Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
12
April 2020
COVID SOLUTIONS THROUGH FAITH
On 21 March ABC reported about the city of Vo in
Padua Province, under the headlines
‘Coronavirus is devastating Italy, but one
town says its testing regime is containing the outbreak’ :
“Researchers
from the University of Padua, along with Veneto regional officials and the Red
Cross, decided to test all residents for COVID-19.” - ABC
[Vò became the
center of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in
Veneto when two people were found positive on 21 February 2020. The next day,
one of them, a 78-year-old man, died, the first coronavirus death in the
country. The number of infections had also risen to 29. On 24
February an "iron-clad sanitary cordon" was created around the town
and a testing program for all of its residents initiated. As of 29
February, 3% of the population was found to test positive, most of them
asymptomatic. People with positive test were placed in isolation. By
March 23, the spread of the disease had been stopped and no new cases could be
identified. It was concluded that mass testing of people with no symptoms in conjunction
with isolation of infected persons was critical to control the spread of
coronavirus cases in Vò]
To my mind, a big part of the solution came from
faith in Saint Anthony of Padua.
I am a believer in St Anthony and during last year’s Easter Bombing in
Sri Lanka – I experienced pain as a common believer in St Anthony. Hence my
reasoning for the successful prevention of the spread of Coronavirus in Vo was
its Sovereignty through this common faith. In contrast Bondi became a strong
spreader of Corona infections due to its ‘Tourism’ attitude which seriously
dilutes the feeling of common Australian ownership. I believe that my belief in
Coogee contributes strongly to prevention of the spread in this area. Each one will find her/his own pathway to
get infected or not to. If we abide by the law – and forego personal likes and
pleasures – we share in the pain of the whole. If that law is common to other
nations – including the UK - then we invest more strongly in Common Global
values. Pain-sharing naturally develops common structure in the mind that so
shares.
Now
when many individuals are blaming China
for the virus, Chief of Political Section of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka
has written to the chairman, Wijeya Newspapers Ltd as follows:
………
All those nations that closed their borders to
others limited themselves to their own Sovereignty. This includes Sri Lanka and
all those who write on behalf of Sri Lanka. The above writers were therefore
expressing judgments based on ‘hearsay’. Scientists would express
intellectually. But in the absence one is entitled to express as per one’s own
belief which is the basis of authority of any elected government.
To my mind, it is no coincidence that the above
‘experience’ by the Chinese government happened in Sri Lanka around the same
period as the pain of Chinese Funded Lotus Tower is being celebrated instead of
the Sinhalese-Tamil New Year during which as per current advice - the Curfew
would not be lifted.
Adaderana reports
under the heading ‘Lotus Tower to light up to salute
those on COVID-19 front-line’:
[The Lotus Tower is set to be lit up with a special theme at 6.45 pm
today (April 11).
This
is to honour the selfless efforts of all medical and other essential service
workers who are on the front-line of fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The
global death toll from the COVID-19 hit the grim milestone of 100,000 on Friday
and over 1.6 million people have contracted the deadly virus.
A
massive number of health workers and other essential service workers across the
world are risking their lives in the crisis fight to save the lives of others.
Many landmarks around the world
have been lit up to appreciate the tireless endeavours of the essential workers
amid the pandemic outbreak.]
To
the extent these countries used most recently built landmarks their claims of
Sovereignty is weakened. In Australia, we did light up the Opera House to honour
our Fire Fighters. One wonders about the level of faith, given that the current
President took oaths at Ruwanweliseya – about which the Sunday Observer reported as
follows on 26 May 2019:
The
Ruwanweliseya is sited in the Ancient Sinhala capital of Anuradhapura in the
North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was built by King Dutugamunu (137 BC –
119 BC) and completed by his younger brother, King Saddhatissa, after his
death. The Ruwanweliseya is ranked among the tallest ancient monuments in the
world.
Legend
has it that King Dutugamunu built the Stupa at a place where he found a rock
inscription by Arahath Mahinda. The inscription says “In time to come a great
king would establish a great stupa where the stone is established."
The
Ruwanweliseya is adjacent to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya in the Mahamevuna Uyana.
It
was soon after the war with King Elara that King Dutugamunu started to build
the great Stupa. Much money had been spent on the war and times were hard but
according to the Mahavamsa the materials needed to build the Stupa miraculously
sprang up from all over the island. For example, the Mahavamsa records one such
incident thus: "To the westward of the capital, at the distance of five
yojanas, at the Uruvelpattana, pearls of the size of “nelli” fruit, together
with coral beads, rose to the shores from ocean. Some fishermen seeing these,
gathering them into one heap, and taking (some of) the pearls and coral in a
dish, and repairing to the king, reported the event to him”.
The
Mahavamsa and the Thupavamsa state that the King obtained support from a
thousand villages to build the Maha Stupa and that he insisted on paying them.]
Are
we showing support to the Chinese Mr President? This gesture confirms that the Sri
Lankan government is desperate for quick money. The Chinese-Lankan intuitive
cooperation was confirmed by the W.H.O. chief and now this ‘artificial’ applause
after natural and specific praise for the Armed Forces in relation to
Coronavirus.
While
I do not support anyone blaming China – I do expect appreciation for those who
believe in Sri Lanka. They/we have the
capacity to cure fellow Sri Lankans. We do not know the scientific causes. But
we do recognize the internal indicators that would help Sri Lankans cure
themselves. The W.H.O. chief praise of Chinese and Sri Lankan governments lacks
faith. It needed scientific base of global Health Administration as per which
premature and / or false praise without belief would promote complacency. In
terms of transparency an observer using statistics has the responsibility to use the completed
outcome and not actively participate in the work in progress. The W.H.O.’s
working body is limited to common global work. No individual has the authority
to praise or criticize Separated parts of its whole.
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