Weddings-Only 50 People Crowd! Funeral- Only 20 People! Politicians Event-Unlimited Crowd! Why Discrimination? Do Netas have special guidelines/Rules when it comes to SOCIAL DISTANCING? When a large crowd was gathered to grace the inauguration of the New Gurpur Bridge, flouting social distancing, and when reporters questioned MP Nalin Kumar Kateel about it, he replied saying, “They all have gathered here with love!”. Wow, then why not allow a large gathering to attend a wedding or a funeral, where people also come with Love, and not Hate?
Mangaluru: With the palpable sense of fear sweeping across the country, in spite of media and public coming down hard against the careless politicians and celebrities who were found violating the directives and defying the recommended practices amidst the coronavirus scare, still our Netas give a damn about it. The defiance of government advisories by prominent personalities belonging to different fields drew a sharp reaction from concerned Indians who castigated the public figures for setting a wrong example for their followers and taking a pandemic that has so far claimed too many lives across the country. Forget about the politicians across the country, we have seen our very own leaders elected to power by us, who are flouting the social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines. How about that?
Let me say this aloud -Any person knowingly putting the lives of others in danger needs to be stringently dealt with as we battle, including our lovely politicians, where many of them have been careless and ignorant when it comes to wearing the mask and following social distancing. The public fury has been directed at the politicians who flout social distancing and attend functions, parties etc. Like many of us, as a society, support each other in our fight against the Coronavirus by staying indoors, avoiding crowded places or follow COVID-19 guidelines, but unfortunately, we have a bunch of these senseless politicians disobeying the guidelines and showing a bad example to others. Lately, we have seen politicians meeting and interacting with crowds even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pleaded his countrymen to observe social distancing in the face of the novel coronavirus threat.
This is not the time to meet and interact with crowds- but unfortunately, our Netas seem like they are not aware of it. The recent inaugural celebration of Gurpur Bridge in the times of COVID-19, where a large crowd had assembled? This is bad. Could have been avoided or the inauguration could have been done with a limited crowd of 50 people, thereby setting an example of social distancing. But our netas went the opposite way, flouting the COVID-19 guidelines-just because they are in power and that they can do it? In times of war, we Indians come together. Religion, ideology, politics, caste, gender – everything fades. There is no Modi or Rahul or Mamata or Kejriwal or Yediyurappa or Kateel. There is only Indian. And in a similar way, it should also be practiced during this pandemic! But sadly, our politicians do not care about the health of others!
Even Congress Netas have their own way of Social Distancing?
A large number of people, including the media, had criticized the BJP leaders for their irresponsible behaviour in allowing such a large crowd at the Gurpur bridge inauguration. They said that such acts neutralize the efforts taken by the government authorities to curb the spread of the virus so far. Social media users said that we should not underestimate the virus and follow the suggestions in letter and spirit as advocated by PM Modi in his speech long ago. Oh Achha Nahin, to note that his own party members are breaking the rules? Seems like “We Don’t Practice What We Preach” kind of attitude here, with our elected politicians, who think that they can do according to their WILL and WISH.
Even as authorities advise us against assembling at crowded places owing to the COVID-19 scare, we see leaders from BJP and also Congress violating the COVID-19 guidelines, including SOCIAL DISTANCING. With the Central and State governments gone to the extent of invoking the Epidemic Disease Act to curb the spread of the highly transmittable Coronavirus (COVID-19), our Netas, including MP, Ministers, MLA’s seem to have thrown caution to the wind. Negligence of political leaders in terms of following social distancing and self-quarantine can lead to a much bigger threat to the community amid deadly Coronavirus outspread. Look at the photos in this report, there is no strictness, whatsoever, over social distancing at their meeting or celebration. Even though we saw Clapping to Slapping, for that matter, India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi did everything other than social distancing.
When PM Modi imposed a lockdown to flatten the coronavirus curve, little did he know how difficult social distancing would be for Indians, including our Mangaloreans? Recently, we saw ‘corona festivals’, police slapping those out on the road during COVID-19 lockdown, Apartment associations in groups clanging plates together and clapping at 5 pm, jostling at grocery stores right after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech and helpless migrant workers trying to get home cramped in container trucks. We saw, citizens lighting candles, diyas, etc.- but what was missing in all these instances? Social distancing — the very reason Modi had opted for a lockdown. And it’s not just the citizens, even our elected leaders who stress on us to follow social distancing themselves are violating the norms. How about that?
Social Distancing Totally flouted during Gurpur Bridge Inauguration
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it in his speech, asking people to follow a strict ‘Janata curfew’ on 22 March 2020, but the disdain for rules was so high that some people hit the streets shouting, “Go Corona Go” in hoards when asked to stay indoors. Others congregated on balconies and roads to clang plates. Even the governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala, banged thaalis to thank the health and front line workers, surrounded by at least 50 people, flouting the call for social distancing. Bah humbug!
While people are strictly adhering to the rules of only 50 people should be allowed at a wedding function, or only 20 to be allowed at a crematorium or cemetery- and now religious places like Churches, Mosques and Temples are strictly following the norms, and even offices adopting the work-from-home policy, understanding the gravity of COVID-19 pandemic, and taking social distancing seriously, however, when citizens are taking a serious note of social distancing, we see our politicians flouting such guidelines.
Just look at the photos incorporated in this report- during the Gurpur bridge inauguration, people were shaking hands, women had their arms around the shoulders of their friends, not many wearing a face mask, and above all, social distancing totally ignored; (Ref: New Gurpur Bridge Opens! All Praise for MP Kateel for His Efforts in Completing the Project In Time); also a few weeks ago, a celebration that took place in Moodbidri commemorating BJP’s Formation Day, where the chief guest was MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, along with other BJP honchos, namely MLA Umanath Kotian, BJP leaders Sudarshan M, Sunil Alva, Gopal Shettigar, Keshava Karkera, among others- did anyone of them follow SOCIAL DISTANCING- you be the answer? And in yet another instance, during a food and cheque distribution programme, where MLA U T Khader, Ex-MLA J R Lobo, MLC Ivan D’s ouza, Congress leader Harish Kumar among others were present, did anyone think of Social Distancing- You be the answer? Also, hardly anyone was wearing a face mask either. Even at the BJP or Congress meetings, there is absolutely no social distancing followed, where they sit close to each other on the dais. Even recently, being a responsible state health minister, B Sriramulu also flouted the social distancing rules at a function, which received wide criticism from the public and media.
We can learn many vital lessons, including Social Distancing from the Monkeys than our Netas?
In conclusion, recently in a news report, a troop of monkeys had displayed exemplary social distancing amid the pandemic in India, despite their notorious acts of destruction and even snatching coronavirus samples. The macaques were pictured lining up in evenly spread rows as they ate their lunch in Arunachal Pradesh- A perfect Social Distancing. If we observe carefully, animals can teach us many vital lessons that we may have missed in the haste of our normal daily lives. If animals can follow social distancing, why not people, including our NETAS! Finally, all I have to say, Embracing SOCIAL DISTANCING seems to be India’s only option now if we want to flatten the curve- but that’s not been taken seriously by citizens of India, and above all, even by our OUR ELECTED NETAS aka POLITICIANS? What a SHAME!