Blog 9: Gabbar Singh, Sholay, Organised Crime and Corona Virus..!!

Well this post has interesting characters: Gabbar Singh (Corona Virus), Thakur Baldev Singh (our beloved Prime Minister), Veeru and Jai (Doctors, nurses and other health consultants), Village of Ramgarh (India, as a country) and characters like Sambha (part of organised crime, the infected cells in human body) and Ahmad (a victim).

Sholay is one of the all-time hits on Indian Cinema. It depicts a gangster, Gabbar Singh, who runs a notorious criminal gang, using his own team of gangsters and stays in pahadi/mountain terrains/ ranges of India. He has his influence, using his muscle power, arms and fear factor on the nearby villages, like Ramgarh, to survive. He gets his food, water and other raw materials to survive by snatching the essentials, which are hard-earned, from public of Ramgarh… The Thakur loves Ramgarh and considers it to be his own home. Hence he is bent upon destroying Gabbar Singh, and he tries to do this alone, but fails, until he finds the strength and wit in Veeru and Jai. These two characters cripple the criminal headquarters of Gabbar Singh, by destroying his entire team of gangsters, entering hilly areas, where he stays. They bring Gabbar Singh to his knees. During this journey, however, few people like Ahmad and family members of Thakur, pay the price of cruelty of Gabbar Singh and people like Sambha help the crime remain organised..

I know that I get no brownie points for telling you this story…!!

Now, let us introduce viruses, such as Corona Virus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus).. Let us go in their world.. Viruses are like fragments of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protective coat of lipids (or proteins), which originate from diseases or insects. These are small structures, which attach themselves to the neighboring cells and slowly get inside them. The infected cells multiple and slowly a colony of infected cells starts building up. These cells are closely packed. Their outer coatings are like lipid membranes, which share the information (mainly related to survival) and also the resources like food. These grow in certain part of body, such as lungs, respiratory tracks and so on. As they multiply, they take control over most of the normal cells and the infection spreads to various organs, resulting in multiple organ failure, which finally results in death of the body.

Now, if one is able to break the chain of infected cells, one could get a solution. If the packs of cells are fragmented, during their early stage, by breaking apart the lipid membranes which hold them together, their communication will stop. The food resources would stop. If they do not get skin surfaces (or biological surfaces) to thrive on, they would die. So, two things are necessary: First is that they should not colonize and get packed and take control; and second is that, if they do, then they should be broken down, so that the RNA/DNA dies..!!

How do we correlate Sholay story … well, it’s just the merger of our Macro World and the micro world..

In India, our beloved Prime Minister, is like a Thakur, who, independently can do little, for this awful pandemic situation of Corona Virus. He has to guard his own Ramgarh (India) from the invasion of Gabbar Singh (the Corona virus). Therefore, he instructs the entire village of Ramgarh (citizens of India) that they should not feed the army of Gabbar Singh… how? Well, he tells everybody to maintain social distancing, so that the RNA/DNA are not shared and multiplied. He also tells them to not to share the resources, so that the multiplication of viruses (and the influence of Gabbar Singh’s notorious gang) stops. He advises everybody to use soap solution to prevent the viruses from getting accumulated over the surfaces of skin and entering in our lungs. The soap solution is efficient in attacking the lipid layers at the boundary of cell walls, which break down the boundaries and kills the infected cells. For such a soap solution, our Thakur takes help of Veeru and Jai, who are people like doctors, nurses and health experts, well aware of the arms and weapons like soap, masks and other disinfectants.!!

To kill virusus, we don’t require a gun, thankfully..!!!

Our Thakur has told us to use the proper weapons and stop feeding Gabbar Singh and his gang of people. Maintain distance to ensure that the cells do not thrive the infection. He has deployed copies of Veeru and Jai, who are working as doctors, nurses and health advisors, day and night, using their own precautionary weapons and trying hard to safe guard our Ramgarh.. 22^nd March is one of such “The Day”. Let us try to kill Gabbar, by helping Veeru and Jai to enter the fort of Gabbar and kill all his entourage along with Sambha….!! Let us ensure that we do not have any copies of Ahmad, who lost his life due to his own ignorance and innocence. Let us help our Prime Minister keep his country safe…!! And let us celebrate Holi after this surgical strike on Corona is over.. along with Veeru and Jai.. and thank them on Siren!!

Any guesses on the origin of Gabbar Singh in our story?? No price on a correct answer.. Well, and any guesses on Basanti in our story? No prices here, as well..!!

Have safe time and spend 22^nd March at home… Jai Hind..!!!