Great nations and responsible citizens are expected to demonstrate utmost sense of responsibility and discharging of respective duties in a most desirable , self accountable and conscientious manner specially when the country, as a whole, was facing some type of a grave crisis – war, epidemic or the aftermaths of a natural disaster . It is quite unbecoming of any segment of society engaged in any type of economic activity to exploit the situation and attempt to derive undue advantage of some pecuniary nature from some distressed and suffering people otherwise in desolate state waiting for ameliorating their plight. We had reported and voiced our concern through these very columns over some shopkeepers selling expired and stale goods to unsuspecting consumers and even those items that were hazardous for human consumption just to gain and earn a few bucks . Again, we have reports that some private transporters have been charging exorbitant rates of bus fares from stranded labourers to the extent of terming the illegal move as nothing short of fleecing the ‘victims’. Such acts are brazenly immoral while being totallyundesirable and hence illegal.
We cannot expect the police force, presently under a lot of strain and commitment in respect of monitoring lockdown and associated issues directly related to the corona virus pandemic , to attend to such matters when at a time when the lives are at risk , anyone resorting to such means is unlikely to be even believed. There are hundreds of stranded labourers and other passengers from Jammu and Kashmir trapped in different states and who somehow managed to reach Lakhanpur , the entry point to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, had heart pinching stories to share as to how at Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh , they were charged as much as up to three times the normal fare for carrying them up to Lakhanpur. These “victims” of unscrupulous transporters are the ones belonging to various parts of Kathua , Jammu, Samba and Udhampur districts of Jammu region who instead of expectedly being treated normally , if not laced with some philanthropic treatment , never thought that there were such elements who would even misuse and exploit the COVID 19 grave crisis to mint quick money from them.
Most of the labourers blasted the tall claims of some neighbouring states of providing free bus service and free food to these stranded people to enable them reach their respective places trouble free , from the areas in those states where they were stuck up during the lockdown. Again, such politicians are no less than such transporters who disregarded ethics and morality by virtually fleecing these hapless stranded people as these politicians by dishing out false and exaggerated narrative falsified facts . Just 60 labourers allegedly paying Rs. 3 lakh from Surat to Lakhanpur and again , Rs.3000 per person fare from Agra to Lakhanpur , Jaipur to Lakhanpur per passenger Rs.2500 and the like are instances of sheer exploiting the discomfiture, compulsions , urgency and helplessness of those who otherwise required compassion and help. We abhor such human tendencies which do not make a judgment of their conscience as to what was their duty towards the nation and fellow citizens especially in distress, when there were abnormal conditions like the current corona virus pandemic . Can the respective state administrations take cognizance of this uncalled for state of affairs in their respective states?
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