Social Distancing, Sanatana Dharma , Samaritan Woman : A Juxtapose
in the context of COVID-19 Lockdown
Social distancing is the new term that is
being profusely used during this severe pandemic COVID-19 which is threatening
the lives of many all over the world. Measures and ideas of social distancing have
been strictly adhered to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through community. It’s
quite alarming to see plethora of memes, videos and hoaxes shared on social distancing
and Sanatana dharma on Social Media platforms such as Facebook, whatsapp and
Tik Tok.
A critical juxtapose to shed light on truths, facts and scripture
can be a solace at times as these than succumbing to all that is shared on
social media.
Social distancing has taken various
definitions according to nations that have been infested with COVID-19.
Furthermore there are parallels that are been drawn and various expressions
have been identified with social distancing. Whereas the definition of social distancing according to Merriam Webster dictionary is
‘The practice of maintaining a greater than usual
physical distance from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people
or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in
order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection’
And as we see the above definition evidently
cites that social distancing is done only when there is an outbreak of a
contagious disease and it isn’t a lifestyle or any phobia, rather a proactive
and preventive restraining of an individual to break the chain of the spread.
Sanatana Dharma
Santana Dharma is propagated as a
holistic and humanistic way of life offered from Vedic scriptures and
traditions and its followers are ones to pursue peace and harmony. A Sanatana
devout does clarify with his definitions of Sanatana dharma likewise
‘God (Brahman), the individual
self (atman), prime materiality (jagat, or prakriti), Truth (satya), the Veda
(Truth rendered into literary form), and Dharma itself all have necessary
existence. They are sanatana. They always have been - and they always shall be.’
Sanatana is
thus defined as the everlasting existence of the above referred pointers with an
understanding that everything has an attribute.
Therefore according to Sri Dharma Pravartaka
Acharya Dharma
An existent thing’s dharma is
that which constitutes the thing’s very essence, without which, the very
concept of the thing would be rendered meaningless Dharma was humanity’s attempt to
incorporate the will of the transcendent Divine into the everyday, phenomenal
concerns of this world, and to live and explore politics, economics, the arts,
music, philosophy, literary expression, and life itself as an everyday,
every-moment celebration of the omnipresent imminence of the Divine.
The
propagation of Santana dharma has always been so welcoming with mirage that
offers no respect and mutual co-existence among fellow beings. However literatures
so heart-warming are published, harsh realities of oppression and violence that
Sanatana Dharma has offered is more than the viable existence for fellow beings
that it promises.
Neo Santana Dharmic Ideologies
The rise of fundamentalism and
fanaticism is surging over years in the nation sponsored by right wing
extremists. While the violence over the common has been unleashed and resulted
in killing spree in the name of vigilantism. A new rise of Sanatana ideologues
are all over the Social Media. In the light of COVID-19 There has been a flurry
of memes and pictures circulated that Sanatana Dharma ideologies and methods
have always taught us cleanliness and hygiene and following this would help us
in being unaffected by any diseases.
Some of them have created a wave of
implicitly accepting Sanatana Dharma and its oppressive ideologies as natural
way of life.
Namaste vs Handshakes
Namaste was never a way of greeting
among the common. In a Manu inspired Sanatana Dharmic fanatic society it was
always an expression of untouchability. The Namaste was to escape the clasp or
grasp any individual. The casteist society never stops with a Namaste after
knowing one is of the same caste. It is followed with a warm hug. Whereas, if a
person not of their leaning happens to meet, it’s a reluctant gesture to abruptly
end of a meeting. The rise of modernism and globalisation however tried to
elude such expressions and introduced handshakes and hugs. Neo sanatana dharmic
ideologies proliferated by implicit casteist claim that Christian Missionaries,
Mullahs and white supremacists have brought to us this pandemic with this
annihilation of culture and Sanatana dharma.
But the truth is that Handshake is not
always a carrier of viruses. It’s the virus that is spread to the hands from
the face or the cough that one sustains in his day to day living.
According to Adeodata Czink, who runs Business of Manners as reported
in World Economic Forum states that
‘The
gesture is a super-efficient way to spread germs, given that we
also touch our faces unwittingly
about one or two dozen times per hour, according
to studies,
most often touching our eyes, nose, or mouth.
Performing the perfectly unnecessary custom of shaking someone’s hand raises
the likelihood that you’ll infect yourself with any virus that’s going around.’
Thus handshakes do not really spread the
viruses every time but only during outbreaks.
Banging Thalis , ringing Ghantis and chanting Go
Corona Go
In spite of the Prime Minister
announcing that nation has strictly follow social distancing as the nation was on the verge of stepping
into the most crucial state of community spread of COVID-19 . There were
gatherings and groups of mostly with the understanding that that Banging Thalis
(plates) , ringing Ghantis(bells) and Chanting Go Corona Go would chase Corona out of India than thanking
the doctors, nurses and healthcare
professionals for their battle over corona. Some vehemently spread hoaxes iver
the internet that the vibrations and the chanting would reverberate and kill
the virus. The chaotic break of the 12 hour quarantine was mostly from the
elitist and right wing enthusiasts who ardently went to the extreme of chanting
Jai Shree Ram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
The celebration was more than the celebration of India wining the world cup. If
COVID-19 was a person it would thank for such a rousing welcome that these
people rendered. The so called masses that are slum, pavement and lower middle
classes were more obedient to the Prime Minister’s request.
With these ideologies of Namaste and
Banging Thalis, ringing Ghantis and Chanting mooting the oppressive ideologies
that are zealously expressed and reiterating that Sanatana dharma is no joke
claims at times of such a pandemic is a subtle and sublime means of overarching
the efforts annihilation of caste that was ignited by B.R. Ambedkar and his
enlightenment to the nation.
The challenge is to educate the Social
Media Centric younger crust of the nation that haplessly believes every
whatsapp hoaxes, Facebook Memes and Tik
tok videos. The Millennial society has to be more critical in analysing
everything that is spread and shared on Social Media.
While these erratic exhibitions of
oppression and fanaticism that happen incorrigibly at times such as this, there
is an alternative that is offered by Samaritan Woman who with an imposed, dominant fixed lower social status, social stigma, complex of inferiority,
repression of religion , a sense of indignity, and legitimate untouchability
all endorsed by then dominant Jewish community overcomes these errands in her conversation with Jesus Christ. She offers a
counter conversation. In the pericope John 4 : 1-45 the woman who is predominantly
considered as an illiterate and lesser
in knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures comparing to the that Jesus had, goes on to raise questions until she arguably
unravels that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.
Elizabeth Schusller Fiorenza elucidates that the theological argument from the mouth of the
woman signifies the historical leadership women had opening up Jesus' movement
and community to non-Israelites. The woman is thus representative of an
exemplary disciple: an apostolic witness.
This reversal of social stigma and religion sponsored oppression of the
Samaritan woman is a directive for us to unlearn and critically engage with
scripture, ethics and science on every dominant ideology that is spread and
shared in the name of glorifying and propagating
vice oppressive culture, religion and faith.
Rev. Raj Kumar Johnwesley
