Maintain safe distance; end social distancing
The coronavirus is now emerging as the source of all evils. We are blaming the virus not only for the pain and agony of the present times but also holding it responsible for all the social ills plaguing us. Reinforcing the injustice that the common man faces at the hands of his fellow human beings, the virus is actually showing mankind its limitations. It is time for us to recalibrate our thinking and acknowledge the opportunity it has provided to look at ourselves as a society and the depths to which we can plummet.
Before this virus forced us to maintain social distancing, India has been perpetuating social distancing for centuries – the caste system that is so deep rooted and pervasive that the outbreak of a virus has given it further ammunition. The caste system ensured that people grow distant from each other and erect barricades that cannot be broken down. The practice of untouchability was not something the virus gifted us but has been an integral part of society. Even when there was no fear of infectious diseases and spread of a pandemic, some sections of Indian society were considered ‘low caste’ and kept at a distance. A section of society was branded as ‘Dalits’ or ‘Panchamas’ and were not allowed to even touch common sources of water. The virus is not responsible for the pathetic living conditions of the scheduled castes and tribes either.
It is now that the coronavirus has reared its head and made one human being untouchable to another. It has not differentiated between caste, class, or community, and those belonging to the so-called upper castes are also forced to stay away from each other. The problems that we face maintaining social distancing to ensure the virus does not spread and protect our health are many. But this pales in comparison to the humiliation and insult that people experience due to untouchability, and tragically, one section of the society has been subjected to such experiences repeatedly over hundreds of years.
In a similar vein, the country has been witnessing attempts for several years to create a similar distance on communal lines and thereby divide society on the basis of religion. These attempts have intensified in the recent days, many under the direction of the government that has enacted several laws only to deepen the divide and is spending crores of rupees as part of its efforts. As though to prove a point that none of these ‘man-made divides’ matter and to negate the attempts to deepen such divides, the Corona virus seems to have entered our midst to teach us significant lessons and ensure the same social distance is applicable to all, thereby debunking the myth of superiority of certain upper-caste and upper-class sections. Perhaps punishing us for having used places of worship for political gains, the virus also ensured that religious places – temples, mosques, and churches – had no option but to shut shop.
The virus not just mirrored the total erosion of humanitarian values and the selfishness and lack of inclusivity among people but also showed us the humanitarian side of our society and the nobility of the people. It also reinforced that humanity and nobility are not the monopoly of any one caste or creed alone. But, unfortunately, these values have not permeated across our society and seeped into our DNA yet. Having experienced the destruction and losses of such magnitude due to the virus, people should have engaged with their fellow human beings in a humane way. However, we are witnessing how they have gone back to doing what they are best at - continue the perpetuation of the same social evils.
After the prolonged lockdown, places of religious worship – temples, mosques, churches – have reopened but we haven’t seemed to have learnt any lessons. A village near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh has shown us that temples are not yet open to Dalits. A young boy of this village who tried to enter a temple that reopened after the lock down was lifted was shot down. The government has not yet intervened and come out with any measures to prevent such atrocities and barbarian acts that have resulted in snuffing the life out of a young boy. If the boy had died due to the Corona virus, the media would have created a ruckus but as his death was due to the ‘caste virus’, the incident was largely ignored by the media. The virus does not discriminate among people and treats everyone equally, but people of a certain section are subjected to discriminatory treatment by others with total impunity. If we still don’t learn our lessons and treat each human being the same regardless of caste and religion, we must be prepared to face diseases that are worse than the coronavirus.
Karnataka is now witnessing a similar incident in a different avatar. In Sirawara taluk in Raichur district, villagers are getting a big lake drained off water. Reason: An employee of the local Gram Panchayat threw a stone into the lake. Word spread about this and triggered fear among the people who suspected that a ‘dangerous’ object was thrown into the lake. All attempts made to assuage the fears of the people – the person who threw the object into the lake even drank water from the lake – did not work. Finally, a decision was taken to drain the lake of all the water and put at the rest the doubts and fears of the people. The reason for the fear of this magnitude is the name of the person (Mohammad) who threw the object and the community to which he belongs. Using this incident, some people are trying to communalize the issue.
This lake is a lifeline for the farmers of the areas and the villagers also depend on the lake for drinking water supplies. The lake had enough water to meet the requirements of the village for at least three months. The entire water is now going waste – the process of draining out would take about five days - to quench the communal anger, hatred, and superstition of the people. When several villages in the district are facing acute water shortage, the attitude of the people who decided to take such a decision displays a mindset worse than the Corona virus. If we cannot look beyond our selfishness, superstitions, or religious beliefs even at this trying time of a pandemic, how can we then blame the virus for all our ills?
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
