Opinion | Corona: Let us not create a situation where lockdown becomes a fait accompli

Even as the general public in India celebrated Holi with their households and prevented gatherings on Monday, there have been 1000’s who joined big crowds to have fun the pageant in Mathura, Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur in UP, Ujjain in MP and Nanded in Maharashtra.

In my prime time present ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ on Monday evening, we confirmed how 1000’s of devotees celebrated Holi with out masks and social distancing in Mathura, Vrindaban, Ujjain and Prayagraj. These visuals had been worrying and I do not know what number of of those devotees would have taken the virus to their houses after the celebrations.

 
The surge within the each day variety of new Covid circumstances is quickly going to the touch 70,000 in India. There had been almost 2,000 new circumstances in Delhi over the past 24 hours, with many non-public hospitals working wanting ICU beds with ventilators. States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab and Uttarakhand are grimly tackling the second wave of the pandemic. 31,643 recent Covid circumstances had been reported from Maharashtra, whereas 2,323 new circumstances had been reported from neighbouring MP. Punjab reported 2,914 new circumstances over the past 24 hours, regardless of strict enforcement of the ban on gatherings.
 
I’m citing these statistics to be able to inform readers in regards to the grim situation that’s unfolding because the spike continues unabated. The pandemic is definitely going to unfold, as many cities witnessed big crowds of Holi revellers on Monday. I’m unhappy that many individuals are nonetheless unwilling to simply accept the enormity of this pandemic. I’ve been repeatedly saying for the final a number of weeks: Coronavirus does not enter your houses invited, it’s you who carry the virus to your houses due to sheer negligence.
 
If 1000’s of revellers sing, shout and dance whereas celebrating Holi, throwing colors and water at each other, one ought to be prepared to observe a spike in Covid numbers. As of now, Covid is underneath management in Uttar Pradesh. Two weeks in the past, the each day variety of circumstances was between 200 to 300, however now, the variety of recent circumstances is within the vary of greater than 1,400. For a state with a 22 crore inhabitants, this quantity might not be worrying, however chief minister Yogi Adityanath has already cautioned folks to be on their guard. His enchantment fell on deaf ears if one goes by the revelry on Monday.
 
Thousands of devotees assembled on the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura on Monday to have fun Holi. The similar was the scene at Dwarkadheesh temple. Not solely native residents, however devotees from throughout the nation had come to have fun the pageant. Thousands of individuals go to Mathura, Vrindavan on weekends from Delhi NCR, Haryana and Rajasthan. There was pleasure and fervour, however the one factor that was lacking was: Covid applicable behaviour.
 
At the Purana Chowk in Prayagraj, 1000’s assembled to have fun Holi, with DJ music taking part in at full quantity, folks dancing amidst a riot of colors and the standard tearing of garments came about. No masks, no distancing, no worry of Covid. The revellers let go of themselves in merriment. This metropolis has registered a median each day spike of  70 to 80 circumstances in current weeks.
 
In Shahjahanpur, 1000’s of individuals joined a customary Holi procession, throwing colors, water at each other. Police and PAC jawans accompanied the procession. This was ‘joota-maar’ Holi, during which a man with out garments, poses as an English Viceroy (Laat Saheb) sitting on a bullock cart, and he’s crushed with sneakers by the group, to precise anger towards British rule. This procession is taken out yearly throughout Holi because the days of the liberty motion.
 
In Nanded, Maharashtra, on the well-known Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, 1000’s of devotees broke open the gates locked by police, and barged into the shrine, to play Holi and Hola Mohalla, the standard Sikh festivals. Several autos had been broken, and almost 10 policemen had been injured within the assault by sword and stick-wielding devotees. The devotees had been offended as a result of that they had been stopped by authorities from celebrating Hola Mohalla on the gurdwara.
 
I’m amazed when folks ask, how lengthy ought to we watch for the pandemic to finish? How can the pandemic unfold by celebrating festivals, if crowds could be allowed at public conferences in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala? What’s fallacious with celebrating the pageant with mates? Should we cease going to temples and assembly folks? Should we cease leaving due to Corona?
 
My reply is: Do no matter you would like however be very, very cautious. Already completely different strains of the mutant virus are spreading quick, and God forbid, you might be the following goal. You can have fun Holi with homosexual abandon subsequent 12 months, however you’ve gotten just one life to stay.
 
Let me inform you: on March 29 final 12 months, the overall variety of Covid sufferers in India was 979. At that point, the nation was underneath full lockdown. Only 25 folks had died on this date final 12 months. There had been solely 106 recent circumstances final 12 months on a single day.
 
Today, we have now greater than 5 lakh lively Covid circumstances. There had been almost 70,000 recent Covid circumstances over the past 24 hours. More than 1,61,000 Indians have died of Corona until now. In spite of those terrifying numbers, if folks query, where is Corona, I can solely say, we’re very quickly going to observe the pandemic going uncontrolled.
 
In the identify of faith and religion, if folks defy Covid rules and assault police, what can a authorities do? What can the police do? These are questions that make each sane Indian fear.
 
The world has praised India for tackling the pandemic on an unprecedented scale. India was proven as a shining instance, how the second-most populous nation of the world carried out Covid administration on a gigantic scale, offering therapy, PPEs, ventilators and oxygen for the needy.
 
The world watched how by imposing a nationwide lockdown, India gained essential time to fabricate tools to sort out the pandemic, and arrested the unfold of the virus. During these occasions, nations just like the USA, England, France, Germany and Italy had been dealing with the onslaught of the pandemic.  When the graph got here down, Americans defied Covid protocols, went merrymaking in golf equipment and eating places, went to sea seashores in the course of the Christmas holidays, and needed to face the second wave of the pandemic. The USA continues to be No. 1 within the listing of pandemic-hit nations.
 
We, in India, are treading that harmful path. By defying normal Covid protocols, we’re throwing warning to the winds. We should know that Covid vaccines present us with safety, however there isn’t a assure that you could be not be contaminated. All that the vaccine might do is to create antibodies so that you simply can’t be struck fatally by the virus. You might not must go to the hospital for therapy. You can get well at house.
 
That is why, all people is being requested to observe these key steps: (1) put on masks in public locations (2) hold social distancing and (3) keep away from crowded locations and (4) wash your fingers with cleaning soap often. This is the one approach to hold your self protected.
 
Coronavirus does not differentiate between the wealthy and the poor, between the literate and the illiterate. IIM college students are alleged to be super-skilled in administration, however even they fall prey to the virus because of negligence. More than 70 folks in a 5-star resort in Chennai and 78 folks within the Taj resort in Rishikesh fell prey to the virus.
 
Always be on alert, and observe the Covid protocol. Nobody desires a full lockdown. It impacts jobs, it breaks the again of our financial system. All of us needed to face monetary challenges all through final 12 months. I nonetheless hope a situation will not come up, where lockdown is critical. But why ought to we create such a situation where lockdown becomes a fait accompli?

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