It was the winter of early 2020 when some news started coming in, of a certain virus called coronavirus which had started spreading all over the world. Wuhan was the first city that emerged as an epicenter and gradually Europe started reporting huge numbers grappling with the situation. And then suddenly in the month of March of 2020, WHO declared the onset of a pandemic. That set the alarm bell ringing and everyone started panicking. People started hoarding things and anticipated hardships in the coming months. In the midst of everything PM Modi suddenly came on national TV and declared a lockdown. That was the realization of sudden change. Something never thought of before. Masks became a norm, staying at home became the only thing to do and everything came to a sudden halt. People left for their villages and everyone left behind, were fending for themselves. School exams were cancelled, children stayed at home, playing outside was ‘banned’, and saving oneself for the next day became a challenge. But then after a few days the human survival techniques came to the forefront. People started thinking of innovative ways to handle this kind of situation. And as they say, human endurance has no limits, suddenly things started to move in spite of all the hindrances in store.
For teachers like us, it was an experience of a lifetime. Something called ‘online classes’ suddenly popped up. Believe it or not, almost none of the teachers had a clue of this. But all of them learned. Some used their cellphones to use, some had their children teaching them the basics of using the various apps and….to behold they were ready with their classes just like before. The children suddenly started attending ‘online sessions’ and all adjusted. The bottom-line was, nothing could stop them, not even a silly virus. Exams went on schedule, attendance was marked as usual, and even Yoga classes had great attendance. For the teachers, adopting to the new set of rules was of course difficult. Staying at home, taking care of the children, handling classes as usual and ensuring their spouses had enough time for their online things, was one of the greater challenges faced. But no one complained. It was fun for sure and the pleasure of beating the virus added extra satisfaction. The situation continued and the first wave was vanquished. However, the second wave was a killer one. It spared no one. People struggled and almost everyone lost someone known during this time. Teachers themselves were not spared. Some even lost their lives facing this. But still they prevailed. That’s the subject of the great struggle. No matter what, it’s never the past that bothers anyone. It’s the present. Everyone looks forward to the end of this pandemic, when once and for all, they can fling off their masks and relish the glory of this creation again.