult times, the world
has witnessed a wave of short clips and videos by concerned netizens urging
friends and family to stay indoors till the danger subsides. In these difficult times, we have also
learned that not all hope is lost, neither kindness is dead. We have witnessed
compassionate souls go the extra mile to make sure that the needy don't
struggle for square meals.
We have
learnt that wildlife too has a right to the Jungle. We had ventured and settled
into their territory for so long that the lockdown prompted them to stroll down
deserted city streets in bewilderment. We have also learned that union is
strength, no matter people's religious beliefs. We have also learnt that it is
not the survival of the fittest; it is survival of the kindest.
Also we have learned that life can go on even if it slows
down. W. H. Davies had more than a century ago in his poem 'Leisure' written:
WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
One hundred and ten years later, his grievance finally is
redressed in the most unexpected way.
Works Cited
Frank, M.
Snowden. Epidemics and Society, From the Black Death to the Present.
Cambridge: 2019.
Mark,
Honigsbaum. The Pandemic Century, One
Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris. Penguin: 2019
Slovaj,Zizek. Pandemic. Covid-19 Shakes the World.
2020.
Steven,
Taylor. The Psychology of Pandemics, Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak
of Infectious Disease. Orient Blackswan: 2019