While unprecedented rise in the fresh strain of COVID-19 pandemic is panicking hapless populations across Kashmir like many other parts of the country, the political gatherings like government sponsored public functions go unstopped across Kashmir. Political activities and as well as government sponsored public functions allowed amid non-stop rise in the no of COVID cases shows that government in Jammu & Kashmir is not concerned about the health safety of the panicked populations but about it’s own activities and as well as the activities of the political parties. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah might have tested positive for COVID-19 due to health reasons but the politicians testing positive for COVID-19 in rest of the country on their return from campaigning for assembly elections in West Bengal show that the political gatherings are surely one of the biggest causes for unprecedented rise in the fresh strain of COVID-19 pandemic. Though people in Kashmir are wise enough to stay away from the public gatherings as is visible from sharp drop in the frequency of the public movement in busy market even after the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan but government has not noticed the violation of COVID-19 SOPs by political leaders attracting big crowds at their party offices and in open spaces both in Srinagar and major towns of Kashmir valley. If not stopped immediately either through consultations with political leaders or enforcement of covid protocols both the political gathering and as well as the government sponsored public functions could prove very dangerous for the non stop spread of the fresh strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. While schools have been already closed and courts have gone on virtual mode for conducting day to day hearings to ensure social distancing for the purposes of the health safety of the people of all hues, the government has not bothered even to impose minor restrictions on both the activities of the political leaders and as well as conduct of government sponsored public functions.
Government owes explanations to the people for becoming a bad trend setter in organising public functions and situation demands that government itself tends to be a good trend setter by putting restrictions both on the public functions sponsored by it day in and day out and also imposes certain restrictions on political functions both at the party offices and as well as in the open spaces as only such preventive measures can slow down the intensity of the fresh strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact the government itself has set a very bad trend of organising public functions just to show it’s presence on the ground in a hostile health atmosphere. Had the government restrained from organising public functions after the breakout of the fresh strain of the covid-19 pandemic the political leaders would have on their own restrained themselves from attending political meetings in their party offices or open spaces. Government owes explanations to the people for becoming a bad trend setter in organising public functions and situation demands that government itself tends to be a good trend setter by putting restrictions both on the public functions sponsored by it day in and day out and also imposes certain restrictions on political functions both at the party offices and as well as in the open spaces as only such preventive measures can slow down the intensity of the fresh strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
