Ever since the COVID 19 spread its dreaded wings over the
globe, it has occupied center stage in our minds, society, economy and polity.
It can thus be undoubtedly said that in these times of the pandemic, we are
nothing but a ‘virulocratic’ society where everything is centered around the
pillar of the Corona Virus, much like religion used to be center of theocratic
societies of the past. When August Comte,
the father of sociology in his thesis Law
of 3 stages outline the stages of theocracy, metaphysical stage and
empirical society, little would he have imagined such a stage in the magic of
time. But that invariably is the nature of a pandemic.
Today, our social interactions and needs are redefined by a
new normal due to this deadly virus. In one way, this pandemic virus is much
like the Caste system. It creates a value consensus of social distancing akin
to the vibes of untouchability in
caste but the cause here being the virtuous act of breaking the chain rather
than sanctioning of religious scriptures. The ‘New Caste in Town’ is global, not Indian and it is not based on
purity and pollution but rather on the notion
of infected and non-infected.
The practice of ‘Social
distancing’ as often quoted is seen to be the weapon of the state in
stopping the spread of virus and bringing it down to health system capacity.
The COVID episode is again a reminder of the immense power of state in bringing
order and safety to its citizens as part of its social contract obligations.
What is also interesting is the state uses both of its
contrasting arms, the police and the
welfare wings to restore order in society. One can see this with police
personnel eliminating non-essential movement in Italy, with Section 144 imposed
in many parts of India and the massive lock down in multiple cities of the
world. This muscle power of state is
combined with the caring arm of doctors, nurses and volunteers rushing to
save lives of millions. It is thus the Police-Welfare State, that as Weber
points out is the only entity with power of legitimate violence that is working
day and night for its citizens and public health with citizens trading their
freedom of movement for the common good of public health.
The State is also today a creator and propagator of new essential values that are required to
stop this pandemic. Social distancing and hand washing are 2 such essential ones
that have been cultured into society through state sponsored social movements with potent use of social media
which the citizens have lapped up understanding the gravity of issue. The ‘Break the Chain Movement’ by Kerala
government is an excellent example of such a social movement led by state and
actively taken up by citizens.
What is thus amply clear today is the ability of this crisis to unite humanity let alone
the oft bickering state and citizenry. We have seen videos of emotional
Italians and Spaniards singing from their balconies and windows, their national
anthems and songs of hope ringing in a kind of ‘Crisis nationalism’ in solidarity with the state, healthcare
workers and ultimately the nation. India too is on the verge of such a symbolic
solidarity with the Janata Curfew and
salute to Corona warriors creating a new
idea of nation: one of responsible citizenry and solidarity to healthcare
workers and state.
COVID 19 has also some silver linings attached to it despite
the humongous hardships it has brought to lives and livelihoods. With the onset
of industrial revolution and occupational mobility, sociologists around the
world had lamented about the death of
kinship. Robin Fox went so far as to say that the modern society is a 'kinless' society.
This virus has forced us to reset our social lives as we distanced
socially, bringing back family and households together recreating lost kinships in time of great danger. Social media as a
platform has been potent in enhancing
kinship connectedness in a time where everyone has a lot of time and
everyone is worried about their dear ones. COVID has thus not only brought back households physically but
also emotionally and virtual kinships
are a manifestation of that.
COVID 19 has also brought back into focus the Science-Religion debate. With doctors,
scientists, nurses working around the clock to diagnose, treat and create
vaccines and scientific advice on hand washing and distancing provided to the
populace, it seems Science has scored a
significant victory over religion in such a life and death situation. Max
Weber’s contention that religion would soon lose its plausibility structure in
front of science driving secularization
in modern society is visible in this crisis situation.
The empty streets of Vatican, the disappearance of God Men
and Women, empty churches and temples tell the tale that even the religious and
the messengers of God have succumbed to
the reason, logic and empiricism of science. Yet the streaming of the holy
masses through the internet and individual prayers within household illustrate
how religion is innovating within the
framework of science to maintain its reach over the human mind.
More than 13,000 have already succumbed to this virus with
death toll only expected to increase further. This startling fact is a cold
reminder of the famous Malthusian
prophecy of nature’s positive checks in face of rising population to
restore the balance of nature. The Egyptian Geese Herd walking along runway at
Israel Airport and Otters having the time of their lives in the sun of
Singapore is evidence of how nature is
reclaiming its spaces grabbed by humankind post the ‘positive check’ of
COVID 19.
These times of frequent human death are also an eye opener
to the often overlooked system of stratification
in society on the basis of age. The callous remarks of ‘only the aged are
dying, it is not so fatal’ is evidence much of the ageism that our society reeks of and the gross lack of empathy for
the elderly. This reflects the blurring boundaries between a natural inequality and how that becomes
a social hierarchy with strong value
consensus on the nature of age hierarchy.
These are very testing times for humanity and human
civilization. For long, we the human race have felt powerful and invincible.
Today, we realize our vulnerability and the power of nature. But it is indeed
heartening that this virus enables us to appreciate what we thought as the most
ordinary and normal- our family, our relationships, our nation, the welfare
state and the power of science.
Corona virus has indeed redefined the social fabric and our
social interactions in ways that we never imagined. Several new ‘Me’s are
created from the impulsive ‘I’s as the Mind,
Self and Society that Mead outlined is nourished by the new reservoir of knowledge that science
provides- to be socialized yet to be distant, that is the new norm. It is this
ensemble of changed micro interactions at ground level that is transforming our
society without choice into a ‘virulocratic’ one.
