By Fazal Khaliq
While majority of the world and sensible nations are taking preventive steps against spread of the Coronavirus Covid-19 by imposing lockdown, In Pakistan some non-serious and insensible faction of society is busy making fun of the outbreak.
History shows that people react in different ways during epidemic trajectories. Panic, most often, is an inevitable social response while dealing with epidemics1.Various new theories, doubts, blames, fun-making anecdotes, religious retorts, political assumptions and many other behavioural responses surface in the time of epidemics outbreaks.
A social response is defined as a behavioural or emotional manifestation of concern about disease2. The Coronavirus Covid-19, which has already engulfed almost every country in the world, has also shaped behavioural norms. The responses from different communities are diverse. Some make fun of those who suggest preventive measures, saying that everything is from God Almighty and there is a day fixed for everyone’s death.
The illiterate religious factions even proclaim it anti-sharia when they are asked to refrain from mosques and Friday prayers in congregation. They say that their belief in God (Iman) is too strong to become ill with any disease, and only those with weak belief will get the disease. They are also against the suspension of Umrah and closing the door of Khana Kaaba, the holiest site of the Muslims in Saudi Arabia, stating that the Arabs’ iman is weaker and the Arabs do not have trust in God.
Some Pakistanis, on social media, also claim that the Coronavirus is another aid-seeking opportunity for the government. The government will make use of the opportunity, seek aid from developed countries by showing exaggerated numbers of Coronavirus Covid-19 affectees. Some even forbid you to go to hospital as they believe that the medical staff will kill you by administering poisonous injection as the government wants to increase number of the affectees to attract dollars.
Even some Hindu activists hosted a cow urine-drinking party in different parts of India as they claimed that cow urine prevent and cure Covid-19.
As usual, traders and shopkeepers in Pakistan also started taking advantage of the situation by hiking prices of essential commodities. Take an example of hand sanitizers, which are being sold at double price in wake of Covid-19 outbreak.
The worst side of the story, in our own region, is the creation of funny poetry, mostly by distorting “Tappa” one of the most popular genre of Pashto poetry. Tappa is a two-lined verse and is the oldest form of Pashto poetry, not existent in other literatures.
People in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while responding to the Covid-19 have created number of funny Pashto Tappas highlighting oronavirus disease and its implications on society by posting them on Facebook. Mostly the Covid-19 Tappas are the distorted forms of some famous and popular Tappas.
Some of them are listed below here with English translation.
کرونا په تلو راتلو زیاتیږي
شیرینه یاره مه راځه نه به درځمه
Translation: Cases of Coronavirus are increased by socializing
My sweetheart! come neither to me nor I will come to you.
دہ کرونا مرضہ ورک شی ۔
پہ ما دی بند کڑل دہ سرکو شونڈو سرونہ ۔
Translation: O’ Corona disease! May God vanish you
Thou barred me to kiss my beloved’s crimson lips.
کرونا راغلہ لارې دوه شوي
جانانه خپل غم د کوه خپل به کؤومه
Translation: The Coronavirus parted our ways
My beloved! take care of yourself and I too myself.
دیدن ئی داسی پہ ما بند کہ
لکہ دہ کرونا نہ چی بند دی بازارونہ
Translation: My beloved imposed ban on our meeting along a path
As the government imposed lockdown in bazaars.
دہ کرونا وایرس نہ مڑ مہ شے
زما دہ زړہ ستنے پہ تا والاړے دینہ
Translation: Be safe from Coronavirus, darling;
My heart is throbbing for you.
جانان په کور کښې قرنطين شو
د ېرې ډز دے ژوند به څنګه تېروينه
Translation: My beloved is self-quarantined at her house
I wonder how she’ll live alone as scared she is of loneliness.
جانان نه پټه پټه ګرځم
له چين راغلې رانه غواړي ديدنونه
Translation: I am hiding myself from my lover
He has come from China and wants to see me
Similarly, some Urdu verses or lines of songs have also been replaced by Coronavirus themes.
زندہ رہنے کے لئے تیری قسم
چھ فٹ کی دوری ضروری ہے صنم
Translation: I swear on you to stay alive,
A distance of six feet is essential, my sweetheart.
This non-serious attitude and insensibility show the level of our knowledge and understanding which shows that there is dramatization and the risk is novel or not well understood3.
References:
1: Han, Q., & Curtis, D. R. (2020). Social Responses to Epidemics Depicted by Cinema. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(2), 389-394. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2602.181022.
2: Shannon M. Fast, Marta C. González, James M. Wilson, Natasha Markuzon
J R Soc Interface. 2015 Mar 6; 12(104): 20141105. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1105 PMCID: PMC4345477
3: Shannon M. Fast, Marta C. González, James M. Wilson, Natasha Markuzon
J R Soc Interface. 2015 Mar 6; 12(104): 20141105. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1105 PMCID: PMC4345477
