Like it or not, it’s finally time to embrace the uncomfortable truth. The spectre of Covid-19 pandemic that has been keeping the people of the state in tenterhook for so long is going to make its presence felt in the next few weeks, with the arrival of the thousands of hitherto stranded Manipuri natives from different parts of the country, a large number of which falls in the red-zone. And while the topic of whether the whole exercise of transporting stranded public to their hometown at this juncture is a wee too little too late has become practically irrelevant, it should serve as yet another reminder of the perceived lack of foresight and preparedness of the central and the state government in drawing up plans and policies. Back home, things for those who have reached Manipur aren’t any better, as reports of unhygienic conditions of the quarantine centres are doing the rounds on social media.
What is proving to be of utmost concern is the fact that despite repeated lockdowns and enforced social interaction protocols for so many days, most of the people of the state are still visibly unaware of the reasons or the consequences of all these restrictive exercises and personal precautions. While comments and suggestions for improvement of functioning of the state administration are aplenty, observation of personal responsibility especially in public spaces is worryingly lacking for a huge number of the public. We have been witnessing an unprecedented spike in the number of infections continuously in the past few days, and if the blatant disregard for the protocols and guidelines are anything to go by, things are more than likely to get worse. The initial feeling of positivity when the lockdown was strictly enforced has now come undone and it would be no surprise if the actual number of infected people turns out to be much more than the official figures being handed out by the government authorities.
This is not the fight for the central or state government alone. This time we are in it together, whether we like it or not. Time for politicking and choosing sides has gone. And it is no longer the duty of the elected government to protect the public, rather it has become the undeniable responsibility of the public to cooperate and support the effort of the government and other frontline workers trying to stem the spread of the vicious pandemic which is threatening the very existence of the human. While this statement might sound rather dramatic, the truth of the matter remains that unlike any previous pandemic, people who are cured of this infection does not achieve immunity and reports of re-infection, multiple times in some cases, as well as the alarmingly high percentage of asymptomatic carriers indicates a highly complex and potentially prolonged battle.
The most brilliant minds, the most sophisticated equipments and facilities are working round the clock in a race against the virus to develop a vaccine and find a cure which has proven elusive so far. The only proven means of prevention at present is for every single one of us to follow the safety guidelines laid down by the government as recommended by the experts and make social distancing, sanitization and wearing of masks a way of life and ingrain it in our daily routine, and also to gently remind those who are less than capable of grasping the reality of their responsibility.
