Some sections of people from Manipur showed their stupidity by joining lunatics of the mainland India in mocking the Prime Minister’s initiative to control pandemic COVID 19 by announcing Bharat bandh from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 22. The reason for announcing such a public curfew has not been understood and the effort was devastated by turning the self-imposed public curfew as a festival. Unfortunately, some section of people converted the precautionary measures of Coronavirus from spreading to the citizens of India by the visionary Prime Minister of India as a festival makes it more troubling and disturbing those working taking the maximum risk to cure those infected and those working to prevent the disease from spreading among us. What is even more unfortunate is some people of Manipur coming out on the street and celebrating it by clapping and shouting slogans without maintaining the health advisory to distance themselves for at least 2 to 3 meters, as if the public curfew is a victory in the fight as coronavirus which causes COVID -19.
Many questions arise from the inaction of the government to such violators of the health advisory. Why these people have been allowed to make a mockery of the Prime Minister’s announcement when even rituals related ceremonies are even prohibited.
Those people are all in the social networking site and their faces are seen, why none of them have been picked up and kept for quarantined at least for 14 days as the way they gathered and celebrated may get the virus transmitted in them if any persons who already have the virus may be among them.
The clapping announcement at 5 pm was to give respect and honour to those working for the prevention of spreading the disease risking their lives at the hospital and also at roads – like the doctors and other health workers and the police personnel who have been monitoring the gathering of public.
Perhaps the public curfew of yesterday was a trial or an experiment to face the odd in the coming days. According to some experts, India may face extreme situations and for that total locked down like the way that happened in Wuhan city of China may be required, at that time the government has to take extraordinary measures as it is mandatory to take up such measures in extraordinary time.
Desperate time needs desperate measures and we are at a desperate moment. The people irrespective of differences in ideology should work together and extend all co-operation to save the people of this erstwhile kingdom. Had not we showed our support it would be difficult for all of us to survive and without people’s existence of Manipur may be another history?
The idea of closing the most crowded place – Khwairambandh Keithel should not be criticized as this is the only way to keep people from social distancing, but saying so the government may face a hard time in doing so for a longer period. For that planning to make sure that adequate measures to prevent the virus from spreading to those in the market be taken up. What the police department in association with the IMC during the shutdown period needs to be appreciated. And we in the Imphal Times suggest the installation of the water tank as much as possible in all entries of the three Khwairambandh Keithel so that every customer could wash their hand. Hand sanitizers need to be distributed to all the vendor ladies, besides making them sure that their stall distances at least one meters.
Lastly, but not the least, the government should make sure that the security personnel and those health workers and doctors established cordial relationships as both need to travel any time on the road where restrictions have been imposed.
