Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Are we defying the wisdom we have gained so far?

Mumbaikars shopping ahead of the Ganesh festival in Dadar last week. Pic/Ashish Raje

The past six months of the unending pandemic have left us exhausted. And if we consider our conduct these days, especially in view of the 10-day Ganesh festival, we seem to have turned somewhat rebellious by showing an utter disregard for the COVID-19 health safety guidelines. This has created a big concern for our healthcare apparatus, which is now hoping against hope that the recent public overflow in the streets does not give rise to a second wave of infection in Mumbai and in places where the markets were flooded with festival enthusiasts. Mumbai is synonymous with celebrating the 'Vighnaharta', a deity who saves us from calamity. Let's pray that this year's Ganesh festival does not become synonymous with another surge in the pandemic graph.

Defying the new normal

We have been saying that we have learnt many lessons from the pandemic and the lockdown which was imposed to control it. The unlocking has been in process for a couple of months which saw the cases rising faster. The hotspots have changed because the virus has reached various places. The phenomenal spread has intensified the fight. With a parallel process of unlocking, we also face some serious concerns. The routine life has undergone a sea change and we have merely started coping with the new normal. But at the same time, aren't we defying the wisdom we have gained since March? We have been compromising a much-debated motto - "It's time we lived with the virus". We may falter in following health safety protocol once or twice, but can we afford to violate it repeatedly? The Ganesh festival is here to test your resolve for survival.

The silver lining

The sarvajanik Ganesh mandals (community entities) have done a good job this year. They have either changed the very nature of the festival or restricted activities that might have risked the lives of devotees and volunteers. Some big mandals have taken up healthcare programmes and they did not bother to collect donations because of the worrying state of the economy. Now engulfed by the virus, Pune, where the Ganesh festival is of a unique kind, has restricted itself.

The mandals in Mumbai understood the repercussions in the backdrop of the accusations that certain religious congregations were responsible for carrying the virus across to many places. The major festivals associated with non-Hindus were held in the lockdown period without creating any problems, thanks to the respective communities which respected the restrictions. Recently, the Supreme Court allowed a religious community to keep some temples open for two days on a condition that health guidelines are followed. The demand for reopening places of worship has been met in some states, but Maharashtra hasn't decided it yet, apparently because it cannot do so in this stage of the pandemic.

Also Read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Mumbai celebrates its quietest Ganeshotsav

For a migrant workforce from the Konkan region, the Ganesh festival is most sacred and a must in their religious calendar. It's time for them to connect with their roots, relive the past and make new memories, and keep their humble dwellings in perfect shape for the period they make a living in Mumbai and the MMR. The Konkanis did face travelling woes because of disorderly unlocking and transport arrangements. However, a brighter side is that the number of travellers to the coastal villages has reduced very significantly this year. It should relieve the locals and respective district administrations which might not have been able to treat an exponential rise in the infections.

Change, if possible

To bring in change, individuals need some influence and inspiration. The sarvajanik Ganesh mandals have done their bit. The sensible Konkanis have led by example and others in Mumbai may take a cue from them. The city civic administration and the police department are already overburdened with COVID-19 and other routine tasks. They should not be made to meet another man-made challenge. So, it's time we, whatever our religious affiliations are, changed our conduct in the pandemic time. A great philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said, "The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays."

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

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