Averting impending disaster

Assam government's decision to withdraw weekend lockdown and night curfew frees the state from most curbs in movement of people and goods. The rising cases of COVID-19 in the state, however, is a reminder that the new normal of wearing face mask and maintaining physical distance the moment they step out of their house is not going to be over so soon. The prevailing pandemic situation is going to make enforcement of mandatory wearing of masks and maintenance of physical distance at public places more challenging for police and administration. The Gauhati High Court has directed all deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in the state to act tough against COVID-19 protocol violators. The court passed the directive on a Public Interest Litigation which highlighted that the COVID-19 virus infection has spread alarmingly due to non-maintenance of the safety protocols in public or workplaces. The court directive is also a reminder to the citizens of their responsibilities to curb infection and not to indulge in irresponsible act of violating the COVID-19 safety protocols. The court says: "no resident/citizen has the right to put his own life in jeopardy or put other's life at risk." The responsibilities of the citizens have only increased as lifting of the weekend lockdown and night curfew is going to bring more people on the roads and public places like markets for all the days in a week and during night hours too. With four months to go for the state to enter the election year, political activities have surged. However, in most political gatherings large number of participants are seen either not wearing face masks or not wearing it properly to protect themselves or prevent spreading infection. In most of these gatherings of both the ruling and opposition parties, students, and youth organizations, the physical distance is not maintained by the participants. A number of top politicians including legislators, parliamentarians, legislators getting infected with the COVID-19 virus speak volume about the leaders and workers of the political parties ignoring the safety protocols when they were expected to set examples for the common masses. The High Court while asking the police officials to be proactive on roads and streets and impose fine on violators in its order made it clear that the order has been passed in the interest of safeguarding the lives of public as hospitals are getting overwhelmed with infected people and hospitals are in short supply of the oxygen. Lessons must be drawn from the experiences of violations of imposed restrictions on movement of people during lockdown and curfew hours. Along with enforcement, awareness drive should also be carried out on the importance of observing the safety and hygiene protocols. In respect of regulated markets, the committees running it have to ensure the observance of the protocols. The wholesale trade points can be ideal spots for sustained awareness drive among retail traders and roadside vendors. The buyers at the markets also need to be equally aware of importance of curbing infections. Awareness drive by Nagarik Committees constituted by Assam Police in Guwahati city as part of community policing initiative and foster better police-public relations can be effective if it is decentralised at police station level. Use of digital media can facilitate wider participation and make the committees truly representative. Transparency in constitution of the committee members is essential to build confidence of all the residents in a locality or an area in the system and to lend cooperation in any awareness drive. The challenge, however, is to keep such committees free from political influence and from being reduced to a propaganda machinery of the government, the ruling party, or any political party. Lifting of curbs on movement of people and goods is essential for recovery of the economy ravaged by the pandemic. The Central government has also asked the States not to impose any curb on inter-state movement of passenger and goods. This, however, does not mean that the pandemic is over. To the contrary it has become worse. Media, both the mass media and social media highlighting minute statistical details of low percentage of fatality or higher percentage of recovery of infected cases creates a smoke screen over the pandemic situation. Such media campaigns are driven by the narrative that projection of rising cases of infection might cause mental stress fails to present the real picture of the impending disaster. When hospitals are overwhelmed by infected patients, the fatality also increases as a result of dearth of sufficient beds in intensive care units, adequate number of ventilators, shortage in supply of oxygen to match the rapidly rising number of cases. By issuing the directive for enforcement of the safety protocols, the High Court has pressed the alarm bell for the government and the public to take timely measures before things go out of hand.