Since the time I remember starting school, I have heard the word ‘Unity’ a zillion times. I decided to try to understand what unity is. The Oxford dictionary says unity means “the state of being united or joined as a whole”. This word has its origin in the Latin “unus” meaning one.

Further discussions with the elders in my family led me to believe that unity must be something vital. I didn’t know why it would be something vital as I had never paid attention to it but as I grew up, I got to know the significance of the word ‘unity’, especially in the current times.

Unity not only means to be joined, it means to join together willingly without harming each other’s moral and ethical values. The current situation, that is the Covid-19 pandemic, is a scenario that teaches us the importance of unity. People are getting uneasy and blaming each other, including the government, for wrong policies and strategies. There are many misconceptions regarding the Covid-19 virus. Among them is a thought that there isn’t a virus, it is just a propaganda; there are others who think that nothing will happen to them. Both the beliefs are absolutely wrong. Everyone has different opinions and they act accordingly — which is leading to the second wave of Covid-19 which has recently hit the nation.

People don’t believe the facts and figures shared by the government. The current situation is something we have never faced before, but with courage and accepting the fact that we are all in this together, we can bring changes by doing as we are told to do by the experts. There are many countries in the world that showed unity in the current pandemic and their people listened to the government’s orders, resulting in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

We should respect our doctors, paramedics and nurses as they are fighting the coronavirus on the front line without caring of their own health, families and loved ones. Don’t let the sacrifice of these doctors and paramedics to go in vain; stand together, follow the SOPs set by the experts and remain united in order to stay safe from this deadly virus.

Being a son of doctor parents, I have realised the efforts and selflessness of these healthcare providers, so I respect all of them and believe what they say. I hope you all reading this article understood my point and promise from now on that we will stand united as one nation in these difficult times and collectively kick out Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 7th, 2020