By Ayushman Baruah
The lockdowns and lockdown-like restrictions issued by the governments of various states to contain the spread of Covid-19 could be romantic for some while for others it’s nothing short of a nightmare.
For one class of society – the rich and those who can afford
to work from the comfort of their homes –are mostly enjoying a romantic
holiday. Sitting on their comfortable couches and binging on the latest series
on over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime accompanied by
wine and kebabs is the lockdown norm for the privileged class. Of course, the
party lasts until their health is unaffected by the deadly virus.
But even in good health, the other side of the story is
gloomy. Life is miserable for those who don’t have the flexibility to
work-from-home or work-from-anywhere, as they say. They have to get out of
their homes risking their own lives and that of their families for the sake of
winning their livelihood. Come what may, life in its pre-Covid form, has to go
on, for this section of people.
Since the lockdown of 2020, various sectors like tourism and
hospitality have taken a hit, so hard that many people in the sector are unable
to bounce back to their normal lives. Various tourist guides stand and stare at
the once-buzzing tourist spots which now wear a deserted look. Hotel and
restaurant owners and employees stare at the vacant rooms and tables.
Whether lockdowns are an effective mechanism to combat the
coronavirus is yet to be proven. While it may help reduce the spread to some
extent, the side effects cannot be ignored. A study examining suicidal
behaviour during India’s Covid-19 lockdown by the International Journal of
Mental Health Systems has found a 67.7% increase in online news media reports
of suicidal behaviour.
The study titled ‘Analysis of news media reports of suicides
and attempted suicides during the Covid-19 lockdown in India’ said that there
were 369 cases of suicides and attempted suicides during the Covid-19 lockdown
compared to 220 reported suicides in the corresponding dates in 2019. This
number might have further risen since last reported.
A foolproof vaccination drive for all citizens seems to be a
smarter way to tackle the situation rather than imposing lockdowns and curfews
which break the spine of the economy. Citizens should be self-disciplined and
follow the safety protocols laid down by the World Health Organization
(WHO).
Currently, the real challenge for everyone is lack of knowledge about the problem as there are no past experiences to learn from. The need of the hour is to quickly get to the root of the problem and understand the novel coronavirus or SAR-CoV-2. After all, it’s far easier to fight a known enemy than the unknown. Meanwhile, let’s pray for the people affected by the virus and ask God to heal the world.
