New Delhi: With the official plan to unlockdown India in phases kicking off Monday, we asked our readers, “How can schools and colleges ensure social distancing when they reopen?”
This was their take.
‘Need a smarter, stronger plan to minimise impact of virus’
Unlock 1.0 feels like a safe approach to opening up the country, like testing the waters by dipping your toes into it. We’ve established the relative danger of the virus, it is now time to maximise our benefit based on that knowledge. However, hospitals are overwhelmed with the growing number of cases, and a smarter, stronger plan of action is needed if we are going to minimise the impact of this virus. The lockdown should be used as a means to buy us time to make and execute successful plans for the healthcare system — Adel Rasheed, Indore. Twitter handle: @dradelrasheed
‘Calls for Aatmanirbhar India during pandemic make me anxious’
Unlock 1.0 feels like a canoe that has been left open to the perils of the sea. The government has been greatly ambiguous in planning and executing the lockdowns. The lockdowns made us witness the plight of the migrant workers, a surge in the cases of domestic violence and inaccessibility of online education to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The ease in restriction comes at a time when we are seeing an exponential growth in the cases of the virus. At such a juncture, calls for being ‘Aatmnirbhar’ only serves to aggravate my mental anxiety and uncertainty — Shashwat Singh, Lucknow. Twitter handle: @_ShAsHwAt_14
‘It’s time to feign confidence in the plan to un-lockdown’
I live in Mysuru and the cases are relatively low when compared to other districts in the state. The restrictions have been eased for quite some time now and people are moving across the city rather freely without much of the fear of contracting the ‘not-so-novel’ coronavirus. For the sizeable population, the lockdown was staying at home doing nothing in particular, and now people want to do something in particular. But, this has definitely not given way for any sort of confidence to live knowing fully well that virus has remained undefeated but we don’t have a choice.
We have to move sometime and if not now, we’d have to move a month later. Had the cases come down instead of exponentially going up, we’d have convinced ourselves that the we can see the light at the end of the tunnel after all. Cases are rising by the day and the economy is slowly trying to limp toward normalcy. We have feigned a lot of things before, it’s time to feign confidence now — Sindhu Nagaraj, Mysuru, Karnataka. Twitter handle: @sind_nagaraj
‘Can’t let the pandemic run the country’
The number of Covid-19 patients are continuing to increase exponentially … In this scenario, the Government of India has taken a bold decision to unlock. It’s less about confidence (that we have weathered the worst) and more about survival, and has forced people to step out of their comfort zone. It’s about pandemic versus hunger, poverty and lost jobs. For the government, it’s about pandemic versus lowering GDP, rising unemployment and deteriorating economy. The government can’t let the pandemic run the country. With precaution, PPEs, patience and perseverance, we can sail across it and step into new world with some changes — Md. Azhar, Patna. Twitter handle: @md1azhar
‘Pandemic is not over yet’
(The news that schools could reopen after August) doesn’t make me confident, but instead insecure, as it essentially means that from this moment on, I must learn and behave to be responsible in a way that let’s me live with the virus but also with everything else that comes with it. Otherwise, it’ll be fatal for me as well. Pandemic is not over yet. As per the WHO’s and ICMR reports and conditions of hospitals, people are dying and cases are ‘escalating’ every single day. But unfortunately, we neither have an economy nor a supportive government that reaches to the ground. Be cautious when you’re out and do behave responsibly — Kishan Mishra, Delhi. Twitter handle: @beyondEclipses
‘Govt needs to take extraordinary steps to protect the vulnerable’
Though India has a vast health care system, there are many differences in the quality between urban and rural areas and also public and private facilities. Many people are denied access to health care because hospitals are not ready to admit. Living with the virus is only possible for the rich and for those who can afford better health care and distancing but not the poor and BPL families, who live in crowded slums with less privileges. Extraordinary measures should be implemented by the government to take care of high risk vulnerable people in slums, orphanages, old age homes, under nourished children, migrants who have travelling history.
It is also the important that every person should be responsible and do their bit by maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding unnecessary group meets and also equipping the less privileged — Shulamyte.P, Warangal. Twitter handle: @PShulamyte
‘Without a vaccine, people can’t live with confidence’
In my opinion, unlock 1.0 has not given enough confidence to live with the virus because Covid-19 is a communicable disease which is easily transmitted. As far as any confirmation regarding vaccine is not out, people can’t live with the confidence. Unlock 1.0 has still so many restrictions, it has not given full relaxations as we had before this virus. There are millions of children prevented from going to school and college. Unlock 1.0 has not opened the educational institutions and it clearly implies that yet people are far from gaining the confidence to survive with the virus — Kalpana Madhu, Hajipur, Bihar. Twitter handle: @KalpanaMadhu10
‘Govts have failed to secure people’s confidence’
Confidence stems from policy implementation, not nomenclature. Governments across the country, with few exceptions, have failed to secure confidence of the people, primarily because of their ill handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Lockdowns have taken a heavy toll on the livelihoods of the vast majority of people and it is this compulsion that’s urging people to live with the virus and venture out. The only positive aspect that is instilling some confidence among people … is a healthy recovery rate coupled with significantly low fatality rate — Arnab Sensarma, Kolkata. Twitter handle: @ss_arnab
‘We can’t be living with a virus, we must defeat it’
In fact, the unlocking has come at a time when the number of cases in the country are increasing at a rapid pace and doctors and health officials are of the opinion that we are yet to see the peak of the disease. To add to that, the crumbling healthcare infrastructure has broken down and the frontline warriors themselves are becoming easy prey to the formidable virus. The grim situation of the destitute, struggling for two square meals a day, does not inspire any confidence. Living with the virus is not an option, we must defeat it — Ritwik Tyagi, Navi Mumbai. Twitter handle: @Ritwik_T
‘We can co-exist with Covid-19 if we are careful’
Unlock-1 has surely boosted my confidence to believe that we can co-exist with the coronavirus as death rates are gradually decreasing while doctors have come up with effective strategies in tackling the virus. We need to be mindful of our acts as it can cause infection if not managed properly, but it is not to worry. By boosting our immunity and regular exercise, we can deal with it like common cold and cough with a little more care. It will wipe out fear — Anugrah Singh, Hardoi. Twitter handle: @Anugrah94655115
“Government should built but Modi haters should DESTROY the confidence of Indian people” seems to be the propaganda theme of ThePrint. while Shekhar Gupta would talk all sensible things to build confidence, ThePrint’s army of journos and authors would destroy the confidence through lies and fabrications as opunions.