Humans are different from animals because we can think and react with empathy and sometimes even follow altruism. There are many people trying to be helpful in these tough times with the little that they can afford to do, but COVID has also brought out a dark side of human nature making us doubt our own selves. A lost emotion is of empathy—have people stopped being kind, and thoughtful, and empathic to others? Why is everyone so ready to judge, ridicule or deride another human being?
The spirit of oneness and community used to be about coming together, understanding each other and our problems, finding a solution together. But now, COVID has made everything about staying apart and saving yourself by maintaining social distancing and ostracizing and stigmatizing any patient or person associated with the virus. Hard to believe, right? Here are a few examples that have made us wonder if there is still empathy and kindness in people’s heart anymore?
Dr Simon Hercules, neurologist died from COVID infection, in Chennai trying to save COVID patients. He was refused a decent burial. Mobs ransacked and beat up the family, policemen and attendants of the ambulance in which his body was being carried, refused to let him be buried in the cemetery for fear of contamination...a friend of his single-handedly buried the deceased noble doctor even without the presence of the family, fearing for their safety.
Paresh, a man in Chandigarh was suffering from COVID. His family was trying their best to save him and had kept him in isolation so that the infection can be contained. But their neighbours were too nosey about it. Instead of helping them out in some way or showing any kind of courtesy, a group from the neighbourhood stuck ‘QUARANTINE’ ‘VIRUS HOUSE’ ‘STAY AWAY’ posters outside their house and posted pictures of it in their whatsapp group making them feel like outcasts. People walking the road tries to get a snapshot of the family members when they came out on the driveway to pick up the newspaper or anything. They felt like jailed animals in a zoo or a novelty at the circus which everyone wants to peek at.
Mrs Dsouza was a 76-year-old woman living alone in Bandra, Mumbai, suffering from Alzheimers. Her son was stuck in Bangalore and so he had asked someone from his office to help her out with cleaning the house and small daily chores. The office boy had taken permission from the society, had got himself checked and tried to be precautious all the time. But Mrs Dsouza’s landlady kept calling her out for breaking the rules and not cleaning the house on her own. She threatened the part-timer office-boy to leave right away or else she might ask Mrs Dsouza to leave the house, even after knowing her condition.
Is it just the fear of the virus that is making people behave in such inhumane manner? Or has this darker side always been a part of human nature and it’s just that its rearing its head now?