Lockdown ‘negativity’ unacceptable

Shiban Khaibri
It is aptly said that negative people have a problem for every solution. One would shudder at the very idea of fighting the deadly COVID-19 without resorting to absolute lockdown at least for three weeks as per globally recognised and tested solution to contain the spread of the virus . Had there been an antidote, a vaccine , a long term treatment or any type of therapeutic option ,our country too would have preferred to have recourse to anyone best among them. In this hour of grave crisis , let there be no bouts of negativity , pessimism, falsehood , spreading of canards , manufacturing of illusive fears and apprehensions etc as that was bound to undermine the impact of the efforts going on at war footing to fight this virus. Since it is the basic question of surviving the horrendous virus , politicians rejected by the people, followed by self styled intellectuals of different leanings and thoughts, some design journalists and writers, drum beaters of liberty, dissent and doers of anything in the name of democracy should refrain from trying to deriving any political capital out of the pandemic. That would be unfortunate and not without a heavy cost. Agreed, various clubs, popularly known as “Gangs” emerged in this country since 2014 for petty political and publicity gains like Award Wapsi Gang , Tukday Tukday Gang, We want Aazadi Gang, Not in my name Gang, Save Constitution and democracy Gang, Anti CAA, NRC, NPR Gang or Kagaz Nahin Dikhayengay Gang but there should also be the latest one ‘Lockdown negativity Gang’, is preposterous .
Before some light is thrown on the absolute darkness and obscurant attitude of most of the Tablegee Jamaat Marqaz activists in the entire country, let the statements given by the likes of important personalities like former Governor of RBI, Raghu Raj Raman be analysed. On March 26 he claimed , “Just keeping people at home may not contain virus’ spread” . He further argues that not only does lockdown keep people from going to work , it also keeps them at home where people live together and it would be hard to prevent infections from spreading. It was going to have negative effect on the fight against the virus. So, he not only writes off any such measure which alone was its preventive tool from spreading but also rules out any gains from lockdown . Rahul Gandhi of Congress, not only opposed lockdown but suggested that India needed to take some “different steps than other large countries that are following total lockdown strategy”. What “different steps” he had in mind that the government ought to have taken are, however, kept by him close to his chest . Not only that, he openly “fears” the lockdown may further be extended. If at all it is extended, as Chief Ministers of Telangana, Rajasthan, Haryana and other states are demanding , it would be largely due to the havoc wrought by the Tablegee activists over which complete criminal silence by members of ‘Lockdown Negativity Gang’ is conspicuously maintained.
The question is that if not a lockdown , then what ? Why to inject pessimism to this extent even, like by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, that electricity grid could crash due to Modi’s call of switching of lights at 9 PM on April 5. The results on the ground proved otherwise as people got unprecedentedly united as one entity in full support of the call of the Prime Minister and lit the flame of hope, resolve, fortitude and the will to fight back. There were heart touching scenes of how even those who had nothing to fall back upon for their tomorrow lit the lamp of solidarity and unity even from tattered tents and pavements. Many countries are emulating Indian way of fighting under the leadership of Modi . We saw it in Australia, United Kingdom and other countries. On the other hand, there are a few writers who pen scepticism and all gloom in respect of measures taken by the government and write articles terming the shut down as acts of stupidity . Should the choice of those papers not be pooh poohed who publish such stuff which has a high negative impact? Whether it is WHO, other global agencies or top most medical experts, everyone is showering praises on how India with such a vast population could take effective measures and in time, the results of which were far better than the most developed countries like Italy, Spain, America, United Kingdom, France , Germany etc . The Lockdown Negativity Gang never expected global appreciation of India and in fact, are feeling ill at ease instead of feeling elevated and assured. It won’t be any exaggeration that there are elements from within who perhaps are dejected that more serious situation was not sprouting just to discredit the government.
There may be scores of points where we could disagree with Congress leader P. Chidambaram but this crucial time , he has urged everyone to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stay-at-home call of 21 days terming it as a watershed moment by saying the PM was the commander and people foot soldiers in the fight against COVID. Not only this, he has opined that all such debates which took place before March 24 be put behind for the time being . He pledged total support to the PM, the central and state governments in fight against the virus calling it as “we owe a duty”.
Prime Minister announced a package of Rs.15000 crore for healthcare in the wake of the corona pandemic. That may look to many sworn critiquing elements as paltry in as much as of any importance the first measure to provide succour to poor people of Rs.1.7 lakh crore relief package announced by the central government on March 26 itself to relieve them of the economic impacts of the corona virus induced shutdown. Free and cheapest ration , free food and direct benefit transfers announced were going to lighten the burden and the impact of the lockdown. Not only this, reduction of Repo Rates, Reverse Repo rates by the RBI , deferring of repayment loan instalments by three months, waiving of recovery of interest for the intervening period, no charges on ATM withdrawals and similar other measures only after two days of the shut down announced by the government indicates the resolve of the government to fight and defeat the virus and side by side, mitigating its impact on economic sufferings of the people.
The other despicable part of the story is how Delhi witnessed all of a sudden floodgates opened for hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers. Seeing their huge crowds on roads, walking neck to neck to catch buses that were promised to them would drop them at their native places. While on the one hand, central , state and UT governments are looking after these migrant labourers in respect of their requirements of food , shelter and other basic facilities, it is intriguing as to how, amidst tall claims by Delhi government, thousands of such people were allowed or forced to walk on streets aimlessly . We do not see any CM so frequently after every five to ten minutes on TV Channels claiming and self praising arrangements about such people “We feed eight lacs , 14 lacs and what not ” while labourers alleged disconnecting of electric and water connections and told that buses were ready for them. It needs to be probed thoroughly to put at rest, any possibility of nursing ulterior ambitions or torpedoing the possible gains from the lockdown.
Shocking Nizamuddin Delhi event of Tablegee activities in which thousands of Muslim participants of the Tablegee Jamat, foreigners and Indians participated, tearing apart and mocking with disdain ll regulations and protocol about lockdown orders. Tableeg means preaching and propagating the religion aiming at evangelical pursuits. The Head of the Mission Maulana Saadh Kandhawali is alleged to have openly incited the congregation against following lockdown protocol, assemble in groups and thus defy laws. It is intriguing as to how despite assurances given to Police by the organisers, they did not obtain due permission to hold the meet stretched to days together and concealed all vital information about hundreds of Maulanas and Molvis from foreign countries having misused the tourist visa by indulging in tablegee activities for days together, violating Indian hospitality and most of them carrying the virus, needs to be taken very seriously . These foreigners from Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries fanned in different parts of the country most of whom spread the virus as indicated by the spurt in number wherever they hid in masjids for days together. It is shocking that these Tableegey people comprise more than 30 % of the total infected people which has touched 4000 in India.
To heck with the oft rhetoric of liberty and rights etc as these Tablegee sat in close contact for days together and thus lavishly distributed the infection, had travel history which was deliberately not disclosed to police by the organisers of the congregation. They are aggressive, misbehaving with Doctors and nurses, demanding choicest sumptuous food , deliberately spitting and indulging in uncivilized behaviour. Those who would beat their chests for their rights must remember that human lives are most important than human rights.
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