‘SUNDAY, a ONE DAY Total Lockdown, Does It Serve Any PURPOSE’- Ask Citizens?
Mangaluru: Once again Mangaluru aka Kudla aka Kodiyal aka Mangalapuram, is seeing a TOTAL LOCKDOWN on Sunday, except essential services like medical shops, milk booths, fuel stations, newspaper stalls and hospitals are open, while other businesses are totally closed. But ask any citizens, where nine out of ten will say “What’s the use of having just one day as total lockdown with harsh restrictions, and allow the rest of six days of the week for people to take it easy, disobey Covid-19 guidelines and go by their will and wish?”. And that’s what has been happening and it’s true!
However, it looks like today’s ‘SUNDAY TOTAL LOCKDOWN has received a very good positive response, unlike earlier couple of total lockdowns that Mangaluru had seen. Wow, Mangaloreans are getting better in adhering to the orders and guidelines issued by the government and district administration. Even though Dakshina Kannada DC Ms Sindhu Roopesh had said that essential services like milk, medicine, fuel, and newspaper shops could be kept open on Sunday during the Total lockdown, but surprisingly other than just a few milk booths, medical shops, newspaper stalls, rest of the shops were completely closed.
The city streets wore a deserted look, with only a few two-wheelers and cars were seen moving around, and also a bevy of morning walkers and joggers enjoying their exercise spree. And few prominent spots in the City like Nanthur, Jyothi, Clock Tower, Kankanady pumpwell, Bunts Hostel, among other places, cops were cracking down on motorists for violating the lockdown norms. Even though the motorists when caught were caught giving lame excuses, the cops didn’t heed to their silly reasons, instead seized their vehicles. In the case of two-wheelers violating the rules, the cop will ride the two-wheeler to a nearest police station, and in case of a four-wheeler, the driver has to take the vehicle to a nearest police station, with the cop accompanying.
And for those who had scheduled weddings on today (Sunday), they were permitted by the dist admin to carry on with their function, provided those attending the function obtain vehicle passes from the administration. And for that matter, there were couple of weddings that took place this morning, but attended by only a few family members and guests. Otherwise, the money saved on having lavish wedding celebration with huge number of guests, now the newly wedded couple can use that money on a shopping spree or for their honey moon expenses?. No other functions/progarmmes were allowed today- and the weddings that took place today followed the guidelines of government pertaining to covid-19, by wearing face masks and social distancing. Unfortunately, the happy photos taken today, with face masks on, for keepsake and for photo album, will not be a good sign. Anyways, Team Mangalorean wishes all the newly wed-locked couples today on this special Sunday Total lockdown , a happy married life!
But in the meantime, citizens say what was the need to have only SUNDAY as a total lockdown day, when relaxation of lockdown is permitted on other six days of the week. Is it just a publicity stunt to show that the govt and administration is working hard and doing one heckuva job in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Or is it intelligence over loaded? But frankly speaking Total Lockdown does not work here, as we have seen in the past. And with a bunch of police stationed at a few city busy spots, they will perform their duties by taking it easy as usual and that’s it. Can’t blame these cops, because they are fed up with the govt and dist admin every now and then of lockdown Nataka- and today’s Total Lockdown Sunday is just one more example. What a joke!
Like I said it earlier, I still don’t understand the logic behind, by enforcing strict lockdown, does it mean that the deadly corona virus is active and on the go only on a Sunday- so that we all sit inside glued to our seats watching TV or sipping on our favourite cocktails and beer or just socializing with the family- and rest six days of the week, the Corona Virus will be taking it easy, inactive and weak, so that it wont affect us. It is like making different holes in the door for different sized cats when they know all the cats can enter through the single hole… a void of logic. Nothing but a Total Joke, when it comes to today’s Total Lockdown !
By the way as counter argument, the researchers should study on how much percentage of corona spread might be avoided just on one day lockdown per week Anyways, seems like today will be a holiday for us and working day for COVID-19. Oh well- the much talked about Total lockdown is here, and if you all are feeling bored, start chanting “Go Corona, Go Corona! or Taali Bajavo and Corona Baghavo! Nothing more I can say, but to wish you all a HAPPY SUNDAY LOCKDOWN DAY!
Yes. Mangalore need to work on half day lockdown!? Or 5 days a week work ..before it is
too much
Well highlighted Mr. D’souza. ?
Holding the government to account for serious lapses is the role of the voting public and the press.
Persons manning GoI showed no ‘duty of care’ to citizens of India in allowing 1.5 million international airline passengers into the country for two months preceding 23 March lockdown many who have been exposed and some on fever depressant drugs.
This sort of gung ho chest thumping attitude will not do in today’s world of microwaves and virus which one cannot even see.
These people have proved to be not only inept, but liable to prosecution in a court of law.
I forgot, our laws do not recognise ‘duty of care’.
Seems like ‘care a damn’ is a way of life for our countrymen who have quadrupled their population from 0.3 billion in 1950 to 1.4 billion today. We have perfected the art of denial.
Can we blame the government ?
Our democracy is not participative democracy, it is democracy of utter indifference and irresponsibility on the part of the populace.
Where there are privileges, there are duties.
The reader must decide, and more importantly, introspect. A far fetched dream ?