FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

how formidable nature is! Thus, the first lesson for us, is to know our position vis-à-vis nature. When every country is fortifying its military strength to overpower other countries, it is more important that all nations band themselves together to work for the betterment of humankind. This year also reminds us that all human beings are part of one family. No member can remain safe if other members of his family are in danger. In the face of unprecedented challenges, the whole human family must stand together to find a way out. The joint venture of the scientific community backed by corporate funds and political will, and prayers of billions of people to find a cure for the coronavirus infection are a testimony of this fact. This pandemic signals a historic moment. Like every other aspect of our lives, religion too has been fundamentally affected by it. The religions promulgated by the priestly class as just a set of strict rituals and incantations has proven to be null and void. It was pure narrow-mindedness to differentiate between people as ‘us’ and ‘them’. Every religious community claims to be the chosen people of God. This pandemic proved that all are equal before God. The authors Swami Agnivesh and Valson Thampu made an excellent point in an article published in The Indian Express dated June 30, 2020: ‘It looks as though the COVID pandemic has come to emancipate us from this subhuman religiosity. (…).The virus has undermined every aspect of priest-driven religiosity. (…). 'Post'-COVID, religion must be God-centered and priest-free, unburdened with places of worship. Worship, free from rituals, dogmas, deception and priestly hypocrisy, must nourish life.’ The pandemic had brought to the fore the essential aspect of religion. Religion should be based on reason, spirituality, universal brotherhood and welfare of humankind. There is no favouritism in religions. For humankind to survive and thrive on this planet, the most important need is ‘peace’. We need peace between human beings and peace between humans and nature. We need to treat with utmost care every object of the universe. Every aspect of nature plays an integral part in keeping this planet human-friendly. In our zeal for luxurious life and If we draw positive lessons from negative experiences, and if we chalk out a proper course of life after passing through a severe affliction, then it would be correct to say that we have made the best use of the situation.