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Added Jun 3, 2020

Every Life Matters

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I am a little scared of waking up in the morning nowadays. I am afraid to pick up my phone and get the news updates, to turn on the television, thinking about the incidents that have been taking place in the world while I am sleeping comfortably in my bed.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has also been facing challenges like earthquake, cyclone, locust attack, airplane crash, wildfires, floods, riots, volcano eruption amongst many others. As if these natural attacks were not enough, the inhuman behaviour against George Floyd and as a result the protests and riots in America also shocked me. Two days back, the visuals of a policeman removing the mask of a protestor and spraying pepper-spray shook me from inside. I don’t know how the virus has been behaving among the protestors and policemen in the last few days. 

Looking at the number of deaths and distress because of the virus, hunger, and other calamities, everyday I'm getting more and more troubled mentally. And in the middle of all that, there was news about a few villagers in Kerela feeding a pineapple filled with firecrackers to a hungry pregnant elephant. There was an explosion and the elephant died. And then I see the black post with hashtags “BlackLivesMatter”, all over my social media.

As an artist, the only way to express myself is via my art. And that’s what I did. Here is the picture of the artwork I created today. It took me hours to calm myself, as I reflected all my emotions on the canvas.  It should not just be “BlackLivesMatter”, but “EveryLifeMatters”.