New Delhi: Claims of belligerent and blind leaders who are immune to the suffering and deaths of people show that we are veering off dangerously to become a cruel, insensitive race, the principal of New Delhi’s prestigious St Stephen’s college said in an emotional letter.
“How do all those claims of power and importance matter before the death of a loved one? Nothing,” the letter reads.
After the death of a first-year student of the Delhi University-affiliated college, principal John Varghese took to pen an emotional note of the lessons the pandemic taught.
He went ahead to reiterate that the ‘ruthless pandemic’ is teaching that life and quality of life matter, besides humility and balanced approach to life.
“Are we willing to listen? Are we willing to co-exist rather than dominate through our selfish pillaging, our indiscriminate and profligate lifestyles?..if we pause to learn from each other, love each other and care for each other then we can transform this pandemic into a panacea,” Varghese concludes.
18-year-old Satyam Jha, a student of BA (Honours) History of the college, died of COVID-19 at a private hospital in Kota, Rajasthan on Tuesday.
A member of Gandhi-Ambedkar study circle (GASC), a student-led society of the college, Jha was on the ventilator for a week. “Satyam was a one-of-a-kind person, meticulous, sharp and humble, with extraordinary skills and kindness. Within a short span of time, he made a lasting impact on his peers,” GASC said in a statement.