We should not be shy of asking the big question, where do we go from where. It is a necessity in the times when the life has been defined as the signals on the traffic light- red, orange and green. There is some amount of certainty of regulation of the traffic lights. These are programmed like that. Unless there is a power failure or some technical glitch, traffic lights inter-change at regular intervals.
The pandemic of corona virus is not boundby the technology or the timing. Time has been suppressed by the virus,and it has put an unprecedented challenge to the human abilities. It has itsown rules and that rule book is not available anywhere. It is as simple as that.
It is not certain that how long a red zone will remain red and when it might be lucky enough to be upgraded to the orange and then green level. A lot depends on how the government views the situation in the areas – it is having its own parameters to assess the spread of the virus. Perhaps the red denotes that there are redlines for the residents living in these zones, see the red lines and dare not to cross it for their own safety. You can duck a bullet but not the virus.
Undeniably, it also depends on how thepeople in the affected areas behave – that is how much they keep themselvesindoors or maintains social distancing, the length of which is decided by theauthorities, decidedly on the advice of the health experts.
It is good for their own safety. Even thebest doctors in the world cannot handle the crisis that this virus has broughtwith it. It is no longer what they call China virus. It has spread all acrossthe world. Therefore, in short, the government has its own compulsions andresponsibilities. It has to ensure that it is doing its job properly for thepeople to whom it is obligated to serve. When such pandemics become part oflife, it is wise not to question the government’s decisions – the virus isunsparing.
As of today, the whole of the KashmirValley is a red zone. That means that it can hope to graduate to the orangezone by adhering to the guidelines issued from time to time by the Government.That may possibly make it a green zone some day. The whole change in the statusrests on the government’s efforts and people’s cooperation.
A nagging question refuses to disappear, though I have suppressed my instincts of curiosity. What will happen in the Valley and to it when red zone tag would be removed. There is a reason for framing this question in such a manner and attempting to ask it. Once the battle against the red is won, what would the Valley look like and how it will behave. Unfortunately, like other parts in the country, Kashmir has not behaved differently in these times of the novel coronavirus – the covid-19 patients even after their recovery are not treated as normal. There is a fear. This fear has given rise to a stigma. This disease is not seen as a disease, it is viewed as something that demands that those infected and then cured should be treated with contempt, as if they were responsible for the virus all across.
This type of unreasonable behavior in thered zones all across the country can be suicidal for economy and social life.Once a red zone, even after the tag is removed, would always live in the memoryof the people as red zone. As the whole of the Valley – that is 10 districtswith an estimated population of eight million – is a red zone, there may beless chances of such a situation emerging in Kashmir, but those who feel thatthey are insulated from the deadly disease because of their high protectivewalls and the artificial immunity that comes with wealth and power, need tolook what is happening the world over. Heads of the government have beeninfected and they underwent treatment.
And, for the government, it is important that it should not only broadcast the appeals against the suspected impending behavior, but should also involve all the stakeholders who enjoy reputation and influence in society to eliminate fears of society. That is a must because there have been some unfortunate incidents in which the people have started treating the infected people differently. It would also be expected of the government that red zones should be defined in clear terms, as to why a particular area or district is a red zone, and what would take it to move out from this red zone categorization.