By: AHMAD KASHMIRI
Unlock 1, as they call it, started on June 8 with some relaxations in the three months long prevailing lockdown amid pandemic COVID 19. Restaurants, shopping mauls and religious places with restraints have been declared to be made flexible for the ‘selected people’. However, the observations and the analysts tell us that the unlocking stage is premature as the Pandemic here is up-surging and the consequences may not be good. Various learned and well established analysts have expressed concern over the opening of lockdown amid the up-surging of positive cases manifold every day.
Back home, in Kashmir the number of positive cases is increasing with multifold of statistics and most of the districts stand declared as Red zones. But over the ground the roaming of disturbing govt circulars of either opening schools or randomly asking all employees to join their duties haphazardly adds to the worries as a psychological setback.
Experts say that the pandemic is yet to gain the peak and then the equilibrium status and then to start a downfall which only would determine the timing of a safer unlock.
Significant thing is that Unlocking at any stage needs a module and a mechanism it will not be adapted by the masses by mere sermonizing on media. It is a life style change. Not a common man’s cup of tea. It needs a project policy that shall descend from top to bottom in a systemic manner. It needs trainings and mock drills; it needs mechanical modifications in transportation and at workplaces.
When there is a wind storm, heavy snowfall or else calamity seen by eyes and ears we prefer restrain going to worship places for obvious consequences but when there are deadly germs that can spread by contact and more by congregation but the germs are only seen via high power microscopes ( scientific artificial sense). We blissfully say environment is clear and safe. We believe only our five senses, our acquired mind setting, we believe in artillery gun firing and air bombing and hence can’t dwell out of four walls of homes to workplaces and worship places but we even knowingly don’t care for a vortex of viruses in vogue not seen to naked eyes in a pandemic like this one of COVID 19. A paradox.
These are the requisites of common sense and above this coming to the point of faith nowhere we seem deprived and desperate. Religion gives us freedom, commandments as not to put the self into danger.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”( Sahih al Bukhari)
With all firewalls of social and religious potential yet the masses or even the learned sections of community cross the barriers and cause harm to self and society. This has no geographical peculiarity but is common globally with variances. Now who is to be blamed for the law breaking or say the divesting? Blame games never give desired results; however, experience and research oriented strategies work towards the success.
Before the lockdown is ended gradually, the experts and authorities have been trumpeting for a change in life style. The same could be true and obligatory as there is no vaccine in the sight yet.
The pandemic is by and large deadly and adversely diverse in consequences. However, the emergence of life style changes is not so easy that it will take place overnight by advertising, promos or mere sermonizing. Instead, it needs a mechanism to induce the “New Normal” concepts and phenomenon. It is to learn to adopt a bypass routine as a choice alternative.
Fast food diets did not emerge from homes and spread to hotels but from hotels to homes and became a trend. Social distancing indeed is a misnomer which actually by nomenclature should be physical distancing has to be started from top to bottom not from bottom to top.
Face masks, gloves have to be made elegant and suitable. Design of seats in transportation, exam halls, class rooms, conference halls and hospital wards, clinics and shops have to be reorganized mechanically in essence. Sanitization (harmless) gradually has to be made automated everywhere.
People have been thronging to bank branches for drawing Rs hundred or five. Long queues, No social distancing. A vulnerable situation indeed. Banks need to devise a strategy for home delivery especially for elderly* people.
New Normal is an uphill task. It needs as mechanism, a system. Mere saying and sermonizing wont bear desired fruits. Masses are afterall masses befitting Kashmiri saying “ Looke Mout Gav Anne Gout” ( unruly mobs amount to darkness), prone to rumors, conspiracies and the ignorance, barring the scope of debate of these things in some other aspects. It is the duty of the learned people, experts and the stakeholders of power corridors to make and manage the roadmap.
At this testing time, information technology services can be of great help in devising mechanisms, provided the things are perceived in broader and positive perspective.
Innovations and renovations are ever needed in life with divine orientation of fundamental principles but calamities give them a chance to take place.
Everybody among us from people to power corridors is advising and spreading awareness. No doubt. But, in practice, we all have a role to contribute to the same practice by acting. Westerners made a gadget worn on wrist that gives an alarm as they try to touch their mouth parts, this helped them mechanically, only by a small thing they could avoid what we keep ever sermonizing and yet continue to do.
Let administration invite private corporates, NGOS, Welfare organizations and exchange expertize for fighting this calamity shunning the ego of the either side away for the safeguard of the people. Let ‘people’ join hands make healthcare infrastructure. By doing that we can fight any damn thing bigger than COVID 19.