What Social Distancing? Hundreds Gather In Karnataka Village For Religious Fair
Click here to find out how hundreds of people gathered in Kolagondanahalli in Ramanagara for religious fair amid lockdown.
During the initial days of lockdown in India which first came into effect on March 25, many incidents of people flouting social distancing norms to gather for religious activities, were reported.
In April a hotspot in Karnataka saw a religious gathering of hundreds of people. Again, neglecting all social distancing norms to avoid the spread of coronavirus, thousands of villagers of Kolagondanahalli in Ramanagara, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, gathered for a village fair on 14 May.
Twitter/Deepak bopanna
According to ANI, permission for the religious gathering was reportedly granted by the Panchayat development officer NC Kalmatta. The officer has reportedly been suspended by the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner following a report by the tehsildar.
As per government data, Ramanagara is presently a green zone.
The video shared on Twitter by Deepak Bopanna, with the caption, ¡®The irony : Hundreds gather at a village in Ramanagar for a religious fair, prayers included an appeal to the Gods to get rid of the #CoronaVirus. All this while they violate norms to contain the virus¡¯.
The irony : Hundreds gather at a village in Ramanagar for a religious fair, prayers included an appeal to the Gods to get rid of the #CoronaVirus. All this while they violate norms to contain the virus.
¡ª Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) May 14, 2020
No #Masks.
No #SocialDistanacing. #COVID19 #COVID©`19 #lockdown pic.twitter.com/3uvSE2694v
The gathering was in honour of goddess Maramma and was attended by thousands of people, in very close proximity to each other with no masks or other protective gear. The footage showing villagers carrying pooja thalis to pay their offerings to deity, are going viral.
Twitter/Deepak Bopanna
Just because an area has been declared a green zone does not mean there are zero chances of infection. It means that some operations can take place there, while keeping social distancing rules in mind. This is one example of how things can go from bad to worse in India, only because people refuse to be ¡®atma nirbhar¡¯ and take responsibility for their actions.
