Swining the Swine flu!!! --- Pune Masked

A panic struck Pune last month as you all are aware of “Swine Flu”, killing people of all age groups. There was hue and cry all over the country. To worse the condition, thanks to our media for making our lives not only comfortable but also deadly miserable. It’s good to have information about such things but not too much information that people go crazy and everyone suspects they might have had it. Media hyped the issue to such a huge extend that I was getting calls from all over the places about swine flu, but the actual facts were different than being reported by the media. I was flying to Delhi so I was hell careful at the airport but to my surprise there was no fuss at the airport. Everything was cool, no checking nothing at all. Even Delhi airport was so checking free and I was the only masked one.

Nothing comes in moderation these days….. be it terrorism, diseases, drought, flood…. Some are natural calamities and some are caused by natural beings but both affecting the system adversely. It was like someone had struck the panic button and it’s the end of the world. Everyone was getting swine flu examination done, hence catching the infection there and spreading it to their clan. Doctors, hospitals were helpless with the rising number of cases and the limited help they could provide. One thing led to another and now we know there are more than 40 deaths over a period of two months.

To cope up with the alarming condition, everything was shut down and people got home-arrested. No schools, some offices, malls, cinemas and all crowded places were closed. Chilling time for some and equally agonizing for some. Kids were happy with no school but hated the idea of staying indoors. Finally the rat race went into hibernation for some days. There was lesser traffic be it weekdays or weekends, it felt strange. But I guess at least people had some good quality family time. Some time to get it touch with our own roots. And realize still how helpless we are even if we are so well technologically and medically well equipped. The whole pune was masked……………

But one outstanding feature was the celebration of “Ganpati”, even in this time of distress. A salute to the spirit of festivity of beloved puneites, what a marvelous enthusiasm with which they celebrate this festival every year no matter what may come – floods, drought, or Swine flu……… nothing can stop them. They still managed to put up a great show hoping that the “Vighna Harta” would definitely help them in these troubled times.

“Ganpati Bapa Mauriya”