Mask & vaccine

The daily update on the Covid situation has given a clear picture that things are gradually improving in Assam. It is indeed a very good sign. The number of confirmed cases is gradually decreasing and so is the death figure. It is a fact that Assam had last year earned accolades for managing the crisis very efficiently. In comparison to other states, the mechanism in Assam was, and continues to be, very efficient and very professionally managed. Given this kind of a professional approach, and given the kind of hard work the government, the health and other related departments and their respective frontline workers have put in, things should however have been even better. But what is seen is that certain sections of people are not at all interested in displaying responsible behaviour to bring life to normal. There is one section that thinks that the mask is a useless thing and should not be worn at all. Then, there is one section that wears the mask below the chin, leaving the nose and mouth exposed. And finally, there is one huge section that has willfully kept away from getting tested and vaccinated. The first section comprises people of all categories – rich and poor, powerful and weak, male and female. The second section generally comprises the poor and illiterate – roadside vendors, door-to-door vendors, rickshaw-pullers and auto-drivers, those who sell fish, meat, vegetables and fruits in the authorized and unauthorized bazaars, and the daily-wage labourers. And finally, there is the large third section which comprises people belonging to a particular faith who are being told that the vaccine will turn them impotent, which in turn will restrict the growth of population of their community in the long run. Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's government must take some drastic steps against all these categories of people who have been creating hurdles in bringing the Covid situation in Assam under control.