Giovanni Boccaccio, corona virus and our PM

Tamal Sen

Giovanni Boccaccio, the fourteenth century writer, authored TheDecameron in semblance with the pestilence and plague being the fatal endemic recorded in history resulting a death toll about two hundred million people in Eurasia and North Africa for long four years on and from 1347 AD. This plague in history has been marked as black death. It was the second recorded plague pandemic after the plague of Justinian that happened during the period between 542 and 546 AD. This black death caused reducing the world population with an estimate of one hundred million in the fourteenth century.

In Italy, at this time of black death, a group of ten containing seven women and three men who had fled from the plague-rid Florence and took asylum to a deserted house in the Thorpe of Fiesole for about two weeks. There they at every night arranged to tell tales and have it from each of them in turns. And thus, The Decameron came into being by the pen-scribes of Giovanni Boccaccio and got published in 1353.

The Italian term Decameron derived from the classic Greek deka which stands for ten and hemera standing for days. Tales told by ten women and men for ten days that got up with the physique of TheDecameron.

Now in the time of another pandemic plague, christened by corona virus (covid 19) reigning over almost all parts of the world for some months past claiming lakhs of lives. Apart from the world scenario if we look at the map of India, we may find tens (deka) of leaders of the ruling BJP government tell tales of enjoyments, festivities for tens of days on in turns and continually endeavour to dupe and cajole the suffering Indian public.

Our PM is seemingly very much democratic to have parley with the CMs in videoconference and democratically takes decision to extend the lockdown throughout the country for more two weeks to come. He himself, on the 22nd March, called a janata curfew throughout the country with a shorter notice and asked people to clap and plate petting and get joyous in the eventide! When people of the country were suffering worse of corona virus pandemic and losing lives, he invited such a fest! How democratically had it been tabled and staged on? Who were the partners of that parley? Even on the 5th last (April) he again asked the people of India to put off the electric lamps at 9=00 pm for nine minutes and light candles or torches etc and ask say go corona go! In both the cases, a considerable number of people took part actively and played a dreadful game on the open streets, danced, drum petted and indeed got up with firecrackers. People had been asked to stay indoors and in no way to loiter on the open roads. But the PM himself asked to create a pandemonium when hundreds of people were suffering worse of covid 19. How democratically had it been done? Is our PM playing the ape of the way practised by his great pal Mr Donald Trump, the President of America? Some people in America are reported to howl at 8=00 pm when coronavirus plagues the country over to a precarious situation! Some people in India too howled at 9=00 pm on the last week when coronavirus played foul with the country to a precarious situation! The Indian Express on the 10 the last wrote:

It starts with a few people letting loose with some tentative yelps. Then neighbors emerge from their homes and join, forming a roiling chorus of howls and screams that pierces the twilight to end another day’s monotonous forced isolation.From California to Colorado to Georgia and New York, Americans are taking a moment each night at 8 p.m. to howl in a quickly spreading ritual that has become a wrenching response of a society cut off from one another by the coronavirus pandemic.

When this pal threatens for dire consequences had India not supply his requisite medicines in a trice, our PM, readily compromising the legal barriers, served his order. Our PM vows to stand by America at any cost. My India is great though sailing on a leaked boat at sea.

No doubt our PM dallied the covid19 and ignored its flying in India’s sky. When on January 30, first report of corona virus came into open; he cared a fig for it. He was busy then to get on with Namaste Trump preparations! Thus he wasted just twenty long precious days to save Indian public. On February 23, Delhi riots took the stage. PM kept mum. Namaste Trump event occurred on the 24th and 25th. A long seven days had passed by surprisingly. He was unshaken even for seven days. And on March 4, government officials first met on corona. After five days more screening tests began at airports. And on March 11, WHO declared corona pandemic. Two more days later, government affirmed corona was not a health emergency!  Days later (on 14th and 15th March) BJP was busy at toppling Madhya Pradesh government! And on March 19, our PM addressed to the nation and announced one day’s janata curfew to be staged on the 22nd March and countrywide lockdown declared with effect from 26th  March to 14th April! And in the meanwhile, our country has lost 274 lives! More than 8000 people have been attacked with covid19.

Won’t the PM take the responsibility of such apathetic and indifferent attitude towards the nation? Had he not been playing ducks and drakes with the lives and safety of the nation?

His pal Mr Trump blames the China for spreading this corona virus with no rest and even accuses WHO not being got on his boat. Our PM too continually blames the Tabhlighi Jamaat incident of Nizamuddin in Delhi for spreading this virus in the country! Thus, he fights shy of his responsibilities! Due to sudden lockdown throughout the country, lacks of labours and workers had lost their employ and started returning home on foot as no sorts of transport was available. Miles they had to trot, but they did have no shelter, no food rather they had been cruelly beaten by the police! It is quiet unknown how many people have been died of starvation so far! Number of these starving deaths might have crossed the death toll of the corona deaths.

Tabhlighi Jamaats are continually being blamed to the corona carrier as they assembled in the Nizamuddin event in Delhi. But the government itself permitted them to cause the event. It has been reported that they had got end of the event before the drafted schedule and came out to avail transport to return home, but countrywide lockdown got them stalled and the police had staved them truculently which went viral! On the other side of the coin showed much inglorious events held by the hindutvawadies besides the CM, Uttar Pradesh himself. The BJPwallas joined the festivities during this lockdown period not only in Madhya Pradesh after forming government there, but also in many events they organised throughout the country!

Now our PM feigns to be a true democrat to listen to all the CMs and take his decision! The country is going to be under extended lockdown period for two more weeks on and from the 15th instant. The Indian public have been got indoors and away from all protests. People on road on emergent work are sometimes being beaten by the police. Muslim people are being called Tabhlighi and being helpless prey of the hindutvawadi-onslaught.

The protest-friendly lefts are now kept indoors and are busy rendering lip-services of what is to done! Their agitprop has been shelved under lock and key. Rather they are now rule-obedient and dreaming constitutional way of movement after the corona-rule is over. They are avowed to save constitution and to channel their votaries to the blind lane of elections. The Municipal election is tabled on the fore and then the Assembly Election in the next year.

Let’s see what post-corona situation shows the way. What the starving millions do next. Won’t India have any new Giovanni Boccaccio to pen a novel coronameron?

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Frontier
Apr 16, 2020