With the coronavirus taking a toll at almost all the counties with an exponential increase in positive cases and deaths in the wake of which all the government’s announced complete lockdown. Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, as well announced a three-week complete nationwide lockdown of 1.3 billion people with a view of breaking the chain of spread. With no targeting medicine and vaccine for the novel coronavirus, ‘prevention is better than cure’ has been the only mantra all through the lockdown.
While the uncertainty loomed, safe and effective measures like Social Distancing were advised by many health experts across the globe. However, this seems to become a biggest and trickiest challenge for the Indian government to create awareness amongst the public. With an unequal stratified system in the country, social distancing turns out to be a privilege available only to the upper-class well-off Indians. Migrant workers form the majority of this population were seen flocking to their home towns with unemployment lurking over.
Community and religious concerns were also seen playing a major role in questioning the social distancing concept. Days after a pastor in Hyderabad was booked for holding mass prayer at the church, Nizamuddin congregation shook nation where almost 3,000 devotees assembled including 800 foreign religion heads. In a fresh revelation, Sriramanavami celebrations in Bhadhadri raised concerns over the social distancing. Though the government decided to restrict people from attending the annual event, the pictures of a few ministers and priests maintaining close proximity are taking rounds on social media on Thursday.
