I am doing a thing sincerely from the March, 2020 onwards. Daily I keep a bucket of water with a mug and a bottle of sanitizer and a welcome board-please use me- just by the side of the gate. At a distance of two yards from there, I put another board of - SIR / MADAM! No ENTRY - NO MASK !

Overcoming the hurdles, my friend, Ananth entered my room with a smiling face and looked into my face questioning " your face shows that you are disdainful! Why?"

" How could anyone be happy when virus is spreading so rapidly fooling thousands of people!? "

" Not thousands, it is fooling all the people of the whole world! "

" I am speaking of a viral, not virus! "

" What is that viral?"

" A cinema actor kisses his third wife! She is also an actress!"

" What is wrong in it !?"

" Thousands of views and shares! It means thousands of people are fooled! Is it NOT!?"

"There is nothing wrong with media and internet! It is an entertainment for mental relief! It is their right! You are a fool! How could you blame them!? You have your own right! If you want to see it, you see it! If you do not want , you do not see it! Then, how they fool thousands of people!?"

" You mean that thousands of people are fooling themselves! "

" No! It is their right! They shared and enjoyed! Who are you to blame them!"

" we come across many such virals daily. They misguide the youth! They waste their valuable time and life! How does it cause mental relief!? The people are made addicts to such cheap things and vices! How it could be an entertainment and mental relief!?"

" The media know it! Those who share it know it! It is democracy!"

" Democracy expects people to do good things for the good of the people. It does not want them to waste their valuable time and life in vices and become harmful!"

" For them democracy means Rights! Many leading advocates daily speak of Rights and Freedom! Why are you deaf to them!?"

" How harmful things could be Rights!?"

" Who wants ethics and values and doing good things!?"

He stopped the conversation and went out laughing at my foolishness!

My friend, Bhagat entered my room violating the Virus precautions smiling and at the same time looking angrily into my eyes!

" why did you not follow the precautions!?"

" I am not a fool!"

" What do you mean!?"

" I am not a fool! I enjoy my Rights and Freedom!"

" You can not enjoy them at the cost of the people and the society!"

" You are wrong! We are in the age and era of New Material Culture! Earn money and live with comforts! Nothing matters! Do not bother about for anything and anyone else! Life is for enjoyment with rights and Freedom! I enjoy my Rights and Freedom! Who are you to deprive me of my Rights!"

" Life is for living happy with peace and harmony without causing any harm to anyone ! If you cause any harm to others, they will also cause you harm! Then, how can you live happy!? How can you enjoy life with rights and Freedom!?"

" You are a fool! You are outdated and not fit to live in the new material culture enjoying your rights and Freedom!"

" I am very happy as I live without doing any harm to others and society! You and your new material culture do not have the true sense of HAPPINESS!"

" The media is giving useful information on Rights and Freedom in the service of the people, the society and Nation!"

" How!? "

I have come across a great and wonderful information just now!"

" What is that great information in the service of the people, the society and Nation!? "

" A married woman of around 50 years who has three grown up children and husband is in sexual contact with a boy of around 20 years!"

" Is it NOT shameful and harmful!?"

" No! NOT at all! Both are majors! It is a right to freedom of sex! What is wrong in it! There are hundreds and hundreds of views and comments! She is praised as a very progressive woman! Such bold and progressive women are needed to end gender discrimination. She lives in history as a historic revolutionary for gender equality! "

" What did the views and comments say on the boy!"

" The boy is really bold and brave! Such bold and brave youth are needed to building NEW INDIA with NEW CULTURE! He is a revolutionary for removal of age differences to enjoy freedom of sex truly! "

" Is it not an imperishable shame and harm to the Indian women and culture!?"

" Not at all! All this comes under Progressive and Revolutionary! I expect that they may be invited to join some progressive political parties!"

" You are fooling me!"

"You are a fool! The question of fooling you further does not arise !"

He went out laughing stomachfully at my foolishness!

My friend, Chinmaya observed all the Virus precautions religiously and entered my room. He brought 15 news papers and five magazines and his latest model small computer which I call a slate computer and spread them on my table. He also placed his horoscope prepared by an expert astrologer. He read out all the predictions relating to him for the month of January, 2021 and for the year, 2021which are 25 predictions.

" All the 25 predictions are different from each other! As my well- wisher and friend, please advise me which one I should follow to take decisions on my business activities!?"

I said abruptly and instantly " none! "

" Why!? "

" You have answered it with proof! All the 25 predictions are different! Why they are different? There is no scientific resource, basis and data"

" Some professionals say that astrology is a science! "

" Some professionals say that it is a science of probability and statistics! But, it is not! The science of probability and statistics has reliable data and scientific methods and basis. The astrology is based on some observations made by the ancestors in the ancient times."

" All sciences evolved on and from observations only! "

" Yes, you are right! The observations made in respect of sciences are developed on measurable physical facts and figures! It is not so in respect of astrology "

" How? "

" I am not a scientist nor an astrologer!"

" You can express your opinions! "

" We first come across the word Astrology in Vedic times and it's use in Epic times. The ancient men made some observations of the sun, moon and other planets, their functions, movements and transformations and their effect and impact on human beings and their behavior. They adopted some calculations and used to predict what is in store for an individual based on his date and time of birth and the state of planetary system at his time of birth. They adopted nine Zodiac signs which include 27 stars for predictions. Our population is 130 crores! The whole population is divided by nine and predictions made! How could you believe that those predictions apply to you!? I take all this as rootless, baseless and a blind belief!"

" I heard that many planets were discovered later which have effect on human beings and their behavior! They were not taken into account! "

" Yes, you are right! The astrology and it's predictions are a blind belief!"

" Then, why do the intellectual media bring out all such predictions!?"

" They work for the growth of their profits and properties! It is encashment of people's weaknesses for their benefits! The sufferers are countless! Valuable time and life are misused! Blind belief could not be culture!"

My journalist friend, Dwivedi entered my room with a bundle of news papers and journals. I welcomed him cheerfully. As a journalist, he has good wealth of fourth estate. I requested him to give it to me for the month of January 2021 and he kindly obliged me. I am happy because I have some professional friends who help me to learn from them.

He said"Mind it! It is fourth estate in Representative Democracies! It is a friendly ambassador between the people who build democracies and the representative rulers of the democracies! If the governance and rule is against the interests of the people who gave them the power of ruling, it brings to light so that the people's interests and aspirations are protected and fulfilled. It's responsibilities are increased in the present digital age. The fourth estate grew very strong. It stands with the people as it's right shoulder pleading for their development and welfare! It brings to light all the ills of the rule and governance for the development of democracy!"

" You are talking too much of the fourth estate! Thanks for your help! We will meet again after ten days."

" What do you want to do with it?"

"I could not spare my time to go through the news and important articles and happenings during this month! I want to have a glance at them to update me!"

" It is not that! You are doing something which you do not want to disclose me! "

He left hurriedly with a smile

My friend entered my room and said" where is my fourth estate! You are a careless fellow! I am afraid it is eaten by white ants! "

" your fourth estate itself is virus and white ants! How could the white ants eat into it!?"

" How!? What is that nonsense!? Control your tongue!"

" I have picked up ten severe people's issues and problems that arose during the year 2020 and analyzed them on the basis of the reports of over 25 news papers and journals and internet news. The reports are quite different from each other! Then, how the people could know which one is reliable and dependable!? I say ' none! '

" Why!?"

" It is political polarization! Each political party has its own media directly or indirectly! The political polarization took place on the basis of dividing people on religion, region, caste and their own political policies! The people are divided creating disunity, differences, intolerance, hatreds and thereby people are deprived of peaceful and harmonious social living! For all these ills, the media is at the forefront! Where is the fourth estate now!? It's deterioration and collapse began around the times of partition of India, that is, Bharat into Pakistan and India on religion basis!"

My friend did not speak out a single word! He went out with the bundle of his papers and journals on his shoulders and with his head down looking at his feet!

Virus! Virus! Virus!

Viral! Viral! Viral!

Fourth estate is polarized into

Hash tag! Virus! Viral!