Guwahati: In a shocking incident, an Assam man infected by the COVID-19 had to spend the night on the roadside after he was thrown out by his landlord.
As per reports, the middle-aged COVID-19 infected man was kicked out of his rented quarter in Assam's Kamrup district's Amingaon locality. In a strange act of indescribable inhumaneness, the landlord did not even wait for the medical professional to arrive to pick up his tenant. Instead, he abused him, harassed him, and threw him out of his house.
The unfortunate man, who was forced to spend the entire night on the road, says that he was verbally abused by his landlord as well as his family members. They even forced him to immediately vacate the house. The man was picked up by health department personnel after his condition came to be known.
This shocking incident proves that the stigma surrounding the coronavirus infection is very much alive and it is real.
At the very onset of the outbreak, India's Prime Minister cautioned the countrymen not to practice "emotional distancing." However, there have been scores of incidents of callousness towards coronavirus patients. These incidents reveal that there are many who will not hesitate to discriminate against fellow humans out of their fear of the virus.
When the virus first came knocking on India's doors, incidents of cruelty against doctors and nurses became commonplace. It was also reportedly that doctors and nurses were being thrown out by landlords who were scared of virus transmission at their residence. Thereafter, several incidents of "racism" against Northeast Indians for their mongoloid facial features were also reported.
The COVID-19 infected Assam man is hardly the first person who has been discriminated against by fellow humans because of the COVID-19 virus. And, in all likelihood, he shall not be the last either.
Also Watch: NewsMakers: Bharat Bhushan Dev Choudhury, Sec. General Administration, Gov. of Assam, Dispur