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Are we really serious about combating Covid-19? Despite the manner in which the virus is spreading in India, many are yet to grasp the seriousness of the matter. Here, for a change the government is not the offender. It’s the people who are hiding travelling details, avoiding quarantine and even using official positions to upset all precautions taken by the government. So, the pandemic is threatening to reach stage-III which will be a definite disaster for the country. So far, India has managed to keep the spread of the pandemic relatively lower than other countries. But as the battle with coronavirus enters a crucial phase, the number may rise worryingly in a very short span of time. If this situation arises, it will be because of the actions of reckless individuals who are not heeding recommendations of healthcare professionals and are going against government guidelines.
Take the case of Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor. The corona-infected singer kept it a secret that she had visited London during the corona outbreak and organised a dinner party in Lucknow. The dinner was attended by many eminent personalities including Member of Parliament (MP) Dushmayant Singh. After the dinner party, the said MP attended parliament session also. So, from a private dinner party thousands of citizens are now in danger of being infected by Covid-19. An FIR has been lodged against her but the damage to society and country are irreversible.
Our own Mary Kom also made the mistake of leaving quarantine after a trip to Jordan and attended a routine function at Rashtrapati Bhavan and prominently featured in the photograph on the occasion. The function she attended was a breakfast meeting with the president as per parliamentary practice. Nothing serious was to be discussed in that meeting. Mary Kom could easily avoid the meeting; however, she decided to attend the meeting.
What about Arunima Dey, Special Secretary (Home), government of West Bengal? Despite being advised by doctors to take her London-returned son to a hospital meant for infectious disease, she sent her son to the shopping mall; and she herself went to a meeting at the state secretariat. In that meeting organised to discuss strategies to combat coronavirus, the entire state machinery including the chief minister was present. She was aware about the precautionary measures, she, in ex-officio capacity, circulated those measures for public consumption. She too was in gross violation of rules set by her own department by throwing caution to the wind.
It is a fact that Covid-19 is a threat to our planet. But at the same time, the virus can be combated with proper precautions. Cleanliness and social distancing are the two most potent weapons to fight this virus. While the common people are following those precautionary measures despite financial loss, it seems the high and powerful ones are not interested in the welfare of mankind. This is why dinner parties are being organised; young members of the family are being sent to market places; gross violation of power is being practiced and is going unabated. Citizens need to realise the disastrous impact that even one single individual can have on mankind by going against rules and guidelines set by experts. The need of the hour is to maintain hygiene and practice social distancing. Let us all do our part in stopping the novel Covid-19.