Goa is launching into celebration mode with an uneasy feeling as Omicron is fast catching up with the rest of the world, including India. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath re-introduced night curfew from Saturday while also galvanising State machinery to strictly adhere to restrictions and protocol. And the Allahabad High Court on Thursday, fearing another catastrophic situation, urged the Centre to stop political rallies in poll-bound states.
While several states have banned Christmas and New Year celebrations, the scenario across India appears grim with a fear of the impending third wave striking late in January 2022. This becomes a frightful situation for the five states going to the polls, including Goa. According to the latest figures, there are 358 Omicron cases detected in India, with 122 cases reported within 24 hours. The spread of the virus is tracked around 17 States.
In Goa, the fear is even more because this is a peak tourism season. Droves of tourists descend into the State to take part in Christmas festivity and usher in the New Year with pomp and revelry. There is fear in the air because the past two waves exposed the State machinery’s failure to enforce protocol, virtually making a free-for-all kind of a scenario with tourists flocking beaches flouting all restrictions.
This time around, the chief minister has announced his customary caution note of adhering to the protocol of masks and social distancing and exercising restraint in celebrations. The question here is, why are there no restrictions and stipulations on political congregations and rallies that happen daily with gusto. Christmas revelry happens for a couple of days, and so does the ushering of New Year, but the fiery campaigns continue to drum up massive crowds with protocols blatantly violated right in front of those who are calling for restraint. What kind of hypocrisy and double-speak is this? Are politicians and political gatherings immune to Omicron? Why has been there no appeal to political parties to tone down such campaigns? Every national leader who has visited the State, and continue to visit, have been given a massive audience, drawing crowds from nooks and corners of Goa. It has been a show of strength between parties where the barometer of a successful rally is the turnout. Why have been there no restrictions here?
Lip service is being paid to protocols when leaders should have been leading by example. The State government has still not learnt lessons from the past. If we may recall the complete reluctance to impose travel restrictions on visitors during the first two waves led to mayhem. The argument was about sustaining the economy, but at what cost? At the cost of lives?
We are approaching possibly a similar situation, and once again Goa had time on its side with Omicron yet to make its presence felt. There has to be seriousness on all fronts, and genuine efforts, not mere advisories and false assurances.
