The Plague VS Corona

Epidemic, Pandemic…..!

Why this occurs?

What are the reasons?

Why people are dying?

When it ends?

There are so many questions in the mind of people now a days, well to all these questions there are definitely different answers by different people and their reactions were also different to face all these problems. But the main problem is that people are living with indifference as if nothing happens. They are living their life with no change at all.  Some are definitely doing their best to fight with this pandemic. Examples of doctors, police, and sweepers are very clear. Lastly we will see the victory of human spirit.

To compare this present situation I would like to discuss the novel “The plague” by Albert Camus. It is one the greatest European novel. Camus has written about the victory of human spirit over deathly spreading disease “Plague” in Oran.  There virus spreading uncontrollably from animal to human.  From this novel we can find so many similarities with present situation. The first is “money centered inhabitants”. They are working from day and night. They are not thinking about their health. They are getting sick with all these things. Actually for them “work is work”, whatever the situation is, and they are doing it until death. Whereas it is necessary also .But the point is - Are you being responsible or not, not only for your ownself or family, but for others whom you are going to affect with your carelessness?

There are two points on which I can elaborate more:

1.     Humanity: self centeredness vs self sacrifice

Here I would like to quote one line:

“Seekh hum bite yugo se naye yug ka kare swagat”

But do we learning from past? The answers are still answered. It is obviously not the first time that we are facing such kind of problem. We have always seen that history repeats. But we can see same carelessness in people which we have seen in past years. Camus spoke about the idea of self centeredness vs self sacrifice. He has given clear characters to justify his points. There is Doctor Bernard Rieux who is performing his duty well. Not as a doctor only.  But as a good citizen too. He has sacrificed everything to struggle with this deathly plague. M. Othon also inspired with his truthfulness towards nation and did the same. He has also sacrificed his family to support Dr. Rieux. Camus has given the message of Solidarity against absurdity. These two seems well example of human sacrifice. There are also other people who are living mindlessly. There is always social unrest among these kinds of people. Everyone reacts differently according to different situation. One character in this story has committed suicide, the easy way out. Some decides to live in blissful ignorance. They are denying the real fact. They are much self-centered. Father Paneloux also comes under self centeredness because he is not doing anything just giving lessons to people about collective destiny and the God’s punishment.

2.     Science versus Religion: the question of god and religion in times of epidemics and calamities

-         This is obviously never ending debate of science VS religion. Mostly during calamities or epidemic time it takes another shape. Science has other reason regarding the problems during epidemics and religion gave different kind of answers to it. In “The Plague” we can see this kind of conflict when Dr. Rieux and Paneloux are face to face. Dr. Rieux don’t believe in collective destiny where all are getting punished. Father believes that this plague is all about God’s punishment for human. Dr. Rieux has seen death of all diseased people including innocent children. He has other ways to justifies his statement.

-         Dr. Rieux has presented excellent point in this work-

“What interests me is learning how to become saint”

“But you don’t believe in God”

“Exactly, can one become a saint without God?”

In the end of this novel people are celebrating their victory of fighting against plague. Dr. doesn’t believe in celebrating because plague will never die, it remains in other form everywhere until the time when it has to finally spread out again.

“Everyone has inside it himself this plague, because no one in the world can ever be immune”

If I write about present time then still I found this debate of religious vs science. There are still people like father Paneloux. They still believe that Corona has something to do with God’s rage. It is a kind of punishment for people. On the other hand doctors are working out day and night to find its solution. They are trying to cure many people. They are also trying to make vaccine which can be useful in future also. This is definitely not the time of listening forcasting by astrologers.