Corona: Money, Religion, and Politics

“Hell is coming”

This is what Bill Ackman, CEO of the Pershing Hedge Fund, said on live TV while in an interview with CNBC. He also admonished President Trump for not taking strict action, and called for a 30-day lockdown. He said that the coming times were gloomy and despondent, and that the country needed strict measures to survive the virus. 

The very next day, based on the proclamation of Ackman, stocks tanked. People lost billions and billions of dollars. It was then that the truth came out: Ackman had bet against the market by insuring his money. Therefore, he actually made a huge gain when the stocks tanked. On an initial investment of 27 million USD, he made profits to the tune of 2.5 billion dollars. Yes, you read that right, he multiplied his wealth by over 100 times in a day. How? Simply by creating an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness among investors in the country. 

This, my dear readers, is the very extent to which humans can stoop for their own selfish gain. And these people are using even something as frightening as the Coronavirus for achieving their own means. In the modern world, no topic is free from political and religious interference. Today, we shall see how politics and religion are shaping the fight against Corona in India. 

Every issue and every move in India has to be politicised, otherwise, is it even India anymore? The COVID-19 is no exception. Since the very beginning, people have been blaming various governments and parties for their decisions. Several Congress politicians have spoken out against the lock-down, criticizing the implementation as stating that the possible consequences of the lock-down on those below the poverty line are worrying. While both these issues are undoubtedly important and deserve attention, the problem is that no one is interested in actually solving these issues and reaching a solution, everyone is just interested in winning brownie points. 

Several politicians have also criticized the showing of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata on TV, saying that diverts attention from real issues. Whether it does or not is for the readers to decide, but my question to you is this: Do we not have more important issues to discuss at this time than what’s playing on TV?

Also, a lot of the people criticizing the various moves often do not even have valid points. They’re just criticizing for the sake of criticizing. People need to realize that this is not a political issue or a local issue, this is a global pandemic. This is the absolute worst time to play politics. What the country needs right now is unity. Nothing plays out better on TV than the Ruling Party and the Opposition putting aside their differences and working together to help the country get through these tough times. Sigh! If only these parties were as smart as me.

Wherever politics goes, religion is not far behind. This is going to be pretty controversial but I’m going to say it anyway because it needs to be said: “Religion is the single biggest obstacle between us and a Corona-free India.” It doesn’t matter which religion, because all religions are equally to blame. If it weren’t for religion, or more specifically, religious leaders, the country would have been a lot more successful in dealing with the virus. Don’t believe me? Let us analyse this issue and see:

As of 17^th and 18^th March, there were around 40,000 visitors at the Tirupati Temple. Even though this was before the lock-down was declared, this was after several politicians and celebrities cancelled their Holi celebrations and other programmes due to the Coronavirus. Also, after the lock-down was declared from 25^th March, CM Yogi Adityanath conducted the Ram Lalla Movement Event in Uttar Pradesh. This is in addition to the various “Gau Mutra” parties held by the Hindu Mahasabha in order to combat the virus.

On the other side of the spectrum, Islamic religious organizations aren’t that far behind. The famous Nizamuddin controversy has recently come to light. Over 1,500 people attended a religious meeting in Nizamuddin West. Since then, over 400 people have tested positive for the virus, and more than a 1,000 people have been quarantined. Holding a religious meeting of so many people during this time is not only grossly irresponsible, it is also criminal, since it risks thousands and thousands of lives. Consequently, an FIR has been filed against the Tablighi Jamaat, the organization running the centre where the meeting was held, for endangering the lives of the public. Since this incident has come to light, several eminent politicians have commented on this, from both sides. While several eminent personalities have criticized the Tablighi Jamaat for permitting this, there are several people who are still defending the issue. Several prominent Leftist-politicians and journalists have spoken out in favour of the people who attended the meeting, saying that criticizing them is Islamophobia. Whether their arguments have any merit or not is for you to decide, however what is worth noting is the extent of complacency faith brings in a man. He believes that his “God” will protect him from all kinds of troubles, and hence he becomes careless. 

(Source: Al Jazeera)

It is worth mentioning that even Islamic countries like UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have shut down all mosques and religious gatherings until the situation can be resolved further. If they can do this, why can’t we?

Believing or not believing in a God is personal choice, however when that faith or its practices interfere with societal welfare, then it does not remain a public matter anymore. By all means, do practice your religion. You want to celebrate Ram-Navmi? Go right ahead. You want to read Namaz 5 times a day? Go right ahead. You want to worship the Great Spaghetti Monster? Go right ahead. We all could care less. But do so within the confines of your home, keeping yourself as well as others safe.  

In these tough times, endangering lives and risking the spread of the virus for personal gain is not only unforgivable, it is criminal. Using politics to score brownie points, justifying public meetings in the name of religion, or manipulating the stock market by creating an atmosphere of gloom and doom – it all has to stop. We need to stand together(separately) as one and do our bit to help fight the virus. 

Only then do we stand a chance. 

Jai Hind!!

-NK