Often
we hear comments that disease and all other ailments are present in cities and
not in villages. Though a point of view,
perhaps not right. In olden times, the
Nation’s economy was predominantly
agrarian, and even those days rural poor subsisted with semi-starved
condition. Stagnant agricultural productivity and a
stable land base were unable to cope with a rapidly increasing population,
resulting in both long-term decline in per capita availability of rice and
growing numbers of the land-poor or landless labourers. In between there were
nature’s fury, drought and famines. The
Great Famine of 1876–1878 was a famine
in India under Crown rule that affected millions living in Deccan Plateau.
In
between the man at the centre is TN Minister for Health Mr Vijayabaskar who is
doing a good job .. ..
As the fear of Covid 19
increases – people have been advocating - isolation, quarantine, social
distancing as a measure of ensuring that the dreaded virus does not spread to
people. All such measures are fine and
perhaps needed to, but there is a flip side which people neglect to see. Some
big and famous stars are biting their tongues after making insensitive comments
amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has derailed multiple television and film
productions in addition to preventing large-scale events from taking place for
the foreseeable future. The fallout reverberation would not end with closing of
Schools, malls, cinema theatres and social gatherings. There are many countries under travel
restriction now.
.. .. if
this continues, and if social distancing, closure of public transport and the
like are to happen in our States, the first and worst affected would be daily
wage earners. Falling stock market,
stoppage in production, loss in revenue all these would affect commercially but
think of those whose next food always comes from the present working ! ~ if
World were to come to a standstill and when people are expected to remain
inside their homes - labourers, small traders, food retailers, shop owners,
workers, coolies, auto drivers, tea sellers would find it extremely difficult
to earn something and .. .. make their ends meets. Pray that such situations do not happen in
our country.
Miles away, a 21-year-old
youth soccer coach in Spain died Sunday from coronavirus while also battling
leukemia. Francisco Garcia was coach of the junior team for Atletico Portada
Alta in Malaga. Garcia's leukemia was discovered after going to the hospital
with symptons of COVID-19, the Independent reported. Garcia was advised to seek
medical attention after struggling to breathe, the Spanish newspaper Malaga Hoy
reported.
South Africa ended their
tour as did England .. .. but Pak super league was on, which too is now
hit. Alex Hales has confirmed he is
self-isolating at home after developing symptoms of COVID-19 (novel
coronavirus) following his return from the Pakistan Super League. The PSL's
organisers confirmed on Tuesday morning that the competition's semi-finals and
finals had been postponed indefinitely after a player had shown symptoms of the
virus. PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said "we cannot reveal the identity
of that player", but Ramiz Raja, who has been commentating on the
tournament, told reporters: "Alex Hales has developed symptoms."
Raja's comments led to
inaccurate speculation that Hales had tested positive for the virus, which he
denied in a statement. "In the light of the speculation and rumour that is
currently circulating within the cricket world and on social media, I felt I
needed to give a full explanation of my situation," Hales said. "Like
many other overseas players, I reluctantly left the Pakistan Super League early
because, with COVID-19 reaching global pandemic status, I felt it was more
important to be with my family rather than face a period of lockdown thousands
of miles from home. However, I awoke early
on Sunday morning having developed a fever and followed the government's advice
of self-isolation, a process I am obviously still following having developed a
dry and persistent cough.
Here is an interesting
tidbit of the solitary spectator during the recent ODI between Australia and
New Zealand at Sydney. The person was
Harold Gascoigne. Here is something
interesting from Ask Steve, Cricinfo.
"Yabba" was the
nickname given to Stephen Harold Gascoigne, a Sydney rabbit-seller who became
famous for his raucous pronouncements from the Hill during matches at the SCG.
Arguably the best-recalled example of his output was his advice to the England
captain Douglas Jardine during the Bodyline tour: "Leave our flies alone
Jardine! They're the only friends you've got out here."
A statue of Yabba was
unveiled on the Hill in 2008, which is why he was, poetically speaking, the
only onlooker at the recent ODI in Sydney, after spectators were excluded for
health reasons. The official attendance of zero would appear to be an
unbeatable record low: according to the Melbourne statistician Charles Davis,
the previous-smallest daily attendance for an international match in Australia
was 17, for the final day of the 1967-68 Adelaide Test - India were nine down
overnight, and 161 behind; Australia needed six overs on the final morning to
pick up the last wicket. Ian Chappell, in a recent ESPNcricinfo article,
entertainingly recalled a Sheffield Shield match that started with just one
spectator in attendance. I seem to remember a report of a match in Zimbabwe
that started with no one watching at all, but I'm not sure when that was!
On the contrary I grew up
being part of many hundreds that would watch a First division league match at
Marina grounds. Slowly, there are handful spectators only in Ranji trophy
matches. Life has changed a lot.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
18.3.2020.
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