Amit Lodha
Amit Lodha IPS - Inspector General Magadh Range Gaya Bihar
“Kyun Pahnu Main Mask ? Why should I wear a mask?” shouted the Delhi woman. Her equally agitated husband created a ruckus simply on being admonished by the policemen for not wearing a groom.
A few thousand kilometers it was an IAS officer insulting and manhandling people for flouting prohibitory orders at a marriage function.
These two incidents have brought out the character of a small few at both ends of the spectrum; the people and the administrations.
Simply put the Corona virus pandemic is a grave crisis, unprecedented in every which way. The magnitude and speed at which this crisis has unfolded was beyond the imagination of most of us. Even though the administration failed in ensuring adequate healthcare facilities across the country, there is no point blaming anymore, at least now. We as people were equally confident that the worst was over. Most of us had stopped wearing masks and had started going on with our lives, as if nothing had happened. Some had in fact preferred not to get vaccinated as they did not feel the need for safety any longer. And then calamity struck. We were jolted badly from our idyllic lives. The governments and its departments started working at every level.
Also the wonderful stories of selfless people working to provide comfort and solace to the victims and their families warmed our hearts. But along came some unscrupulous people who have no shame, people who are profiteering during such an unparalleled humanitarian crisis.
As a police officer who is at the forefront of fighting the pandemic. I exhort people to help us overcome this challenge. Please form volunteer groups both offline and online but only if you can genuinely contribute. Do not spam or flood social media with unverified messages, non productive criticism, petty politics and most of all unreasonable requests to the members of the administration and the medical fraternity. I have personally got so many requests for “VIP” treatment from the very same people who condemn these publicly. Of course, their requests have not been acceded to. Then their are people who have panicked so much that they have hoarded critical medicines and supplies, that could have been used for the genuine patients. Some people have got beds for their wards even when they are not serious, denying someone else critical treatment. The worst thing that people can do right now is to ransack hospitals and man handle doctors.
We can keep finding faults in our management of handling the pandemic. We can compare our country’s situation with that of New Zealand or the US. But we must not forget the entirely different milieu, the socio economic conditions. Israel has vaccinated almost 60% of its population but then it is a much smaller country and the people and the administrator are extremely disciplined.
This war will be won too provided we win every day battles. All of us should follow the basic Covid protocols, get vaccinated and follow the various guidelines.
I also hope that we improve our immunity to this virus and other diseases by having a more stress free and active life style. Sounds cliched but positive thinking is a wonderful antidote. I also wish that fake news and horror stories do not flood our mobile screens.
Salute to the countless individuals, doctors, Police and other personnel who are working tirelessly. Their hard work will definitely result in a better tomorrow. The human spirit is indomitable.
We have to stand by each other in these trying times. Together we will overcome this crisis.
Courtesy - TOI
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