Rhea Sen

Age: 17
Sunrise Point, Action Area II

Some new words which got added to our repertoire in the recent past have not been very happy ones.

“Lockdown”, “containment”, “quarantine” all perpetrate a fear of bondage, of captivity in our normal lives. We have even coined a term such as “the New Normal” to console ourselves. If I ask myself, ‘Am I happy? Am I free?’ the answer is a big no. Although lockdown and Covid-19 have generated a fair share of laughter and given us fodder for humour in social media but the irony is not hidden. We have laughed at the poor guy waiting for his daily tea and made him into a social hero. Masking and unmasking have also given us memes to tickle our funny bone but yet we are still slaves to this ailment which has taken the world by storm.

We blew conch shells, beat upon drums and utensils, lit candles to bring back the hope of regaining our freedom but alas, we are still down in the doldrums of coronavirus. A little microscopic organism has enslaved us. On this eve of Independence Day, I urge my countrymen to understand and adopt the true path to freedom. Let us be responsible to ourselves, our families and friends and to the world around us. If we apply our logical minds beyond candles and conch shells, the path is clear for us to see.

The path defined by science, paved by doctors and health workers and a destination being identified by our researchers.

As we wait for the miracle vaccine, let us all be aware, let us help each other to find that freedom where we will wake up one day as free souls. Untouched by fear, unmarred by mask and untethered by the chains of social distance, we will regain our freedom.

What does this freedom actually stand for, is it only our ability to walk around, visit people, go on trips? It is much larger and more encompassing than that. It means freedom from economic downturn, it means work for daily wage earners, it means business for shops who do not have online selling facility, it means students on the other side of digital divide can start their education, it means less anxiety for our parents who live in fear of job cuts, it means lot of families can go home and meet their loved ones and it means peace to a lot of stressed minds. As we approach Independence Day, I pray to the almighty to give us patience to bear, give us reason to believe and hope to live for that new sunrise. A sunrise that will bring health, happiness and prosperity to the world.

Into that heaven of freedom my father let just not my country but this world awake.

Adrija Basak

Age: 14
Rail Vihar, Action Area I, New Town

What is a person without his freedom? He is like music without notes or art without feeling.

Freedom has always been mankind’s greatest wish. Every person works for his freedom, from dependence, from a cage or from restrictions of society. How many of the most celebrated figures in our history were harbingers of freedom? Freedom truly is the most fundamental requirement for a person to be healthy, happy and to reach their full potential.

Art by Sreya Roy, Pantha Deep Housing Cooperative WINNER: 13-18 years Sourced by the Telegraph

In a world which is growing and shrinking at the same time, where each person seems to have a fabricated life, where the world is available to us at our fingertips, this freedom has only grown in value. The emergence of the Covid-19 virus seems to have put a stop to social activity and the simple freedom of going out without danger. So many of the things that we had taken for granted like strolls in the park, going out with friends, a weekend outing, a long vacation and of course, travelling, are now lost to us. A world like this seems to be a gray world indeed.

But, have we really lost all our freedom? I believe that we have not. Freedom is in the choice we make to not go outside unnecessarily, to protect ourselves and those we love.

Freedom is in the way we choose to help and stand by others in a time like this. Freedom comes from having the power within ourselves to do something to help ourselves and
others.

We must try to keep ourselves safe by repeated handwashing and going out only when required. There is a certain kind of quiet freedom in following rules, in knowing that what I am doing is for the good of everybody, even when it seems inconsequential.

Let us not look at rules as restrictions but as the choices we make to protect others. Freedom comes from the mind. It may seem that we are physically in a cage, but if we truly believe that we are free in our hearts and in our minds, then there is nothing and no one between ourselves and freedom. This can be done by keeping our thoughts clear from negativity. When a person is surrounded by news of Covid-19 cases and the rising death-toll, there is a feeling of hopelessness and imminent danger. To prevent this, the best thing we can do is to turn off the news channels and focus on something positive, like learning a new skill or spending more time with family. We should and we must try to help the elderly people we know, both by providing mental support and also by helping them in their required shopping. Let us focus on improving ourselves, on being a better person and a good citizen.

During a trying time like this, our freedom is in our hearts and our souls and we ourselves hold the key to freedom from Covid-19. So, let us work towards a brighter, better and healthier tomorrow, by choosing to follow rules, washing our hands, staying inside, maintaining social distancing and keeping our minds free and healthy. After all, freedom is in the little things in life, in the small steps we take and the conscious choices we make every day.

Urjani Shah

Age: 7

Anahita Housing Complex, Action Area II B, New Town
My parents took me out for a drive and I saw a strange sight. I saw unmasked grown-ups enjoying their ice-cream and phuchkas. They were standing in closed groups and chatting away. Do they know how many people have fallen sick or died today?

Soham Chakraborty, NBCC Vibgyor WINNER: 8-12 years Sourced by the Telegraph

I have been thinking how my family’s and my lives have changed since Covid-19 came. My mother stopped going to office and started working from home. It was fun at first but then she started nagging me for studying more and more. She is always running after me with her sanitiser. What I miss most is my school, my loving teachers, my class friends, the games we play in our huge playground, the computer lab and the school itself. Though we are having online classes, they are not fun at all. Voices break and my teachers sound like a machine. By the way, do you know I could not have a proper birthday party?

So I have been wondering about what to do to get through this situation! Papa says this is the “New Normal”. I asked him what that means, he said that the world has changed since March 2020, when the virus came to visit the world. 7.32 lakh people have died in the world and 44 thousand Indians are dead. So I asked Papa how do we defeat this virus? Then Ma told us that until the vaccine comes we are all unsafe. So I told myself that I will have to fight Corona myself. What can I do?

Ma told me this morning that Covid-19 is spreading fast in the poor countries because they do not have clean water to wash their hands, so I have decided not to play with water but to keep on washing hands without Ma having to tell me. Secondly, I will not touch unclean surfaces or unsanitised things. Next, I will never ever forget to wear a mask before going out.

Every time I go outside, I will stay six feet away from everybody. I will never ask my parents to take me out to crowded places. Most importantly, I will eat the right food which will give me immunity.

Lastly, I will request all my friends to follow SMS i.e. Sanitisation, Mask and Social distancing. I pray to God to give us courage to fight the war against Covid-19. I have faith that we can someday win this war.