Begin typing your search...

    Editorial: Crystal gazing into 2023

    The speed at which airport officials had dropped checking the COVID-negative and vaccination status of incoming tourists has been replaced with a new haste for verifying these credentials.

    Editorial: Crystal gazing into 2023
    X
    Representative image

    Now that 2022 is behind us, people are bracing for a New Year, with hopes that things will change for the better. The year that went by signalled the start of a return to normalcy after two years of the pandemic. India, and the world had begun unlocking, an returning back to the rhythms of ordinary life. Travel restrictions were dropped, so were masking mandates, and the world congregated for everything from climate change meets to sporting extravaganzas like T20 tournaments and the FIFA World Cup, and in-person concerts.

    But complacence is not a luxury we could afford. Right when thing seemed to settle down, a new wave of COVID casualties in China, the epicentre of the pandemic, has put the world on high alert. The speed at which airport officials had dropped checking the COVID-negative and vaccination status of incoming tourists has been replaced with a new haste for verifying these credentials. India has logged as many as 265 new COVID cases over the weekend. Health officials are aware of the perils of dropping their guard when numbers hovered around three-digit figures, as the coronavirus is known to replicate in geometric progression.

    Trepidation of yet another wave of the pandemic aside, we are dealing with a backbreaking episode of inflation, unemployment and fuel price surge around the world. Yes, it might be convenient to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for the current crisis, but political observers following the tectonic shifts in the geopolitical space are privy to the manner in which the West had provided a febrile ground for Moscow to assume a stance of aggression. As a result, a majority of Europe finds itself plunged in an energy crisis, weathering a debilitating winter as it rations out its supply of electricity.

    Of course, the war in Ukraine has also prompted well-heeled nations in the global north to begin approaching the problem of climate change with customised barometers. Having contributed to over 90% of the global emission of greenhouse gases, these nations now call out their under-served cousins in the global south for not doing enough to offset the impact of global warming. India is also racing on its agenda of going green, with its transition to electric vehicles, ironically powered by charging stations that rely on non-reliable sources of energy.

    However, there is a major push for solar, especially in States like Tamil Nadu, where there are plans on linking such renewable sources of energy to the existing power grids. And for good reason too, thanks to the revised power tariffs of the State electricity board, that has sent usage charges through the roof. Speaking of which, Tamil Nadu, like many other States is paying a heavy price on account of climate change. And it’s significantly impacting the manner in which our State budget is allocated. Flood preparedness, better urban infrastructure, and proactive healthcare initiatives are expected to take up a big chunk of Tamil Nadu’s, and on a broader scale, India’s public expenses in the days to come.

    It might be tempting to lean on the shoulders of cynicism and presume that the New Year might be more of the same from 2022. But that approach is defeatist. We are now wiser by our experiences, having dealt with calamities and challenges of all kinds, and in many ways, better prepared for what is to come. Here’s to staying strong, and enduring with grace.

    Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

    Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

    Click here for iOS

    Click here for Android

    Editorial
    Next Story