Trust is the key factor linking with happiness and it plays a pivotal role in combating against Covid-19.” The statement is extracted from the World Happiness Report-21 (WHR-21).
The WHR-21 was published in March. The Gallup World poll data is the data partner for this report and it is sponsored by the UN Sustainable Development Solution Network. The WHR 21 report is filled with alternatives, many possibilities and plethora of prospects. As per the report, Finland is on top. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are on bottom. India ranks 139 out of 149 countries. Neighbouring countries like Pakistan ranks at 105, Bangladesh at 101 and China is at 84. Still it is strongly held that India’s low rank should not be a major concern.
The argument which favours this is in the WHR-21 report global rankings, Libya, an African country which is the epicentre of civil war, ranks at 80th position. Similarly, Belarus which has been struggling for its rigged election process is at 75th rank and Thailand which has been a playing yard for military coup is at the 54th rank. So this year happiness index has different parameters to count.
The aim of the WHR-21 is to find out the effect of Covid 19 on the structure and quality of people’s lives and to assess the counter-strategy by the Governments across the world to control the pandemic.The second wave of the Coronavirus is so intense and horrified that it compels us to respect its gravity. There is sharp rise of nearly 4% in the annual number of death worldwide. As per a latest report in India 243 new Covid cases are registered in every single minute.
There are also 1.9 deaths and 1,194 tests conducted in India per minute. The entire healthcare system is exhausted in India. Economic insecurity, anxiety, loss in mental and physical health and uncertain future are gripping every single individual in the planet.
As mentioned earlier, the WHR-21 comes with epiphanies and some important takeaways. It will be discussed in two folds. First fold is all about interesting revelations and in second fold, it is about the analysis of findings in Indian perspectives. According to the WHR-21, there are no significant changes in the global rankings on happiness despite prevailing pandemic. People across the world were worried about lockdown imposed in the first year of Covid 19.
Gradually people started to adjust, reshape and recover from the situation. It does not mean that people take the lockdowns and shutdowns in a positive way but people’s emotions restrict the negative effect.
Countries show a high level resilience in countering the pandemic. Emotion overpowers the life satisfaction. People became kind to each other. The pandemic has shown us many live cases to find the kindness of others. Instant kindness makes people happier than getting a job in this pandemic.
Overall a country’s happiness in this pandemic is calculated on six parameters such as trust, income, health, someone to count on, freedom and generosity.Let’s discuss WHR-21 findings such as trust in public institutions, trusted leadership, lesson from past experience and income inequality in Indian context. The WHR-21 emphasises on the trust in public institutions. When people show confidence in their public institutions it supports them to make a good choice and successful application of virus protection strategy.
Trust in public institution is just like a web network. When people start to trust they not only follow the official advice but also help others in their communities.
People in top ranked countries like Denmark, Norway and New Zealand show a huge trust in their public institutions. It directly leads to choose the right policy and strategy for Covid -19 and also receives people’s support. Same trust factor in public institutions is lacking in India. The Supreme Court of India, CBI, CAG and Election Commission of India are a few notably credible public institutions in India. An impression has been created that justice is only for rich not meant for poor. Similarly CBI had been called a caged parrot speaking in its master's voice by the Supreme Court of India.
Further SC said it’s a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot. In a recent development on current Covid situation in India, the Madras High Court said that Election Commission of India (ECI) is singularly responsible for spreading Covid-19 and murder charges should probably be imposed on it for its “irresponsible” behaviour. So for a common man this blame game leads to deficit of trust. According to the WHR-21, trust deficit in public institutions makes countries unhappy.
Second one is lesson from past experience. The WHR-21 says past experience matters and it helps the countries to combat pandemic. The epidemic control strategies learned during the SARS epidemic of 2003 by China, Hong Kong, Canada, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan helped to build fast virus suppression strategies. It is not necessarily mean that countries should learn from history. They can learn from current or immediate past experience.
In India, we have been observing the same recurring events which haunted us during last year. Religious congregations, migrant labours issues, unprepared health infrastructure and closure of education system are burning issues again. India has not learnt from past, rather it ignored.
Third is trusted leadership. As per the WHR-21, people are happy, community transmission is zero and favourable policy making to curb the impact of pandemic works when people trust their leaders. The reports goes further by adding that if a leader is a woman then trust, happiness and resilience increase. Germany’s Angela Merkel and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern are the best examples of female headed countries combating Covid 19 effectively. In India, leaders invite people to join massively in political rallies in morning and same leaders advice the people to stay at home in evening. In West Bengal the current Covid situation is due to the political leaders.
The last one is income inequality. Countries with higher level of income equality are happy and show a good spirit in fighting the Covid-19. But in India, every year the gap of income has widened up. Inequality in India has grown faster than in any other country except Russia. Oxfam’s report found that the richest 1 per cent of Indians held more than four times the wealth held by the bottom 70 per cent of populace of the country.
(Dr Parida is Assistant Professor in Sophitorium Group of Institutions, Khurdha, Ph: 8456879522)