Last week we saw a spike in corona related deaths in Kashmir. The number of covid positives is only going up and up. On the contrary, sensitivity of the people, if the markets and roads are any indicator, is diminishing. What should be done to sensitise people about this situation and make them follow standard safety measures, is a question staring administration straight in the eye. It also poses a challenge to us as a society as to how we can ensure least transmission of this disease by wearing a mask, and maintaining required hygiene. Wearing a mask, or washing hands intermittently is not such a heavy task, and doesn’t entail much in terms of monetary cost; then why is it that people here are found wanting on both counts. Just a look around if you are in the market, or driving on a road. The percentage of people wearing mask is too low. Sometimes we tend to believe that we are in pre-covid times. In such a case if there is spike in deaths, and the number of positives in peaking, no surprises. The question that hits hard is how can people be so careless about their lives, about the safety of their loved ones in the family.
After all you don’t need to tell anyone that his life is precious, or you don’t need to convince him that his family matters. All our life, and the activities of life, revolve on this key understanding that life and family are the most prized possession. The question for the administration, and also for the community animators, is to understand people’s apathy towards the consequences of the pandemic. Governments around the globe make rules and impose regulations only after they have a certain understanding of, and a connect with, the people. How does government here understand people, and what are the ways they connect to them. Before the administration takes any measures on implementing certain regulations, like making the wearing of mask mandatory for moving out, and penalises the offenders, the need to work on underlining questions is paramount. Has any exercise, at the governmental level, being undertaken to understand the people’s apathy in this regard.