Dr. Saumitra Mohan, IAS

 

 Driving Sustainable Growth in the Logistics Sector

*Dr. Saumitra Mohan

West Bengal is a state uniquely positioned because of its offering many advantages critical to the logistics sector. It is the sixth-largest economy in India, with a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹17 lakh crore. Growing at an impressive annual rate of 15.24%, West Bengal is one of the fastest growing states in the country. With an estimated population of over 100 million, the state represents both a massive consumption base and an ever-growing industrial hub.

What truly sets West Bengal apart, however, is its strategic geographic advantage. Positioned as the gateway to India’s Northeast and land-locked neighbors like Bhutan and Nepal, it also acts as India’s vital conduit to Southeast Asia. This strategic geographic significance makes West Bengal the ideal destination for investments in the logistics sector.

The state’s logistics sector is poised for an exponential growth, with the current market size estimated at USD 20 billion. Our key infrastructures includes strategically-located seaports in the form of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (erstwhile Kolkata Port Trust) and Haldia Dock Complex. Together, they serve as major gateways for cargo, offering robust multi-modal connectivity. Together, these ports handle over 65 million metric tons of cargo annually. The proposed Tajpur Deep-Sea Port is likely to be a game-changer that will accommodate large vessels and significantly reduce logistics costs.

Extensive inland waterways provide immense opportunities for development of tourism, passenger and cargo services. With 4,593 kilometers of navigable waterways, including the National Waterway-1 and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, we are fostering greener and more efficient cargo transport systems. These waterways link us not only to Northeast India, but also to Southeast Asia and beyond, providing a cost-effective alternative to road and rail.

Under the West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project, the state is exploring ways and means to operationalise the RoRo (Roll-on, Roll-off) service on NW-1, especially in and around the Kolkata metropolitan area. The initiative, if successful, is likely to reduce travel time for cargo and passenger movement while also significantly reduce the carbon footprints as a result of vehicles having to travel lesser distance. The state has already operationalised RoRo and RoPax services in the Sundarbans and Gangasagar areas. There are many private players who are also bracing to introduce RoRo services along the NW-1, not to speak of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) similarly conducting studies to this effect.

Better air connectivity is an advantage that drives the logistics sector in the state. Kolkata Airport, the largest freight facility in eastern India, is a critical hub for high-value and perishable goods. Recent enhancements, such as express courier terminals and the Centre for Perishable Cargo, strengthen its capabilities. The airports at Andal, Bagdogra and Cochbehar add to the available options and could be further leveraged for seamless logistics movement across the state using its airways. The state is further exploring the possibilities at such other locations as Malda, Balurghat, Charra (Purulia), Kalaikunda and Hasimara.

West Bengal’s extensive road and rail network is yet another infrastructural advantage that catalyses the logistics sector. Our road network spans over 100,000 kilometers, with 33 national highways connecting the state to the neighboring regions. Additionally, 1,409 kilometers of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor run through West Bengal, connecting Dankuni to Uttar Pradesh and beyond. This must be leveraged to the advantage of smooth cargo movement from West Bengal to the other states.

Extensive warehousing facilities including better inventory management practices and cold chain networks, as existing in the state, provide the enabling springboard for the sector. It is notable that West Bengal leads eastern India in warehousing capacity, with hubs like Dankuni and NH-16 witnessing a surge in demand. Modern facilities cater to sectors like e-commerce, FMCG and pharmaceuticals, meeting the needs of a fast-evolving market.

Now, what makes West Bengal a preferred destination for logistics investment? These three core drivers include a conducive industrial ecosystem, well-endowed economic corridors and and strategic geographic location. West Bengal is home to a thriving industrial base, from MSMEs to large-scale enterprises. The state’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector boasts over 42 lakh units, contributing 7.2% to India’s total MSMEs. Our industrial clusters span sectors like textiles, leather, chemicals, and hi-tech electronics, driving demand for logistics services.

The state serves as the terminus for several mega-corridors, including the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor and the East Coast Economic Corridor. These corridors promise seamless connectivity to global value chains and open doors for exports and imports, enhancing the state’s logistics ecosystem. West Bengal’s connectivity with Southeast Asia through projects like the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and the Trilateral Highway (India-Myanmar-Thailand) positions us as a strategic partner for India’s integration into global value chains.

The Government of West Bengal is committed to creating an investor-friendly environment. The West Bengal Logistics Policy, 2023 embodies this vision. Some of the key features include industry status to the logistics sector, development of multi-modal logistics parks and freight villages, dedicated land banks for logistics infrastructure, streamlined approvals through an integrated single-window system, development of green logistics and the adoption of digital technologies and the existence of the West Bengal Logistics Centre of Excellence for fostering innovation and skill development.

Additionally, initiatives like the West Bengal Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme, as conceived and stewarded by the Department of Technical Education, Training and Skill Development, are ensuring a ready-made pool of skilled workforce tailored to the sector’s needs. Premier institutions such as IIT Kharagpur and IIM Calcutta complement this effort by nurturing managerial talent and innovation. Industries and businesses are availing the opportunity for sector-specific customized capacity building of human resources as required for spurring the economic and commercial activities in repective sector.

As global supply chains shift toward greener practices, West Bengal is leading the charge with initiatives in green logistics. From leveraging inland waterways to reduce carbon footprints to integrating renewable energy in logistics parks, sustainability is at the heart of our strategy. Furthermore, the “Blue Economy”—focusing on fisheries, maritime tourism, and coastal trade—is further set to unlock significant opportunities.

The rise of e-commerce has also transformed logistics. Companies like Amazon and Flipkart are investing heavily in the state, creating a ripple effect in warehousing and last-mile delivery solutions. Quick commerce, driven by demand for shorter-delivery times, is further fueling the need for modern infrastructure and technological innovation.

West Bengal’s logistics story is one of opportunity and transformation. The state’s strategic location, growing industrial base, skilled workforce, and investor-friendly policies make it the ideal destination for those looking to make impactful investments. From infrastructure development to operational innovation, the opportunities here are vast and varied.

Whether it is developing multi-modal logistics parks, investing in cold chain solutions, or pioneering green logistics practices, West Bengal offers a platform for sustainable and profitable ventures. Leveraging all these advantages, the State has already created a logistics ecosystem that not only powers economic growth, but also enhances the quality of life for millions.West Bengal’s strong infrastructures, ingenuous policies, facilitatory ecosystem and a strong commitment provide the enabling ambience for everyone to be part of this fascinating growth story.

 Developing Inland Waterway Ecosystem in West Bengal

*Dr. Saumitra Mohan

Being a state with a great network of rivers and expansive water bodies, West Bengal boasts of one of the longest navigable waterway networks in the country, with approximately 4,593 kilometers of rivers and canals, of which 97% are navigable. This rich network of waterways—anchored by rivers like the Ganges, and their tributaries including Damodar, Bhagirathi,and Hooghly —has historically played a pivotal role in trade, connectivity, and regional development.

As we move forward, our inland waterway ecosystem is not only helping us strengthen West Bengal’s economy, but is also contributing significantly to India's sustainable development goals. In recent times, major strides have been made in the public and private sector in transforming the inland water scenario in the state.

West Bengal’s waterways present an immense opportunity for economic and environmental progress. Be it strengthening and intensifying regional connectivity, promoting transformative solutions driving sustainable growth in the sector, encouraging tourism or opening avenues for livelihoods, inland waterways in West Bengal is increasingly becoming one of the major drivers of regional economic growth.

West Bengal’s strategic location places it at the gateway to the Northeast, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, making it a vital hub for the sub-regional trade. Our waterways, such as National Waterway-1 and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, facilitate seamless cargo movement from Kolkata to the Northeast and beyond. Projects like the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project are unlocking alternative trade routes to Southeast Asia. Such projects are not just logistical breakthroughs, but also a testament to how inland waterways can bridge geographies, create new trade corridors and change lives. 

Inland waterways, as we know, are one of the most environmentally-sustainable modes of transport. They emit 25% to 60% less CO2 per tonne-kilometer than road or rail. Initiatives aimed at encouraging electric ferry services and cargo vessels harmonize the priorities of economic growth with the imperatives of environment protection. The fact that the cost of transporting cargo via waterways is significantly lower, makes it an economically-commercially-viable alternative for businesses. For instance, transporting one tonne of cargo over one kilometer costs ₹1.36 via water, compared to ₹2.50 by rail and ₹3.50 by road. This is why, there is a push across the country to leverage these advantages. Recntly, scheduled services of cargo vessels were started from Kolkata to Patna, Varanasi and Pandu in Assam.

Beyond cargo and passenger movement, our waterways provide huge opportunities for tourism. West Bengal’s rich history, as visible from the magnificent monuments lining its riparian coasts, has always attracted tourists from across the world. The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds immense potential for eco-tourism and cultural tourism. Leveraging inland waterways for tourism can create jobs, foster local entrepreneurship and promote West Bengal’s vibrant cultural heritage. 

It is this allure of experiencing history on mystic Ganges that agencies like Antara Cruises, Eastern Navigation, Vivada and many more have been capitalizing on, thereby also creating huge multiplier effects in the process, not to speak of creating hundreds of thousands of employment for the people in the state. West Bengal’s river tourism circuits, like the Ramakrishna-Sarada-Vivekananda circuit, Sundarbans and routes along the Hooghly River, offer enormous potential for investors in cruise tourism and hospitality. Private cruise operators are already leveraging these advantages, and the sector is ready for a quantum growth. It is not without reason that world’s longest river cruise ‘Ganga Vilaas’ is operated from Kolkata with many more such ventures being on the cards. The State Government, during the latest edition of Bengal Global Business Summit, received a proposal for a private sector investment of Rs 800 crores from Antara Cruises for further deepening and promoting cruise tourism in the state. A conservative estimation suggests an expected investment (both private and public) of over 3000 crores rupees in inland waterways which is already underway.

West Bengal offers a robust foundation by way of its strong infrastructures to strengthen the inland waterways ecosystem. West Bengal has built and renovated 231 jetties across the state. The upcoming Tajpur deep-sea port and Kolkata’s inland port terminals are key infrastructural assets that could catalyze trade and logistics in West Bengal. The state is already visualizing ways to equip them with modern facilities such as passenger terminals, drinking water, public conveniences, CCTV surveillance, smart gate and ticketing systems, a strong search and rescue architecture, safety and security of passengers and cargo, conception of a refuelling jetty, Roll-on Roll-off services and urban upgradation around the jetties.

The West Bengal Transport Department has been collaborating with different institutions to develop skill upgradation programmes and modules in maritime engineering, logistics, and sustainability. The state is also investing in IT modernization to enhance vessel management, navigation safety, and customer engagement. The details of training and capacity building of the human resources through reputed institutions like National Inland Navigation Institute, Jadavpur University, IIEST, Shibpur and IIT, Kharagpur are also being worked out.

To ensure greener and more efficient transport, West Bengal has already placed orders with the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for procuring more and more hybrid-electric vessels under its West Bengal Inland Water Transport Logistics and Spatial Development Project (WBIWTLSDP). The state’s passenger vessel fleet, as operated by the West Bengal Transport Corporation, now includes advanced Ro-Ro vessels and fully electric ferries like "DHEU," a first-of-its kind zero-emission vessel that has set a new standard for sustainable inland water transport.

West Bengal has its eyes set on multi-modal integration of different modes of transportation, linking waterways to railways, highways and airways. This holistic approach is a cinch to not only help reduce congestion on roads, but also improve last-mile connectivity, boosting regional trade and tourism. Better coordination among all the stakeholders including policy makers and private entrepreneurs could bring in cascading benefits for the state’s economy.

As we envision a future shaped by efficient, sustainable inland waterways, there is a need to build wide-ranging partnerships for better outcomes, leveraging the comparative commercial advantages of the inland waterway sector. It is here that different stakeholders including the entrepreneurs need to come forward to collaborate on investible projects, including the development of smart jetties, Ro-Ro services, and battery-operated electric ferry systems.

The West Bengal Maritime Board Act and the West Bengal Logistics Policy, 2023 have created an investor-friendly framework, providing fiscal incentives, land banks and single-window clearance mechanisms. The single-window clearance for investment proposals through the ‘Shilpa Saathi’ portal makes investment in the state further attractive.

However, the challenge lies in leveraging these strategic advantages that might drive sustainable growth in developing inland waterway ecosystem in the state. The future of West Bengal’s inland waterways is bright and transformative. By investing in this sector, one not only unlocks the humongous business opportunities in the sector, but also contributes to a greener and more sustainable tomorrow. 

With right policy mixes and suitable interventions, West Bengal also has the potential to become the logistics and connectivity hub in South and Southeast Asia. This will not only enhance the quality of life for millions through better connectivity, reduced emissions, and new economic opportunities, but also build an inland waterway ecosystem that is not only efficient and sustainable, but also inclusive and forward-looking. 

 

 

Humans are Images of Gods: We Better Behave Ourselves

*Saumitra Mohan

            Amid the all-round pessimism, distrust and cynicism in the time of Covid-19 pandemic, there are many other things around us which are motivating and inspire confidence. The pandemic has given an opportunity to people to appreciate and admire the beautiful nature or pay attention to our relationships, something for which we seldom find time. Most of us not only fail to notice, appreciate and protect the magnificence and munificence of nature, but often we were an active agent of its destruction.  

The craze for continual development and economic growth has seen incremental annihilation of natural glory and beauty. With the economic activities and developmental works significantly reduced due to pandemic, it gave nature an opportunity to reboot itself. The human relations and creativity which had got hugely attenuated in a highly-individualistic world got revived and resuscitated though some stray negativities like domestic violence have also been reported.

The way things panned out and stood, it appeared as if the Almighty wanted us to modify our modus vivendi. With such virusogenic or bacteriogenic phenomena continue happening in future, we definitely can’t keep ourselves under lock and key all the time. So, it is imperative that we rediscover newer ways to engage in different quotidian human activities required for our survival. Be they our day-to-day socio-economic activities or edu-cultural activities.

The pandemic has proved beyond doubt that physical human presence is not required for a good number of human activities. Many activities could be carried out from home or by machines. So, with modus operandi changing, the humans might be left with a lot of free time to attend to his/her creative muses to nurture his/her sundry talents, something many of us have forgotten to do. If Hindu philosophy is to be believed, we take birth to improve our soul consciousness to move up the spiritual ladder. Pandemic or no pandemic, we must find time to engage in activities to evolve spiritually.  

As Marxism or many other philosophies point out, daily routine work done without passion, involvement or motivation always results in alienation, thereby giving birth to a slew of psycho-social problems. This is reflected in the many perversities and monstrosities all around us in the forms of different kinds of crimes against humanity. This can shape up as cultural chauvinism, religious radicalism, global terrorism, ecological destruction, regional extremism, linguistic jingoism, increased crimes et al.

As an intelligent species, we need to take time out from our day-to-day life to pause and ponder, notice and appreciate the natural and divine bounties in its glories all around us. As human beings, we are often megalomaniacally full of ourselves. We are much seized with the mundane preoccupations and so obsessed with the ephemeral temporal goodies of life that we mostly fail to ruminate over the purpose of a human life. Failing to appreciate the inevitability of continual destruction and renewal of anything and everything around us, we remain engrossed in mundane inanities of carnal pleasures.

We not only need to discover the real purpose behind our arrival in this world. We can’t be taking birth only to eat, drink and make merry and go back into obscurities with our death. All natural phenomena including the existence of innumerable living beings are nothing but different reflections of divine intelligence and creativity. All forms and creatures are nothing but different avenues of expressions of divine creativity. We are a means to his larger plans for gradual unfolding of his creative consciousness.

As humans, many of us are very creative, very beautiful, very talented, very ingenuous and very constructive. And so our different sub-human creatures and animals. Some of our fellow human beings are so constructive and creative that we often feel and see a divine touch in them. The same is reflective in effusive compliments and deification that such people receive. Such people are said to be endowed with the divine blessings or are believed to be an image of the reigning deity of that particular talent.

That is why, in Hindu, Roman, Greek, Scandinavian or Egyptian mythologies, we have so many Gods representing different activities. All these divine supernatural beings are said to be controlling and blessings different creative activities on earth or elsewhere. A very good scholar is said to be blessed by Goddess Saraswati in Indian mythology or Goddess Minerva in Roman mythology. Similarly, a very beautiful person is said to be blessed by Goddess Aphrodite or Venus in Greek or Roman mythology respectively. A very courageous or brave person in India is supposed to be blessed by Lord Hanumana or Lord Vayu.

So, if someone is very good-looking and beautiful, a big singer, an excellent dancer, an adroit artist, a famous scientist, a prolific writer, a successful administrator, an inspiring spiritualist, a great scholar, a thought-provoking philosopher or a stupendous sportsperson, s/he is nothing but the reflection of divine grace. Which person does what or excels in which activity depends on the inclinations and talents honed by him/her in previous births? That’s why, siblings born to same parents in same environment display different talents or aptitudes.

The person, as an executor or performer of that activity displaying a niche talent, is nothing but a repository or a carrier of the divine grace or blessing in that particular field. So, while we have some talents or creative skills, we should be thankful to the Almighty for choosing us for expressing that particular talent on His behalf. We might be the medium to express it, still it’s not ours otherwise we shall continue in this world as the reigning deity of that talent. But we are only one of the media for the expression of this talent.

A Sachin Tendulkar’s greatness achieved in cricket becomes a beacon for the future cricketers to get inspired and take cricketing talent to newer heights where Tendulkar left. Many theories and theses in science and philosophies have been further taken forward and improved upon by next generations. So, if some of us get conceited by our successes in one or the other field, thinking that we are greatly talented and have achieved this feat by dint of our sole efforts, we are mistaken. We are a trustee of that talent on behalf of the Almighty.

As such, all of us are nothing but infinite mini-Gods walking through the lengths and breadths of this world. However, as Almighty does not come forward to claim his ownership or authorship of different expressions of his creation, we should also remain every humble in our successes. We must be grateful to the Almighty for entrusting us with the divine responsibility to express his glory in a particular field. This is mistaken to be high-headed, snooty or haughty conceiving and perceiving ourselves to be great in one or the other field.

This is because if this were our achievement, the credit should solely belong to us and we should exist permanently to savour the fruits of our labour and achievements. But the same does not happen. As all of us come and go on the proverbial carnal stage to play our cameo and depart the scene. Even though some achievements and contributions may be identified with one or the other person for a long time to come, still we cease to exist as a person to savour the fruits of our labour.

We materialise in this world and take up an assignment as per our intrinsic inclination or predestination. We create, discover, invent, enrich or improve an activity, a product, a piece of art or a field of knowledge. So, Newton, Tesla, Edison, Einstein or many other scientists and inventors may have contributed hugely to the onward march of human civilisation, but they themselves did not last to savour the encomiums or compliments coming because of their contributions.

They, however, did go back to the ethereal world with the satisfaction of accomplishing their work efficiently with elan and panache. In the process, they also hone certain skills and learn some aptitudes which create a foundational template for their future births. Their sterling contributions to the secular march of human epistemology become an inalienable part of the eclectic and universal human treasure, thereby permanently enriching the eternal consciousness whom we call by various names as ‘God’, ‘Almighty’ or ‘Supreme Being’.

God’s glory is reflected via a human or non-human medium in any and every department of our existence, animate or inanimate. All the living or non-living phenomena of this world, being different combinations or permutations of energy in motion, have elevated consciousness of different degrees. It is from the most basic to the most elevated level of consciousness. Different levels of energy or consciousness take different shapes, as per a predestined divine design, to reflect the multisplendoured glories of the Supreme Being. We form, deform and reform at regular intervals to express one or the other talent endowed by the Almighty.

There is nothing in this world which does not decay or degrade. Nothing lasts forever. Everything which comes into existence is here momentarily and has got to go after pleasing our senses for a while through its insignificant yet important role. The lofty mountains, the beautiful flowers, the verdant forests, the rich natural resources, the flowing rivers, the humongous oceans and the mindboggling genetic diversities which please us are nothing but multifarious reflections of His eternal intelligence and glory.

While anthropogenic phenomena keep evolving through time, the divine phenomena hardly change. We do keep improving upon a model of a car, a mobile phone or a computer software, but the divine creations including humans have continued with the same designs for aeons together. Often, many of us do get doubtful, thinking about the need, relevance or justification for worshiping an unheard or unseen Almighty. A good number of us find it to be nothing but a waste of our time and resources.

This is really oxymoronic. We see the divine presence everywhere, still we question His ontology. Why don’t we ask this question to ourselves as to what is the source or who is the creator of this humongous cosmos? When we see ourselves or when we appreciate the beauty of nature, we must try to trace its origin. His signature is all over, still we question His existence. He is beyond our senses because we still have not developed those capabilities to deserve a glimpse of Him. If we find it so difficult to find an appointment with a senior officer, a minister, a chief minister, prime minister or president of a country, how difficult it must be to find an appointment with the person who created, owns and runs this cosmos.

The causal theory says that nothing in this world exists without a justification and everything has its relevance. The God is said to have created this world to explore and examine His own capacities and to stretch them further to see His creativity and intelligence in motion through this Maya or worldly drama. Our doubts or scruples behind the necessity to worship an amorphous God is not without reason. But just think who are we worshiping. The worship and our prayers focusing our attention on the deemed Supreme Creator of this humongous cosmos are nothing but a way to show our gratitude to the Almighty.

The size of the cosmos or creation knows no bounds and so do different mind-boggling and limitless natural phenomena. All of us who are here are nothing but a tiny speck in this vast cosmos. We, the bustling multiverses and the infinite world of nature, together form an overarching consciousness. It is this consciousness we worship just to remind ourselves of our smallness or insignificance. Once we contrast our existence vis-à-vis the humongous cosmos, we feel ourselves to be so humble.

This makes us feel grateful to be part of the God’s creation as His chosen ones to the exception of many million other creatures. This reminds and motivates us towards yet unfinished tasks of further enriching this overarching consciousness to stretch God’s glory to other nooks and crannies of this cosmos. So, while continue to live our day-to-day life, we should always remember the insignificant and transient nature of our existence in this world. We must be mindful that our individuality on earth or anywhere in the creation is nothing, but a myth.

As an autonomous individual being, animate or inanimate, we were not there yesterday and shall not be there tomorrow. However, we were always there in the past and shall always be there in future as an integral part of the eternal overarching consciousness and as a reflection and carrier of divine glories. We shall never be able to associate our own achievements in earlier avatars during a future avatar. The same shall always appear as an act of different individual, as a part of universal achievement or consciousness to inspire us into better performance and achievements in our present avatars.

As all our achievements together constitute a universal consciousness, this is what we worship to remind ourselves of our insignificance and irrelevance as a physical entity in this world. We should always remember that we are more of a spiritual entity than a physical entity. And as such, we should not be running or chasing the mundane and temporal goodies of life beyond a point.

After all, life, not death, is the truth and as such we should continue engaging ourselves in the enrichment and glorification of the Supreme Being of which we are an extension and an inseparable part. As such, we are all mini-Gods, destined to be ever-engaged in the game of divine musical chair as a participant in His grand project to further stretch the limits of human knowledge while also expanding the avenues for expression of His glories.

When we worship God, we are worshiping ourselves When we respect another fellow human or natural being, we are worshiping ourselves because we are all different parts of the same grand whole. After we finish our tasks, we go back to merge with the same common or eternal consciousness of which we are all an extension or reflection. So, let’s continue engaging ourselves in the Grand Project of stretching human knowledge and divine glory which are one and the same thing.

 

 

 

Covid-19 Pandemic: We Must Change Our Food Habits and Lifestyle

*Saumitra Mohan

The world has undergone humongous changes since March 11, 2020 when Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. While the pandemic continues to rage today in its different avatars, its newer strains and mutants are being reported at regular intervals from different corners of the world. The humanity has accordingly been trying to discover suitable modus vivendi and modus operandi to live with this lethal virus.

From the First Wave to the Second Wave and on way to a purportedly incoming Third Wave of Covid pandemic, the world has often found itself at sea trying to find a way to tackle and control an intractable virus which has continuously been mutating. While medical science and health administrators have their shoulders continuously to the wheel to bring about a creditable regime for its surveillance, tracking, testing and treatment, there still remains a lot which needs to be done before the humanity can be said to be safe from this chimeral virus.

Some of us who have been involved and associated with sundry aspects of Covid management since the beginning, we definitely know how we were often at our wits end trying to deal with Covid-19 while very less was known about the disease and its treatment protocols were still evolving. We had learnt words like ‘Quarantine’ only lexicographically or had read about the phenomenon sketchily at different periods of history when humanity was called upon to deal with pestilences like plague and Spanish Flu. However, none of us knew how to actually effect or put the same in place.

‘Quarantine’ was such a reviled and dreaded word in the beginning of Covid that most would shudder to ever think of going inside an established ‘Quarantine Centre’ or even to allow it coming up somewhere in the vicinity of our neighbourhood. People resisting the drive to set up such ‘Quarantine Centres’, ‘Isolation Centres’ or ‘Dedicated Covid Facilities’ ranged from the most unenlightened and uninformed in the slums to the most educated and well-placed people, thinking that setting up of such a facility would somehow jeopardise their life or that of their near and dear ones. Our persuasions mostly succeeded, but fell through in stray cases.

As such, it was a real herculean task to find and convince people to work and serve inside such Covid facilities notwithstanding the promise of provisioning them with all necessary personal protection equipment (PPEs) and higher wages. The Covid protocols for disposal of bio-medical waste (BMWs) have been so rigorous that it was a huge challenge to find ways to dispose the massive BMWs which were being generated or to ensure proper sanitation services in the Covid facilities. Often, they needed to be led by example to convince them to serve the Covid patients in a Covid facility under due precautions.

Same was the experience when the health administrators were grappling with the need to ramp up health infrastructures across the length and breadth of this country. This was no mean task as creating newer hospital beds or CCU/HDU facilities required and involved emergent civil works or procurement of equipment, logistics or hiring of qualified human resources. At the fastest of speed, the facility creation still required some gestation time. But Governments and administrations always found ways to relax rules and norms to expedite such works.

While there were many regular hospitals which were converted into dedicated Covid facilities, there were many greenfield facilities which were set up to provide treatment against a disease which was still unknown and where the suggested line of treatment was still evolving. There was often some resistance from within and without the medical fraternity for converting a regular facility for Covid treatment on one or the other pretext. Still, the spirit of humanity triumphed as predominant majority in every instance was positively forthcoming to go the extra mile for saving and safeguarding the lives of fellow human beings.

While the same was successfully being clinched and put in place, nosocomial services did suffer in some parts of the country in the beginning. This happened because of intrinsic fears of contracting the disease or losing one’s life. Non-Covid health services across the world have been a huge casualty as a consequence of Covid-19 getting disproportionate attention. It is suggested that umpteen non-Covid surgeries have been postponed for fear of an unknown virus.

Studies suggest that a good number of people lost their lives in many countries because of non-availability of timely medical attention while the world has been fixated with Covid management. India as a country has seen unprecedented coordination and cooperation from across the sectors and governmental structures with a dominant section of its medical fraternity and health administrators coming together to provide for the much-needed infrastructures and services at a short notice.

Notwithstanding the financial, logistical and infrastructural constraints, the country saw innovative and creative responses to deal with different aspects of Covid management including transportation, quarantining, testing and treatment of the tens of thousands of migrant workers who returned to different states from across the country. The non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, corporate houses and groups of citizens under suitable guidance from the Government have come forward to put together infrastructures and other requisite logistics including community isolation centres and oxygen parlours by pooling their resources for a better Covid management.

Different e-Governance initiatives, technological interventions, customised call centres for different health-related and telemedicine services have definitely gone a long way in providing the much-needed medical and psychological counselling to the teeming millions who either could not come to the health centres or who were anxious to clarify their Covid-related apprehensions. This not only reduced pressure on our health facilities, but also ensured efficient and optimal use of available human resources.

In fact, the occasional Covid bed scarcity which was experienced in certain parts of the country was often not because of the actual dearth of bed, but because of the unnecessary occupation of hospital beds including CCUs/HDUs due to the morbid fear of the well-heeled asymptomatic and mild patients. Such patients never needed hospitalisation and could have very well stayed home, but ended up occupying hospital beds due to their panic.

The scarcity also arose because some of the vested interests (read vultures who feed and flourish on the dead) started dealing in these beds and were known to indulge in black-marketing such private and public hospital beds. Many such unscrupulous elements have fattened and battened through certain unethical and unholy practices during the pandemic.

The world has also seen unparalleled international cooperation in forging a common response to tackle Covid-19 while there have been countries who have tried to fish in troubled waters to establish their hegemony in the international pecking order. India, on its part, has tried its best to reach out to the weaker members of the Comity of Nations to provide them succour including vaccines and necessary drugs to deal with the virus while also receiving reciprocal assistance from many countries during its time of need. Some critics, however, have panned the Indian approach and questioned the wisdom to share life-saving medical supplies including vaccines when the same were needed at home.

So, by the time the world was faced with the Second Wave of Covid-19 with newer and more contagious variants surfacing, we were relatively better prepared to respond to the virus with many effective vaccines having been discovered to tame the virus. While the pace of vaccination and the quality of Covid-19 response in some parts of the country leave much to be desired, still the disease definitely has brought the best in many of us.

West Bengal, as a state, has been at the vanguard of Covid fight with a much well-placed infrastructure and system for Covid management, thereby having least of dislocations while providing suitable healthcare services to its population. This is despite the occurrence of two super-cyclones in the state since the onset of Covid-19. Those of us who have been at the forefront of Covid management in West Bengal have known how tough, bumpy and roller-coaster has been the ride.

During the First Wave, the Health Department officials in West Bengal, possibly like many other parts of the country, worked for an average of 12-14 hours a day (14-16 hours a day on several occasions) for the first eight months without any kind of leave, weekend or otherwise. And while we just appeared to be past the worst and had started focusing on picking up the tousled skein of non-Covid services, Second Wave of Covid-19 struck with a vengeance.

However, as West Bengal was one of the best Indian provinces in terms of Covid management during the First Wave, the lessons and experiences learnt during the previous surge came handy and we have, under due hand-holding from the Government, ensured that citizens in this part of the country don’t face any problem with respect to Covid treatment or other services without compromising the regular non-Covid services.

While can definitely keep on strengthening and reinforcing our health infrastructures and related services including vaccination, the experience also suggests that the disease has behaved very mysteriously and is still not amenable to complete comprehension of the medical savants and experts. Notwithstanding all the precautions and discretions of complying with the Covid-appropriate behaviour including social distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, people continue falling sick or losing life across the world.

There have been many instances of such people contracting Covid and losing life who were at the best of their cautious Covid-appropriate behaviour, who never stepped out of their home but still got infected, who were identified early and provided the best of treatment. While the First Wave saw higher fatality rate, Second Wave fatality has been much less compared to the number of infections though in absolute terms it has claimed many more lives.

While First Wave sickness and deaths were few and far between, Second Wave has brought the pestilence and mortality closer to us, with most of us losing many near and dear ones. In fact, many of them include some big names who lost their lives despite getting best of treatment. This has happened because of the scale of the contagion during the Second Wave. It is here when we feel helpless in front of the forces of nature and mysterious ways of Almighty’s invisible hand.

Still, the pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in human beings since its first outbreak in Wuhan towards the end of 2019. There have been sick and nauseating human behaviour on display during the pandemic. This includes son killing his father for not wearing a mask, neighbours fighting over non-compliance with Covid-appropriate behaviour by some, neighbours forcing the infected neighbours out of community and beyond neighbourhood after the latter contracted the disease, parents abandoning their Covid-infected children or the children abandoning their Covid-infected parents or the relatives refusing to take back their kin even after they recovered from Covid.

Stories of Covid orphans after they lost both their parents or all their relatives or families being devastated after they lost their bread-earning members have generated enough pathos among the Government and the larger society to come up with different ways to extend institutional and societal helping hand for helping them pick up and rebuild their lives. This is definitely the worst of time that the humanity may be undergoing, still it is definitely the time to show our character as to why are we different from other species of Mother Nature. The Homo Sapiens need to prove why it is the best creation of the Almighty.

The nemesis that is Covid-19 and all the human and humane efforts to tackle it notwithstanding, the truth remains that we humans are definitely helpless before nature. No health system or administration could deal with a pandemic when it strikes at such a gargantuan scale. Covid-19 has shown for sure that it is not the dichotomy of ‘developed’ and ‘developing’, ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ or availability of better resources, but how good has been the planning and its execution by those at the helm of affairs.

That’s why, many supposedly better-endowed countries have fallen through while the smaller, well-administered countries have fared better. India, for one, has definitely done reasonably better than many other States around the world, given the multifarious constraints it has been faced with. After all, the morbidity and mortality rate of Indians per million have been much less than what has been seen and reported in the First World developed countries.

All said and done, one would also like to submit what has also been pointed out by many others. On a philosophical note, it does appear that God has been adumbrating at the prodigal ways in which humans have been splurging natural resources while also meddling and messing with earth’s climate. It does appear that God has decided to reboot its system to auto-heal the system and bring about a homeostatic balance. So, all the while we were locking down the human activities in our bid to stop the onward march of an unrelenting virus, the nature was seemingly flourishing.

With the downscaled and downgraded human activities, less supplies were needed forcing the factories to be closed down thereby further putting a pause to the exploitation of natural resources including cutting of jungles. With the global per capita income coming down as a result of the pandemic, overall demand also came down and, thus, came down the popular fixation with development. We definitely need to reduce our needs which stress nature and its resources.

One year of Covid has taught us many things including the fact that our day-to-day life could be a lot less complex than we have made it out or that we can very well work from home without compromising the overall productivity or the rediscovery of human relations, tearing our attention away from the artificial world of gadgets and mobile phones or the fact that how artificial were many of our needs as had appeared indispensable during the pre-Covid world.

While we continue to brace ourselves for the Third Wave of Covid or any such thing in future, we also need to pause and think of the advisability and sustainability of measures like ‘lockdowns’ for dealing with such a crisis. Many observers feel that we can’t keep on locking down the system for dealing with future barrage of viruses which will keep happening or we also can’t continue resorting to social distancing as human existence would become meaningless without societal interactions. They recommend the need to find better ways and responses to deal with any such future events including putting in place a stronger system of social security.

As global problems warrant global responses, it is more than warranted that we come together to frame a joint response without being parochially protectionist or self-centred. Our focus should also move away from treatment to prevention of the disease. As such, we definitely need to change our life style and modify our food habits without which we shall remain ever vulnerable to the onslaughts of such viruses in future.

We need to find ingenious ways to repair and rebuild our earth and its ecosystem, while purposely inculcating a healthy and nature-friendly life style. Unless and until we appreciate this, we shall continue to feel helpless against an unseen enemy like Covid-19 virus which will continue mutating and presenting itself in newer forms.

 

                                          

The Brave New World of Future

                                                                                                *Saumitra Mohan

            When people of different hues and denominations are participating in diverse kinds of protest movements all across the globe for the deemed and purported onslaughts on human rights and freedoms, the world around us has been changing stealthily without most of us ever realizing the same. While it was an intense Darwinian ‘Survival of the Fittest’ struggle which saw the victory and ascendancy of the Homo sapiens in the past, it would be another Darwinian battle which may soon see the obsolescence of most of the humans to an elite epistemic human species and technologically much advanced non-organic intelligence.

            In the slightly over four billion old history of the Homo sapiens, we have come a long way from the days of total dependence on the mercy of divinity and forces of nature to a huge suspicion in the very existence of a God or divine power. Today, most of the rational and scientifically-enlightened humans deeply distrust and dispute the existence of any supernatural being called ‘God’. While earlier all of us would look skyward for divine graces and blessings for protecting us against any natural or man-made catastrophes, war or health hazards, today’s humans can handle the same mostly on their own without looking for any divine interventions.

            We have usually lived and still live in a world where human beings are valued for their intrinsic value and uniqueness. The humans have been useful as workers, soldiers, doctors, engineers, bankers, drivers, clerks, travel agents and what not. We cannot imagine the human society without different classes of human beings with differentiated capabilities and qualities playing their chosen roles in the economy and making their valuable contribution to further enrich the human life and its varied experiences. However, the same shall soon be a thing of the past.

            The future scientific and technological developments may soon make the humans economically and militarily superfluous. The humans could very well be dispensed with in times to come. At least, that is what it seems like. With newer and better technologies coming to the fore, the humans are slowly and gradually being put out of business. While it is true that humans still hold the sway and are the most dominant species on the planet, they may soon lose the race to the new-age technologies and scientific inventions if they don’t keep pace with the time.

            The world of morrow shall have no space for the unskilled, semi-skilled or uni-skilled humans doing such routine and mundane stuffs which could be easily replaced by the machines. In fact, a huge amount of works and activities today is already mediated through science and technologies. We just can’t imagine a life without a tool of science or a gadget. And it won’t be long before these gadgets and scientific tools overwhelm us completely and start affecting any and every aspect of our day-to-day life. Robots and computers aided by the mind-boggling possibilities of nano and biotechnology may soon replace us unless we rediscover and reinvent ourselves.

            Going by the way the human civilisation is evolving, it is quite clear that tomorrow’s war shall be fought by robots, drones and cyber weapons using all the advanced technologies, operation theatres shall be manned by robo-physios, our cars shall be auto-driven, the role of policemen and policing shall be taken over by robots and other means of security surveillance system and our education shall be facilitated by smart classes, cyborgs and androids.

            With robots and computers outperforming humans, why should anyone want venal and fallible humans, amenable to sundry emotional and mental pressures? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Bio-technology may transform our world beyond recognition. And this world shall have no place for those unwilling to adapt, learn, unlearn and relearn, beyond the mundane catacombs of caste, creed, race, religion, language, region and nation. We shall be warranted to leave behind our numerous parochial identities to unite as a single species to face the multiple challenges of future. This would also enable us to expand our consciousness and further explore the immense possibilities hidden in deeper recesses of our cosmos.

            Earlier the humans had the benefit of possessing both consciousness and intelligence. However, today AI has made it possible for the intelligence to exist independent of the organic consciousness. While the scientists are further exploring the possibility of downloading the consciousness onto a computer, the decoupling of intelligence and consciousness has made it possible to perfect the mechanical performance of a lot many critical exercises and activities with no interference resulting from the fallibility of the human consciousness or his selfish and emotional self. Today, non-conscious and non-organic intelligence can perform almost all the tasks better than humans.

            Like the computers or the machines, the humans have been discovered to be algorithmic beings acting according to a pattern by the scientists. These algorithms are said to be the handiwork of evolution over millions of years, being encrypted into our DNAs. This is akin to the Hindu conception of past life impressions being implanted and imprinted onto our eternal consciousness through the ever-going cycle of birth and death and makes one human being different from the other. In fact, all the human actions, behaviour, emotions and skills are said to be the outcomes of a coded bio-chemical algorithm. If we can somehow decode and decipher the same, the AI-mediated machines could ensure and elicit more perfect output from the humans.

            With the identification of these patterned algorithms, the humans can control or modify their own behaviour and emotions for being their better selves than is otherwise possible. The scientists have already got success in many cases by devising tools and machines to substitute humans and have been constantly working on the same to further perfect the technology. Once the same is done, the humans, by agreeing to harness their own potential through the media of these technologies, would become more and more redundant, to be easily replaced by more reliable AI-driven machines.

            In fact, it has been suggested that but for the intellectual upgradation via reskilling and relearning, 80% of the human beings shall become redundant in next 50 years. We may soon have to make a choice between emotion and consciousness of humans on the one hand and flawless intelligence of machines on the other. A robo-physio may not have the emotional touch, but is likely to be many times more updated and efficient with its diagnosis, prescription, treatment and surgery than a human doctor can ever be.

            An emotional human being may err, but not the futuristic machines equipped with non-organic consciousness and intelligence. We shall have to make similar choices in most areas of our life. We shall definitely choose efficiency, precision and perfection of a robot or an AI machine over the fallibility of a human being. Did we not abandon horses and bullocks in favour of automobiles? We shall similarly abandon automobile drivers in favour of auto-piloted cars in times to come. The same shall happen to most of our vocations and professions.

            The horses and bullocks would still be retired notwithstanding their possible upgradation. Their attempted upgradation would never make them as efficient as an automobile. Their survival in today’s world is more due to human romanticism with the past, for the passion of a few or simply for the gourmets. The clerks, soldiers, doctors, bankers, engineers, policemen, travel agents, accountants and many such professionals shall go the same way by soon being made redundant by a potent combination of AI, genetic engineering and biotechnology.

            The non-organic algorithm shall conveniently replace the organic algorithm, which means human algorithm shall play second fiddle to the former in most areas of our day-to-day quotidian life. Who can forget the defeat of ace chess champion Garry Kasparov over the Deep Blue supercomputer? The AI machines have the potential to outdo and outclass the human ingenuity, creativity and artistic felicity even in areas of abstract thinking and artistic creativity. As the time passes, our dependence over machines would increase and the humans are likely to have more time to attend to the matters of the mind and the intellect.

            As a species, we shall keep making self-destructive choices slowly as we have already done in many such cases without us ever realizing as to how conveniently and unwittingly we have been favouring machines over humans. It is, indeed, very frightening to visualise a scenario of unemotional and unfeeling machines dominating the length and breadth of our world and controlling our lives with us unable to do anything about it. However, we can’t afford to ignore the same.

            If every adversity is an opportunity and if we could sense a possible obsolescence of our species in the future scheme of things, we should definitely start planning to rediscover and reinvent ourselves to equip us better to enter the future world with confidence and élan. If the scientists somehow succeed in downloading or embedding individual consciousness to these machines, the future may become further fantastic, opening the possibility of immortalising an individual human being who can continue living for ever with the assistance of science and technology. The same makes it really difficult to make a prognosis of the shape of future world. The humans would need to discover newer and better ways to remain interested in the mundane preoccupations of the world.

            It has been increasingly suggested by different researches and analyses that soon these machines, aided and assisted by nano-technology, bio-technology and AI, shall make it possible to generate enough resources for human beings to stop worrying about their mundane problems of making their ends meet. This is likely to free them for intellectual preoccupations and cerebral exploits to indulge in such exercises as would further expand their intelligence and consciousness.    This would make it possible for the Homo sapiens and other intelligent lives in the universe to expand and stretch their consciousness further to be able to explore the unlimited mysteries of the humongous cosmos.

            This is what has been termed as the ‘Internet of All Things’ by the Yuval Noah Harrari in his celebrated book ‘Homo Deus’. Harrari says that soon the organic and non-organic algorithms shall be inter-connected to create a larger consciousness which would facilitate further exploration of intellectual possibilities of our universe. It is here that the Hindu and Buddhist concept of eternal cycle of birth and death comes in. The soul, spirit or consciousness, being eternal in nature, takes birth after birth in different dimensions to keep evolving itself in search of perfection to finally connect or merge with the Supreme Consciousness or the cosmic intelligence.

            The ‘Internet of All Things’ would, however, mean a big compromise with one’s private space as being connected to anything and everything means that everyone would know everything about us allowing the same privileges to us to encroach upon others’ privacy. While we definitely need to debate and discuss the extent and advisability of the same, the idea of continuous expansion of human consciousness being connected to the consciousness of all living and non-living beings ought to be explored dispassionately in the own interest of the Homo sapiens.

            Arguably, if new technologies have taken old jobs, they have similarly created many more new jobs and vocations. The human civilisation has experienced substitution of one kind of economic activity by the other. An agricultural society was replaced by the industrial society and the latter was soon replaced by the service society. So, when the services rendered by the humans are taken over by the machines, new economic activities and preoccupations shall be required to be discovered for the humans to keep them engaged and occupied if we don’t wish to see so many idle minds making a devil’s workshop of our world. These new vocations and avocations should enable us to nurture our muses better to stay connected with the extended cosmic consciousness.

            Instead of cynically cribbing and carping like prophets of doom, we must remain focussed on bettering the future while retaining our faith in the capabilities of the human species. While the ancient hunter-gatherers had multiple skills to survive in the world they lived in, the modern humans work in silos. As such, they have finite, specialized capabilities which could be easily substituted by the AI and biotechnology-mediated machines. The machines perform better with the pre-fed bits of algorithmic knowledge and information. They usually outclass and outperform the humans when it comes to the faster processing and use of this knowledge and information.

            Still, the machines may find it difficult to indulge in abstract or original thinking as effectively as Homo sapiens could. It is here that humans of the future shall need to direct most of their time and energy. As economically less rewarding works shall be difficult to be replaced by machines, it is here also that humans shall continue to be relevant and useful. All areas of human ingenuity, creativity, art, innovation and abstract philosophising would continue to require human mediation and contribution.

            Because of our own convenience and needs, we created and allowed many inter-subjective entities like gods, races, religions, corporations, nations, nationalism and governments to dominate us. It is these inter-subjective entities that are now threatening to devour their creators like the proverbial Frankenstein. As creators and masters, we need to understand the limitations of the same rather than allowing them so much power over us as to start interfering negatively with the quality of our own life. The machines are obviously here for us and not the other way round.

            However, we must utilise the opportunity afforded by these developments to stretch the horizon of our consciousness to connect with the cosmic consciousness to explore the mysteries of the mammoth multiverses. Most of our decisions and actions are already affected and influenced by other human and non-human factors. We are hardly the ‘indivisible’ in-dividuals that we are supposed to be. It is because of this that Rousseau once remarked, “The man is born free but he is always in chains”. If we don’t resist the onslaught of the machines by reinventing ourselves, we shall see more of our freedoms being chipped away by them, making human life further alienating and devoid of any import.

            As this new world of future shall be mediated by machines and technologies, the people with deep pockets shall find it easier to flourish at the expense of ordinary humans. While affluent humans shall use their wealth and resources to continuously upgrade themselves, the ordinary humans are likely to rot. It would also be a real threat to the liberal values and human freedoms, thereby sounding the death-knell of liberalism. The future humans shall be required to regain themselves as ‘in-dividuals’ with indivisible selves and multiple capabilities. We must cease to be a ‘dividual’ (divisible self) that we have become now. The multi-tasking, ever-learning and thinking humans only shall survive the future race of survival. Natural Darwinism is passé now. It is cerebral Darwinism which would matter in the brave new world of future.

            With constant upgradation, adaptation and cognitive enrichment, the future humans could literally turn into super-humans and start playing the God himself. The Hindus and many religions already believe the human consciousness to be nothing, but an extension of the Divine Consciousness. Ensuring equal and equitable access to the opportunities for the realisation of the unbounded possibilities for the evolution of human consciousness and its’ connection or merger with the ‘Internet of All Things’ or the Supreme Consciousness, whatever we may call it, shall be the real challenge in this brave new world.

            And we need to do this while simultaneously safeguarding the liberal values and private spaces. How much the same shall be practically possible and desirable, shall remain a subject of future debate and discourse. In the meanwhile, we must ensure that the humanity as a whole is able to reap the ‘demographic dividends’ much more effectively and efficiently by facilitating better human resource development than it has done so far.