‘It is opportunity to add on qualification’

Ashok Kaura

Advertisement

Phagwara, May 11

“Birds wake me up everyday. This new morning routine filled with the chirping of birds is absolutely delightful,” says Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, Dr Girish Bali, who calls himself a nature lover.

He says that for him this is a revisit to his childhood days, when he would play with his pals in the lap of the nature and also enjoyed kite flying.

Dr Bali said when human beings were confined indoors, the stillness on the streets was encouraging birds to step outside.

Dr Bali, a medical graduate, says they can now hear so many different birds. “Common myna, purple sunbird, jungle babbler, rose-ringed parakeet, greater coucal, rock pigeon, red-vented bulbul and red-wattled lapwing, which are not often heard in the cities, have made a comeback. This is indeed a blessings in disguise. I identified these birds flying during the lockdown. The nature seems to be on the auto-cleansing mode,” he said.

He feels that the lockdown has restored the connection between the nature and the mankind. This forced pause has made the environment better for generations to come.

“If we think positive instead of getting paranoid, we should accept this reality and take preventive measures,” said Dr Bali.

On his daily routine, he says, ” I start my day with exercise at a small gym in my house. My spouse and the younger daughter too accompany me.”

Taking advantage of the lockdown, he has enrolled for MBA (second semester) online and also doing an online course from Harvard University. Bali had done MBBS in 2002. He is now helping his two daughters in their studies after office timings. Dr Bali is still discharging his duties in Phagwara and Jalandhar offices.

He is also enjoying quality time with his family, besides watching old TV serials such as ‘Ramayan’, ‘Mahabharat’ and ‘Shri Krishna’. “These serials remind me of my childhood days. The lockdown has also given a chance to learn some lessons. There is a dire need to strengthen the health infrastructure,” says Dr Bali.