Have we forgotten the lockdown?

Have we forgotten the lockdown?

India witnessed the stream of migrant workers and their families on the roads – men carrying children, women, children carrying younger children and the elderly, poor deprived of their livelihoods walking to their villages far away when the country underwent Covid19 lockdown in March 2020. The lockdown also meant risking the lives of large number of chronically ill or those under treatment or waiting hospitalization. India has a large number of people who die every year of non-communicable diseases. The plight of these patients a large number of whom depend on Public or Government hospitals for survival is indeed pathetic. With nowhere to go, these people, especially the aged among them, were the worst hit. We are yet to get realistic numbers of those who perished due to this reason. We do have dependable number of those whose who died of the pandemic but do we have accurate figure of those who perished due other illnesses, due to unavailability of  adequate help?

We were held hostage by a wave of the most unpredictable. All systems failed and all suffered. So who is to say that this would never happen again? Horrors have a habit of repeating themselves and the first waves are often the mildest.

Do we have a failsafe mechanism to prevent this? Watching the candidates at the oncoming elections go around without a mask on the face, kissing young children and hugging the elderly as they seek votes, is a sordid example of how to bring the pandemic to your doorstep without even having to step out.

It is with a note of disbelief, that we realise that the lessons taught to us by a killer disease has not sunk in or has been conveniently forgotten. There just cannot be any excuse for the sheer irresponsibility. Large crowds of political activists, gathering at street corners, are a common sight. Policemen who,  only months previously were insisting on keeping people indoors unless urgently need are seen, heartily joining in the jostle.

Let us for a moment go back a year almost to the date. Fear stricken, we sat behind closed door fearing even our next door neighbour. Today we are on the streets vying for the vantage spot in the crowd.

Do we really need another year of terror? It is for you to choose. Choose wisely