JK News Today Special
Jammu, April 09:
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has taken a timely and appropriate decision by announcing the night-curfew in eight of the 20 most Covid-19 affected districts in Jammu and Kashmir as it will save many lives and put brakes on the spread of the pandemic that already has done crippling damage to the normal life in the Union Territory.
Two facts need to be analysed in all fairness; one that the decision has been taken when the Covid-!9’ surge started becoming scary and also affecting the people in all walks of life in Jammu and Kashmir , hence it had to be now only. Any delay would have caused more harm and made it difficult to retrieve the situation . Time factor is the most important.
Secondly, it should be understood that Jammu and Kashmir is a tourist state, where the tourists have started coming in hordes in 2021 and a lot of people depend on the tourism industry . Tourist places should be free of disease , therefore, it is necessary to put some curbs to break the chain to. Maintain the chain of the tourist arrivals. Summer is approaching and the tourists from all over the country have planned their holidays in Kashmir. They would keep their date with the Valley only if they feel that the place they are visiting is safe .
There is another thing that needs to be studied Lieutenant Governor has not announced the curbs for the nightlife for all the 20 districts , only those districts have been notified where the spike was moving in an alarming way . This will provide a clue that how seriously the government has considered each and every aspect and taken a decision after weighing in all pros and cons of the decision.
Few voices have voiced reservations , saying that Corona doesn’t distinguish between day and night. True as it is , but if an honest introspection is done , isn’t it difficult to deal with a situation during the night as compared to the day time . At the same time , there is a tendency among the natives and tourists to venture out in the late evening hours . There have been many cases where huge parties and weddings have been organized that last run late into the night. It is during the night that the cases occur, but those are reported during the day.
This argument is without any basis that there is no night life in Jammu and Kashmir. This is an argument for the sake of argument , there is no substance in it . For example , dinner parties in hotels, houseboats and other social gatherings last for hours together and is from there where the virus spreads.
Of course, the virus affects during the day time. That is where the crowds gather without observing the SoPs, wearing masks or making room for social distancing . This is because of the carelessness of the people , the administration cannot be present everywhere. If the policemen is to be deployed everywhere or the fines are to be collected from the SOP violators, that would make things more difficult . Then, aren’t we putting more pressure on police, revenue authorities, and as a result on the health facilities .
Therefore, LG’s decision is quite timely and appropriate for the overall good of the people living in Jammu and Kashmir so that they can enrich their economy and host tourists who have already packed their bags for holidaying in J&K.
