The world has already experienced the spread and impact of the ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’ caused by SARS Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Ebola, Nipah and now the Novel coronavirus disease, COVID -19. We are now affected by the spread of COVID 19 at an alarming rate, and in geometric proportions, from person to person, and across multiple nations in the world with no signs of slowing down. It is really worrying and horrifying, as the medical science and the scientific community at large seems to be at a loss, at least in the current scenario. The Central and State Governments are doing their best to reduce the spread through surveillance and containment of infections, quarantine, and isolation, as well as treating the infected, though a specific vaccine is yet to be developed. As the infection has taken the shape of a pandemic, the Government has declared 21 days of national lockdown to contain the spread of this dangerous virus.

According to WHO, the Ebola virus is transmitted from wild animals to humans. “The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and it spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission”. Same is the case of SARS, Nipah, and Coronavirus that it moves from animals to humans and then, human to human transmission. As the New Internationalist reports, “From 2014-16, an unprecedented Ebola epidemic killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa. Scientists have linked the outbreak to rapid deforestation.”

Earth, the One Common Home: Pope Francis in his encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ exhorts the Church to take care of the ecosystem and this planet as a common home where everything is connected. Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river, and mother earth. We are one human family on one common home which is the planet earth. Hence our elders used to have a symbiotic relationship with nature, ensuring interconnectedness and biodiversity. The good health of this planet means good health of all those living on it.

God has created this universe in such a way as to ensure interconnectedness and interdependence among its creations. By protecting the habitat of other species of God’s creation, they will not enter the human habitations for their food and shelter. Biodiversity acts as a protective layer to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans. A healthy ecosystem, where our guests, the birds, and mammals, live together in total harmony, will provide us a better environment, with no room for the spread of diseases. It is high time that we re-set the lost equation among the living beings and bring back the diseased earth back to its state of harmony and peace.

King, Martin Luther Jr., in his letter from a Birmingham jail said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” This reminds us of the interconnectedness, injustice, and loss of biodiversity; human beings invading the habitats of other species, leading to ecological imbalance. Researchers and environmental activists today strongly feel that the destruction of biodiversity creates favorable circumstances for new viruses and diseases like a corona. This can be linked with the outbreak of the Coronavirus wherein we invade the habitat of other species with our greed for manipulating them for our profit. The time has come to connect our health and wellbeing with the protection of biodiversity, conservation of ecosystem, interconnectedness, and integrity of God’s creations.

Lockdown Unlocked the Freedom of Nature: The health disaster posed by the Coronavirus is connected to the extinction of species and climate change. Environmental degradation due to human interactions with nature is on the rise during the last few years. The increasing degradation of the production base and the imbalance in the land-water-plant-human-animal system is leading to ecological imbalance and economic insecurity. At least a few days during lockdown is a great chance for nature. The ecosystem started flourishing with the lockdown announced by the Government of India. There is a drastic reduction in vehicular emissions, the industrial operations have grounded to a halt, with no human interactions to spoil nature, and a resultant improvement in the air quality. The air is much healthier than before. CNN reported that the 1.3 billion people to a near halt has provided a temporary remedy to the suffocating pollution levels. Main cities are recording much lower levels of nitrogen dioxide and harmful microscopic particulate matter PM2.5. The normal level of PM2.5 is 60 microgram cubic meter. When the level of PM2.5 increases, it penetrates deeply into our lungs leading to breathing problems, cough, asthma, burning sensation in the eyes, etc. While the pollution level is improving, it also helps in improving the ozone layer which protects the earth from harmful radiation. Birds and butterflies started enjoying their life as the human disturbance is reduced. This is a great realization for us to take care of all species of God’s creation. The earth is not just for human beings alone, but for others as well, and hence protecting the rights of Mother Nature is a critical health imperative.

Janatha Curfew on the Earth Day: In the dark clouds of coronavirus, the quarantine, and the lockdown, let us see the silver lining that nature has thrived as humans retreat. This is also a strong reminder that unless we take care to give nature its due rightful space, nature would resort to extreme steps in reclaiming its space and to re-set the balance. While it is painful to accept reality, let us commit to periodically reminded of our responsibility towards Mother Earth and the planet. The right time for this would be Earth Day.

It would be most appropriate to declare Janatha Curfew on every April 22nd, the Earth Day, a day when we shut down all human activity, a day free of vehicular movements and industrial production as a sign of our respectful salute to nature, a day to appreciate the old values and simpler things in life, a day to enjoy the silence and clean air, and a day to declare our solidarity with all living creatures, respecting their right for co-habitation and co-existence with us humans.