PM's 9 pm diya deciphered

Free Thinker *

One senior respected leader of the State rang up and asked me the significance of lighting up a Diya or Candle at 9 in the evening on 5th April at home.

I told him, I really don't know but it seems to me that it is to show our united fight against the deadly Corona; and also to take a pledge with fire in hand to encounter this virus till the end.

Last time it was to bang the thali/dish to show our solidarity with those who are at the frontline of defence. This time the message is - by holding the fire we are reminding ourselves in such a cataclysmic situation that we need to stand together for our own survival. If we are not united Corona will defeat us easily.

I am neither a numerologist nor an astrologer but I always try to decipher the meaning or the significance of such an act or announcement from the most powerful person of the country. Why is such a move required? What is the purpose? People are curious to know. Opposition may be eager to oppose and trivilize the move. But for me, it is a quest for a reasonable reason.

I don't want to buy the much hyped calculations and projections of our astrologers or numerologists or gurus to explain the 9 pm - 9 minutes Diya illumination on 5th April which is again 9 (5th day of the 4th month i.e., 5+4).

Everyone one has an explanation, everybody has something to assume or believe. Let it be. However the most intrinsic part is still awaited. Only the PM himself knows what he is doing. My only conjecture at this moment is - our leader is trying to wake up the invisible energy of the people of the nation.

Perhaps this is a kind of a solemn pledge for the people of India at this critical juncture.In the line of the preamble of the Indian Constitution silently and solemnly we the people of India have to firmly resolve that the nation must be saved and secured from the onslaught of novel Corona.

One renowned numerologist ( mathematician) says the most favourable number of Shri Narendra Modi is 8. He is ruled by Saturn / Shani - very powerful planet. But this time he has chosen 9 perhaps in the interest of the country not in his own interest.

He added that the destiny of this land is always associated with number 9. From Vedic era to this Cyber age this number is extremely important for this country. I don't pay much attention to his unending explanation.

Prime Minister is well aware of the fact that it is going to be a long drawn war. Without the keen support and strong commitment of the entire population we can't win this war. Even if we invest the entire resources to encounter this highly contagious virus we may still fail.

We have seen in front of our eyes that powerful nations had bowed down to Corona. So it is high time to be extremely cautious and act responsibly. Enemy has already intruded into our territory.

If some of us inadvertently or unintentionally have colluded with the virus the damage it can cause is enormous. A slight mistake may lead to a blunder. This virus though not airborne it is so infectious that even a slight encounter or touch through any medium may cause disaster.

The phomits of the virus or the virus itself may remain active on surfaces for hours together. That is the reason why our PM has made us to stay safe at home.

We all know that there is no remedy for Covid -19 as of now. Prevention is the only cure at the moment. So we need to protect ourselves. We need to hide from this virus till we get the right medication or till we invent the vaccine for it.

Countries like the USA and Australia have started direct human trial of novel Corona vaccine. We are also working on it. I believe that we will fine a panacea against Corona sooner or later. It is a matter of few months from now.

But the question is can we sustain ourselves for such a long time? In other words can we pull on with lockdowns, curfews, closure, restrictions etc - How long? For me - we must try to drag on like this as long as we can. Vaccine/antidote is on the way - who declares it first - let us see.

Some are trying to politicise or trivilize the call of the Prime Minister. We must remember that he is not the prime minister of BJP or RSS or Sangh Parivar alone. He is the prime minister of this great country.

We must listen to him and stand by him when the country is encountering such a humongous challenge. This is no more a matter of Party or ideology or community or caste or ethnicity, this is a matter of national concern.

Kalam Sab once said, it is so apt today "if you put banana and money in front of monkeys, monkeys will choose bananas, because monkeys do not know that money can buy a lot of bananas.

If you put money and health in front of people, people tend to choose money because too many people do not know that health can bring more money and happiness ". The crux of the matter is that at the moment we need to save lives, economy may be rescued later.

Light the lamp and save the country from the scourge of Corona. Lamp is only symbolic but the spirit is real .Only that spirit can save the nation.

PM is just invoking the national spirit at 9 tonight. So be it.

*** This article was published at The Sangai Express on April 04 2020