This lockdown has given me a chance to watch a few movies and documentaries. Recently I watched the documentary “The Heroes of the Forgotten War”. This is about a war that happened in Kapyong in 1951 between China (with the support of North Korea) trying to acquire South Korea and the UN battling to stop it (Australia, New Zealand, Canada & US). Kapyong represented a unique prominence in that battle because of its hills. The Australians were guarding it by being the front-line army. They fought against a guerrilla army who were ready to sacrifice 10 lives for the life of the opponent. Australian army, already drained in continuous battles over the last 6 months, found it emotionally tough to shoot such a Chinese army. But for them, there wasn’t any other choice left.
A similar battle is now being fought by the front-line workers of Covid19. The front line includes the police who are involved in maintaining law and order during the lockdown, the officials who are tracing secondary and tertiary contacts, the volunteers teaching door-door to prevent practices which might spread the virus and doctors treating the positive cases.
Similar to the Australian and NZ army, it isn’t easy for any of these front-line workers to be away from their families and work 18 hours on a stretch daily. Few of the hospital staff who are away from their hometowns found it tough to find a living place. Some volunteers, even after getting insulted and bashed, have gone to their work of preaching the right practices the next day. We’ve seen many videos of police trying to establish law and order using various methods.
We might point out fingers to the decisions these front-line workers have taken, but we should understand that it is being done for the safety of us, the safety of the nation.
New York, arguably the world’s most advanced city in trade, is facing a shortage of ventilators. The doctors are hustling on whom should the ventilator be used first and whose life needs to be preferred. An easy answer, is it? Thanks to their ikigai, they are making such tough decisions day in and day out.
At the end of the documentary, the front-line army who were majorly involved and deserved recognition didn’t get any from their respective governments. The same might happen with the COVID-19 front-line workers as well. At this juncture, the least these workers deserve is RESPECT.
To all the front-line workers, we at Zodhya thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
