Despite an unstable public healthcare system, India has a formidable record in defeating polio, battling a swine flu pandemic in 2009 and handling a more recent outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus.
But is India prepared for the novel coronavirus, which still does not have a cure? That's the question on everyone's mind at this hour. A country which has a population of over 130 crore, fears that the virus might?spread like wildfire.?
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To tackle the crisis, PM Narendra Modi is his second televised address to the nation, announced a 21-day-long lockdown in the country. ¡°To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,¡± he said in a national address.
Despite swift and early moves to restrict air travel, the central government¡¯s main problem will be to monitor people round the clock and make sure they aren't stepping out for no reason.?
In a bid to contain people, there have been several reports of police brutality. The more recent one being, delivery guys who were brutally beaten up by police in places like Delhi and Mumbai.
A Twitter user shared horrific images of police brutality faced by delivery folks who were trying to deliver essential food and medicines.?Many took to Twitter and criticised the police.??A user wrote: 'Milkbasket app is saying authorities are harassing them hence they are unable to deliver. Look at the message shared by milkbasket. Please look at this matter sir to ease home delivery'.
Many residents across cities have accused police of behaving like ¡°goons¡± and ¡°terrorising¡± people in the name of enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown, harassing even those who had stepped out to buy essential items.?
According to a Telegraph report, vegetable sellers were being booked for unlawful assembly under Section 144, which does not apply to vegetables and fruits that are classified as essential commodities, while grocers were asked to close at several places to ¡°dissipate gatherings¡±.?
Given the severity of the disease and its potential to spread rapidly, authorities have no choice but to come down with a heavy hand citizens. Heck, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, threatened residents in with?"shoot-at-sight" orders if people violated lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus.?However, beating people black and blue even when they have a legitimate reason to be outside is not helping.
It's a fact that Indians have a bad habit of breaking rules, from flouting traffic rules, spitting gutka on roads to peeing in public, people have been told not to repeat it, hefty fines have been slapped, but none follow it and the shenanigans continue till date.?
With a country which has a history of breaking rules, fears among authorities about the recent lockdown rule is understandable. This does not mean that police flogging is justified. Dealing with a panic-inducing situation by creating more fear and inflicting pain makes no sense.
Take, for instance, police in India's northern city of Meerut who made citizens who broke the rule hold up signs reading, "I am a friend of coronavirus," or "I am the enemy of society," before posting their pictures on Twitter.?
Since many citizens are still seen violating the lockdown protocols, cops across the country have decided to take them to task by punishing them in a subtler form, with sit-ups.?
Making people do sit-ups and hold placards is still acceptable form of a punishment, but for the police to go on an all out flogging mode is still something to re-think.?
Yes, the need of the hour is to instill a certain degree of fear in people so they stay home and don't violate rules, does that have to mean indiscriminate beating?
Some villagers in Telangana organised a cockfight amid lockdown, and the cops instead of first having a dialogue with the people, ran towards them and started beating them black and blue.?
This scenario only poses a?double crisis - first the battle with virus and now police atrocities.?
Health researchers have warned that more than a million people in India could be infected with the coronavirus by mid-May. India has already severed international flight links and stopped domestic air services at midnight in a bid to halt the spread.?
This is not to say that police are not helping people in this time of crisis. There are multiple instances of cops coming out to feed the hungry and the homeless who are left helpless during the lockdown.?
But at the same time, they have been forced to come down heavily on people who take the lockdown lightly, Yes, beating up people left, right and centre are extreme.?
There are many other cops who are paving the way for a lighter approach to spreading awareness among citizens. Like this Chennai traffic cop who asked people to get back to their homes with folded hands.?
Disobedience at this hour of crisis is not an option, at the end of the day it's all for done for everyone's safety amid the pandemic. To take it seriously is a responsibility all of us have as citizens of India.?