Carrying Coronavirus fear much too far

 

A policeman stopped and fined a friend for driving his car without wearing a mask, even though  the glasses of the automobile were rolled up and there were no other passengers in the car.

This is typical behaviour of people who implement guidelines without understanding the intent or application of mind. Actually, that is not entirely true, they are indeed thinking, but about the wrong things. Rather than focussing on doing a good job, of assisting, they are thinking more about how to dominate and control others. 

Those who have volunteered or been paid to be appointed into any position of responsibility tends to attract people who want to exert control and dominance over others. 

Wearing a mask is an excellent idea when one comes in contact with other people outside their immediate family circle. 

The best prevention for nose, throat or lung infection is to breathe fresh air. Most masks permit adequate oxygen to reach the lungs but there is tendency for masks to pick up dust and pathogens. So disposable ones must not be reused, and reusable ones must be washed and cleaned regularly. 

An associate informed me that there are three of them at home, and stay confined to their bedrooms, emerging only when essential.  They wear masks all the time, even within the house.

I put up this image because I imagined that the terrified ones must be wearing masks even to bed. Now that is typical of most people who carry their fear so far that they have turned paranoid and I suppose it is their individual privilege. 

Caution is good but paranoia is not. The question is, 'Can paranoid people be permitted to make life impossible for others?'

________________

Interesting Links:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth Busters - World Health Organisation
• The COVID-19 Cytokine Storm; What We Know So Far - Frontiers in immunology
• COVID-19: Are 80% cases in India really asymptomatic - Down to Earth
• Global Coronavirus Statistics
• Fear does not stop death - Guru Wonder
• Will Coronavirus COVID-19, kill me? - Guru Wonder
• Can a coronavirus recovered patient be reinfected with Covid-19?

One cannot frighten the brave.

Since childhood, I have seen Communist Chinese constantly bully and dominate India. The latest Chinese incursions and aggression has received a befitting reply by brave Indian soldiers, supported by firm leadership. It has shocked many and non more than the Chinese People's Liberation Army themselves. 

I am reminded of an incident  in the life of our family where my Uncle, Sardar Manohar Singh ji, effectively took on some bullies, and I can share that experience with you.

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Arriving in India from Burma as refugees in 1965, father and uncle decided to establish  a manufacturing unit in Pune. One day in 1968, when I was a 10 year old boy my brother andI had accompanied my uncle to the factory site where construction of the factory was underway.  

Around noon, a nasty man, accompanied by a handful of men swaggered onto the site. We learnt much later that the man was a notorious local goon. 

The goons manner was extremely aggressive, he demanded to know from my uncle, " Are you the owner?" 

Uncle sensed trouble and cooly replied,  "Yes I am the owner. How can I help you?"

The goon pointed a threatening finger at uncle, "We don't want people like you, here. Pack up and leave. I don't want to see you here from tomorrow." 

Uncle walked slowly towards the bully and glared defiantly at him. The goon jabbed a finger in my uncle's chest and repeated himself now heaping abuses.

The man had no idea who he was dealing with. 

Our father and uncle were World War II survivors. Though civilians, their village in Burma ( now Myanmar) was close to the conflict. between the Japanese and the Allied forces. 

They lost everything they owned in the destruction unleashed by the war. In addition they were often detained, beaten up, bombed, shot at, strafed, and much more. They had witnessed death and torture up close. They had stared at, and evaded certain death by sheer grit, cunning, and good fortune.  Uncle knew what violence, fear and death was, and nothing seemed to faze him, plus he was a Khalsa Sikh jovial, friendly and kind yet insanely fearless.

Like a Cobra, suddenly my Uncle's hand shot out and caught the goon's jugular in a pincer grip. With the other hand he grabbed the goon's testicles and squeezed.

The goon writhed in pain, as his eyes almost popped out. He screamed but no sound could escape his constricted throat. uncle Manohar slowly and torturously edged the goon towards the perimeter of the plot. There he gave him a shove and a kick in his chest. The goon went sprawling and lay still on the road, not daring to move nor say anything. 

Now Uncle pointed his finger at the goon and said, "I don't want to see you here again, the next time you might not be so lucky"

The stooges picked up their leader and fled. That was the end of all kinds of hooliganism. 

Father and uncle built the factory,  and the company prospered,  eventually, employing 5,800 employees by 1996 -1997.

Bullies at heart are cowards. They build their notoriety by beating some weak entities and then let their reputation work on intimidating and frightening their future targets.

They never dare to attack someone strong, lest they receive a bloody nose or even worse a drubbing.  Such an outcome destroys the dastardly reputation they carefully build.

All it takes is courage and the willingness to accept pain and difficulty. 

Once people realise that the goon can be effectively tackled, with firmness, and some guts, the bully is finished, eventually abandoned by all.

'Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that, some things are more important than fear.'

This lesson provides a clue on how to possibly handle the bully called China.

This I will cover in my next article.

_______________________________________________

Written and Posted: Jun 2020  ~ Gurvinder Singh.

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Interesting Links:
Burma campaign - Wikipedia
Japanese conquest of Burma - Wikipedia

Fear does not stop death

Midnight Madness - The Sikhs

My stint at studying Engineering at MIT, Manipal was very enriching educationally, intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually, whose fruits I enjoy even today for I continue to learn and evolve so much by my continuing interaction with many amazing college mates.

One of my senior friends was a tall, strong and fearless Khalsa Sikh,  [Ragnath Singh Kooner. Like all Panjabi people he is passionate and witty, only a lot more so. In addition he was an excellent student.

Ragnath Singh Kooner

Initially Ragnath's classmates would joke with him and pull his leg, then by and by it got out of hand. All and sundry, every Ram, Tik and Hari classmate jumped on the bandwagon and the jokes began to get mean and increasingly disrespectful.

Each day at noon they would taunt Ragnath Singh 'Sardar ji ke baraa Bajj gaye' (It's 12 O'clock so beware the Sikhs will go crazy).

At first Ragnath shrugged it off, then he requested them and then he warned them. But no one took notice of the protestations of the gentle giant. 

This phrase 'Sardar ji ke baraa Bajj gaye' was actually a warning issued by Mughal, Afghan and Persian leaders to their own men, out of great fear. Fear of the insanely courageous Khalsa Sikhs, though outnumbered would use high speed guerrilla tactics, to attack, wear down and finally defeat the much larger and more powerful invaders. The Sikhs would appear, almost out of nowhere from the dark, charge, attack and decimate the enemy and melt away into the night.

The invaders grew terrified of the Sikhs and would warn their soldiers to remain alert, for the Sikhs will make insane and brutal attacks in the middle of night, so 'beware of the Sardars'.
Sardar ji is a term used for almost all Khalsa Sikhs which literally means leader.

Not only Indians but many in the entire sub-continent owe their very existence today because of the sacrifices and contribution of the Khalsa Sikhs.
Many acknowledge this fact but some stupid and arrogant people may be forgiven for being ignorant of their own history.

The magnificent Sikhs are a proud and noble people, who will gladly die for friendship and a noble cause but are unlikely to tolerate or forgive injustice, cruelty nor disrespect. Ragnath was no exception and one day he made that point to his classmates.

So one day in 1975, there was a brief lull between lectures as the clock struck 12 at noon, some of Ragnath's classmates started taunting him again chanting in unison 'Sardar ji ke baraa Bajj gaye'. 


Suddenly Ragnath Singh  appeared to have lost his mind. He leapt out from behind his desk, shouting. 

Ragnath started kicking, slapping and punching those class mates, who habitually taunted him.  To each person he assaulted he would bring his palms together in the classical 'Sat Sri Akal' greeting/apology saying 'Please forgive me, I don't know what has possessed me' he would then give the poor chap another tight slap. 

Fearing for their safety, some cowered in the corners of the class room and those who could simply fled the classroom. 

Sat Sri Akal -
Meaning 'God is Truth'

The faces and bodies of all those who had been disrespectful of Ragnath and the Sikhs, were badly bruised, as they crept and crawled out of the classroom.

After 2 minutes, a calm and composed Ragnath sat down. Not surprisingly he was the only student in attendance for the next lecture. 

News of the incident spread like wildfire. Some admiring folks came to congratulate Ragnath and most gave him a wide berth. But none ever disrespected or taunted him nor any of the other Sikhs again as long as we studied there.

_________________

What are the lessons I learnt from the incident. 
1. There is a huge difference between, joking and disrespecting. 
2. Decency is often mistaken as timidity and weakness.
3. We humans will try and bully and torment anyone, even a lion if they feel we can intimidate and dominate them. 
4. The true Sikh respects himself or herself and is therefore respectful towards others and always showing great restraint.
5. Many timid people hide within the mob or group and become emboldened. They begin to behave in a manner unlike what they would dare to do so when alone.. 
6. One should never underestimate the fury of honourable and patient men when pushed to the extreme.


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