Bye Bye 2020 - We Shall Not Miss You

December 31st 2019 - The world embraced a new beginning - a new decade. The fact being that as the world rang in a new year amidst crowded gatherings, we were unaware that those very gatherings, or their lack thereof, would envelop 2020 in uncertainty.

5th January 2020 - The year had barely begun when masked men wielding sticks attacked students in the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Protests against a fee hike were then followed by protests against the attack, which left about 40 students injured. Sadly, the year for India started off with protests and culminated with them too, almost as if this year itself was resisted. Another spark and outrage for change took place in the USA. The police brutality that led to the killing of George Floyd gave rise to processions and demonstrations, and the BlacklivesMatter movement gave the world a symbol of unity in dark times. Remember the bushfires that erupted in Australia, that killed 33 people and thousands of animals? Yes, that occurred in 2020 too. It was labelled as one of the world's worst weather disasters, fuelled by climate change. The Beirut explosion was yet another event that managed to rattle 2020.

December 31st 2019 - The world embraced a new beginning - a new decade. The fact being that as the world rang in a new year amidst crowded gatherings, we were unaware that those very gatherings, or their lack thereof, would envelop 2020 in uncertainty.

5th January 2019 - The year had barely begun when masked men wielding sticks attacked students in the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Protests against a fee hike were then followed by protests against the attack, which left about 40 students injured. Sadly, the year for India started off with protests and culminated with them too, almost as if this year itself was resisted. Another spark and outrage for change took place in the USA. The police brutality that led to the killing of George Floyd gave rise to processions and demonstrations, and the BlacklivesMatter movement gave the world a symbol of unity in dark times. Remember the bushfires that erupted in Australia, that killed 33 people and thousands of animals? Yes, that occurred in 2020 too. It was labelled as one of the world's worst weather disasters, fuelled by climate change. The Beirut explosion was yet another event that managed to rattle 2020.

In India, a 4 hour notice to a nationwide lockdown in March brought on unemployment, economy failure, and more than anything, panic. It also triggered the mass movement of migrant workers off on foot, as they attempted to return home with little to no resources. Health updates soon crowded our phones, as people scrambled ( while social distancing ) to get used to a virus that had the potential to kill. The thought of leaving the house became uncharted territory, and as the rest of the world, we began counting the cases and sighing at the death toll.

The main theme however, of 2020 for India was undoubtedly, intolerance. From a beautiful Tanishq ad about religious unity that was trolled to an extent that it was removed, to a 'Love Jihad' law, numerous other examples too made us scoff at India's "unity in diversity" tag. Oh, and gender inequality? 2020 served it to us in plenty of doses. When the death of a beloved actor caused much outrage in the country, the public labelled his former girlfriend as the murderer, and the disgusting vilification of a woman became prime time entertainment for Indians. In Hathras, a heart - wrenching rape case unveiled India's brooding caste problem, other than it being a gross violation of a woman's rights. The lockdown brought on another pandemic - as domestic violence against women rose immensely in India and abroad.

As COVID - 19 took so many lives, we lost some prominent personalities as well. From Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Kobe Bryant, from Irrfan Khan to Rishi Kapoor and even the legend, Diego Maradona, 2020 had another aspect that we desperately wish to forget.

Today, there are lakhs of farmers in Delhi, protesting against the farm laws that serve an ultimatum on their livelihood. Somehow, instead of seeing protestors as a symbol of change, we have labelled them either jihadis, khalistanis or in totality, anti-nationalists. As we bid 2020 goodbye, it's also hard to ignore that 50 journalists were killed across the globe this year, and in India alone, many were arrested and detained, for doing their job.

As we collectively sigh at the year that was, there were, believe it or not, positives to look back at this year. As Kamala Harris was elected as America's first female vice - president, we saw women taking the forefront in the fight against COVID - 19. Jacinda Ardern, Angela Markel and Sanna Marin were examples of excellent responses to the virus, a gleam of hope for women in the workforce. Carbon emissions came down remarkably due to lockdown situations as well. It was a landmark year for the LQBTQ community as a lot many countries legalised gay marriages, including Northern Ireland, Costa Rica and Taiwan. The US Supreme Court also ruled that no person could be fired for being gay or transgender.

Other than all of this, 2020 taught us the importance of healthcare workers, the police force, rag pickers, cleaners - Everybody who sought to make a difference in our lives. We grew closer to the ones that matter, mental health took priority, and we learnt that our lives and those of others around us were an invaluable gift to cherish. With the sword of the pandemic still hanging over our heads, maybe it's these things that matter in the end, don't they?

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