Not All Lockdowns Are Equal: Choosing COVID Over Conflict

"Corona was far better than war."
Yes, you read that right! COVID-19 was far better than the ongoingundeclared war between India and Pakistan. As a citizen of Jammu and Kashmir, which is often at the center of the tension between the two countries, I feel that COVID-19 was preferable—at least the mask was protecting us.

This thought struck me when my mother and I went shopping in a local market. Suddenly, policemen arrived and started shouting, "Go back to your homes!", "Reach home before 8:00 PM!", and "Clear the market before 7:00!" As soon as I heard this, I looked around—everyone was in a panic. Shopkeepers were shutting down quickly, visitors, especially from the border areas, were rushing back, and my mother was trying to recall what she might have forgotten.As soon as I reached my father, I narrated everything to him and he told me that  it was a blackout announced  after 8:00 PM. It took me back to the days of COVID-19, at least we were safe inside our homes. The thought kept coming back, along with the question: "Till when?" Only those far from the borders romanticize war-for they’ve never heard its cries nor felt its fire. Those who live where the bombs fall know it is never glory, only grief.