Children versus the virus: An unequal battle in the mind
The Hindu
With the second wave of the pandemic seeming to be hard on even those in their third and fourth decades of their lives and beyond, cases of children losing a parent — sometimes, both parents — crop up with disturbing frequency
Pathologically, the Coronavirus has been easy on children. Psychologically, it has been mighty hard on them. The second wave has left an alarming number of children grappling with the loss of family members, often a grandparent and sometimes, a parent. In the lowest of lows, both parents. Quarantining norms leaving the extended family out of the picture, immediately after being bereaved, children often receive emotional support only through video-conferencing tools. Though inadequate, this form of support would be a timely balm. Dr. Anuradha Mahapatra, founder of Manam Foundation, describes the sudden loss of a parent or a grandparent as “a lifetime trauma”, but timely intervention checks the hold the event has over the child. “Its intensity can be reduced in the early stages, making sure it does not scar them for life. The pain and the fear and the intensity of that pain can be reduced if the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is addressed immediately after the death. If that does not happen within the first one or two months then the intensity of the trauma can remain for a very long time. It can affect their social interactions, cause existential crisis, and erode their trust in life, and these factors can be compounded by their own personality problems,” explains Anuradha.The fear of being caught for traffic rule violation has indeed compelled many two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. But one cursory look at riders at any traffic junction in Bengaluru shows that more than half the riders have on their heads non-standard helmets, designed solely to evade the eye of law, with little concern for the safety of their own heads.
When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing promised to retain the city’s Western-style civil liberties for 50 years. However, since the introduction of the 2020 law, Hong Kong authorities have severely limited free speech and assembly under the rubric of maintaining national security.