HAPPY NEW YEAR! – 1235 words
Satish landed in Logan Airport, Boston early morning. Hiring a cab, he reached the Hotel Boston International. At the reception, he displayed his invitation card for the International Convention. With utmost politeness, he was taken to the 17th floor where he was allotted a room. After freshening up, he found out the venue for the convention. It was to be inaugurated in the evening at 6.
Satish, the recognized scientist in the area of the effect of music on the environment and the living species, & winner of a few prestigious awards, was invited to present his views on the coming new year.
At 6 in the evening, the ace scientists from various fields gathered at the convention hall. Everyone had donned a mask. After the formal inauguration, each of the extraordinary scientists expressed his vision for the coming year from the perspective of his research plan.
Prof. Gordon from Cambridge University, London spoke about how the launching of the James Web Space Telescope had enabled humanity to peep much deeper into space. He also said how it would help mankind to know more about the birth of our universe. Dr. Smith, the acknowledged scientist of quantum physics, from Boston University, U.S.A. stated that the secret of entanglement of molecules was getting revealed. He further added that soon it will be a reality for the human being to move in space at a speed exceeding the speed of light. Dr. Mehta a scientist from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada presented his paper on nanotechnology increasing the efficiency of energy consumption. Dr.Yamanaka, Tokyo University, Japan talked about the development of superconducting magnets which would ease the production of rails for maglev trains. Prof. Satish Chowdhary, from the University of Pune, India presented his successful experiments on living beings as well as on the environment, the effects of various instruments & vocal music playing different Ragas. Dr. Natasha Tito from Moscow University spoke on her study on human Genomes.
For about three hours, various scientists made presentations on different topics on which they had worked and would have significant development in that field in the year 2022.
Before the concluding speech was delivered, an elderly person with a grey, long beard, got up. He spoke out loudly, “Can I put forth my ideas?”.
Immediately the convenor came forward. With a lot of respect, he said,
“Surely Professor, Karmarkar. We will be honored if you say a few words.”
When the name Prof, Karmarkar was mentioned, everyone was all ears. A veteran, with a Noble prize and an Order of Merit award in his kitty, he was one of the most respected personalities in the scientific world. A young scientist came forward and gave him his hand to climb to the dais. Prof. Karmarkar took the mike in hand and started,
“I was very delighted to hear the great achievements by different scientists in various fields. Congratulations to all of them.
But is it not melancholic that we had to get together with our masks on? Since 2020 the pandemic Covid-19 is sitting on our neck strangulating humans. It has been two years that our movements are restricted over the entire world. The death toll has touched the horrifying figures. With his strong clutches, the Covid-19 killed innumerable human beings. Our scientific world worked very hard and succeeded in getting a vaccine for Covid-19. Before we could heave a sigh of relief, it entered our world in a different format. We termed it as Omicron. And it started spreading at a much faster speed. Though its impact is not that severe today, the spread is so wide and so quick that a slight variation or a little mutation of this virus can again cause disaster all over the world. Today, we are a bit relaxed thinking the impact of Omicron is mild. But we can not guess what modification in the virus can suddenly make the situation, horrendous.
Today, we heard how we have succeeded in looking deeper into space. We have made maglev transport cheaper and faster. Nanotechnology has made production methods cheaper. The advances in quantum physics have opened up doors for our inter-stellar movement. Also, we have learned the effect of music on the environment which will help us protect our environment from further deterioration.
All these things will certainly help humanity.
But will not we be able to benefit from all these only if we are alive?
We are surely making progress but some other forces are contemplating, planning to eliminate humanity from the earth. What about it?
There is a popular saying in India meaning one can have fifty hats if the head is safe.
In 2020, when we were caught unawares, we lost human beings not just in hundreds, thousands but in millions. We could not do anything, but keep counting the number of deaths. It took nearly a year before the finding of a vaccine was announced. This awful situation we had to face because we were facing an enemy about whom we knew nothing. Human intelligence won over the tactics of the enemy after a year.
We could protect ourselves against Covid-19. But before our steps could be effective, Covid-19 had made his entry deep inside of our society. And when we felt that we had won over it, it reappeared in a different form. It spread like wildfire. Due to our vaccination drive for Covid-19, the new virus, Omicron could not have a fatal effect even if it had a successful entry, The effect was mild. But the spread of omicron like wildfire is again a matter of concern. Its just existence is a possible threat of a new terrible pandemic. The latest information is that a new modification of virus has already arrived with the combination of properties from the Delta Virus and the Omicron virus, they have termed it as Delmicron. It appears that the killer virus is all set to eliminate humanity from the globe with the fast-spreading property of Omicron and the killer strength of the Delta variant.
So it becomes extremely necessary that the entire world gets together and with united efforts try to eradicate Corona-19 from the earth. Its trace in any part of the world, in any form, will be hazardous to the entire humanity.
We have eradicated polio, smallpox, etc. It does not exist in any part of the world. Now we are safe from these deadly diseases. We must reach the same situation in respect of Covid-19.
All research labs should change their programs and must work together for a single, most imminent goal targeting the deadly virus Covid-19.
This will ensure the rest of our life, secured and safe. Then only we will get a moral right to wish a happy new year 2022 to each other.
The year 2022 still hangs in the balance. We, the entire world should come together to win over the situation. This is possible only if all the research laboratories, the world over, concentrate and work only in the direction against Corona-19.
By committing to this single goal, we will earn the moral right to wish everyone else “Happy New Year 2022”.
We all will wish Happy 2022 to all the residents of the earth by committing to a solitary program of “ COMPLETE ERADICATION OF COVID FROM EARTH”. That is all I want to say. Thanks for patient hearing.” Prof. Karmarkar handed back the microphone. He started getting down from dais.
At this point, Prof. Gordon took over the mike. “Thank you, Prof. Karmarkar. You brought out a very important point.
Last year, in early 2020, when Covid-19 was rampant in U.K. my elder brother aged 45 had fallen prey to it. My mother aged 75 and all of us were extremely upset. My brother was admitted to a hospital. But the Doctor there confessed to me that the disease was unknown and they did not have any specific treatment. They would be probing in dark. I was shocked. My own brother was on death bed totally helpless. Ventilaters, other life supporting systems were used. But I was a witness to my brother struggling defenceless. My mother looked at me. Her eyes were telling me to do something. She wanted me to save her other son. But I could do nothing. Finally, my brother succumbed to Covid-19 adding to the number of victims.
At home my mother told me,” All your research is useless if it can not save a common man in pandemic like this. What is the use of your Order of Merit award in science, if it can not protect a common man from deadly disease. ” I literally cried incapable of doing anything. I knew that mother had turned emotional and was blaming me out of her anguish. But doesn’t it hold significant meaning?
In a small boat if water starts leaking in, is it not everyone on boat have to leave every other task and start throwing out the water out of boat to save it from sinking?
I fully endorse Prof. Karmarkar.”
Dr. Mehta took over the mike and said,” I also have gone through the same experience.
“In 2020, my 21 year old son, a national football player, was snatched from me by Covid-19. My wife had to say the same thing. What is the use of this development if it can not save humanity? As Prof. Karmarkar suggested, in emergencies such as created by Covid-19, we have to keep aside all this developmental work and focus on our efforts to defend the humanity against the threats from such viruses.”
Dr.Mehrutu from Ethiopia added,” I also experienced powerless when I witnessed my friend in his fifties, the chief conservator of the state was taken away by Covid-19. Absolutely fit, without any illness, suddenly felt breathless. He was admitted to hospital and suddenly his condition deteriorated so quickly that we had to attend his funeral. “
Dr. Mehrutu wiped his eyes.
Prof. Satish took the microphone and said, “ Initially we heard about the impressive achievements these persons had in their fields. But later, we heard how all these great achievers had experienced frustration caused by Covid-19. Many of these great persons have had sad experience of losing their dear ones. May be a son, or a brother or a fast friend. The loss was such that it could not be filled by any other solution.
So as Prof. Karmarkar put-forth the idea of concentrated efforts to find out the solution to eradicate Covid from earth. It must be uprooted. So that the virus would not get an opportunity to change its form and re-enter the human body to regenerate itself. I am totally convinced that today’s imminent need is every science lab to work out solution to eradicate virus Covid-19.
I as the department head, I announce that we will collaborate with some biology research laboratory and at least for the coming year we will work together with all our might to eradicate Covid-19.” There was big applause.
Then Dr.Yagahaka from Japan announced his decision of diverting his funds to the biological research institute and work all out to eliminate Covid-19 from earth. One by one, every scientist in the convention announced his involvement in research in the area of study of the virus.
Further, the convention formed a committee to oversee the work carried out by every laboratory.
Finally, a working committee under the leadership of Prof. Satish Chowdhary was formed. He announced that as suggested by Prof. Karmarkar they committed to work on Covid-19 eradication. So the convention attendees get moral right to wish every soul on earth a happy new year, 2022. He requested the each person attending the convention to greet loudly to other person for year 2022.
In a short time, the entire gathering called out in unison,
“HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 to all the residents of earth.”