Pujas are upon us, but Covid a matter of grave concern

PARAG BISWAS, SNS, SILIGURI, 13 SEPTEMBER 21 : It's that time of the year again when the fragrance of 'shiuli' mingles with the autumn air in Bengal to herald the arrival of Goddess Durga. But the deadly coronavirus, which had led to a staggered Durga puja celebration across the state last year, is still wafting through the autumn breeze threatening to herald the Covid-19 third wave soon after Bengal's biggest festival is over.

Amid fears of a third Covid wave, both the Niti Aayog and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) had on August 24 warned the CentraI Government about a devastating third wave, and four days later, the Central government had asked all states and union territories to ensure there is no large gathering and that they take proactive measures to check the spread of coronavirus.

On September 9, the Maharashtra government imposed a series of restrictions to avoid festival-related gatherings and processions for Ganesh Chathurthi over the next 10 days. The same day, the Tamil Nadu government extended till October 31 a ban on public festivities and any gathering of a religious, political or cultural nature, while a day after, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority issued fresh guidelines and said that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at public places will not be allowed in the national capital.

On September 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the Covid-I9 situation, as on the same day the Technical Advisory Committee asked the Karnataka government to strictly enforce the Covid-19 norms as the third wave of corona could hit the state in October-November.

In such a scenario, with the infection rate in Bengal showing an upward trend over the past few days and the number of infections in Darjeeling district rising from 21 on September 11 to 48 the next day, there are increasing speculations among experts in north Bengal that the biggest festival of Bengal, which involves participation and movement of large crowds and lasts for several days, can lead to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the state and may even trigger the third wave of the pandemic.

A senior professor of the Department of Biotechnology, University of North Bengal, Dr Ranadhir Chakraborty, who attributed the sudden spike in the number of cases in north Bengal to a failure on part of the authorities to impose Covid restrictions properly lamented that a simple protocol that could substantially curb the spread of Covid-19 and contribute in controlling the pandemic had few takers on streets and public places. "The government, administration and public have all dropped their guard together, which has led to the current Covid-19 situation in Darjeeling district. The overnight increase of almost 129 per cent in the number of cases in the district is particularly alarming as the national number fell to a rare low of 27,254 cases during the same time. The situation here may worsen in the coming days if people do not maintain the standard operating procedures and the authorities do not follow the Covid screening protocols such as checking temperatures and monitoring symptoms among passengers at all entry and exit points. The authorities should properly check the RTPCR report or vaccination certificates of those traveling in and out of north Bengal. The administration should also be very strict in imposing Covid protocol in rural and semi-urban areas, where people have given up wearing masks and using sanitizers since the beginning of last month," he said.

Dr Chakraborty felt that the Bengal government should have emulated the examples set by the Delhi and Maharashtra governments and set similar restrictions on the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in the state. "Since Durga puja and not Ganesh Chaturthi is the main festival of Bengal, the authorities should have issued guidelines prohibiting public gathering and restricting processions during Ganesh Chaturthi to ensure that less people get infected before Durga Puja in the state," he said.

A veteran surgeon of Siliguri, Dr Kaushik Bhattacharya, who shared Dr Chakraborty's feelings, suggested that a low key celebration of Durga Puja should be encouraged to avoid the spread of the coronavirus among the people of Bengal. "We are facing a rise in cases in the Darjeeling district in particular and Bengal in general mainly because most people have dropped their guard despite indications from scientists and governments that the third wave of Covid-19 may hit India anytime between September and October," he said.

Dr Bhattacharya warned that the uncontrolled inflow of tourists and travelers from Kerala and other parts of India could lead to a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases here. "The situation in Kerala is not only frightening for the people of the state but also for residents of north Bengal since many people from our region work in Kerala and other south Indian states, where the virus is still not under control. Many people will return from these states to their homes in our region for the pujas and they may spread the virus here if they are not screened and isolated properly," he cautioned. The senior surgeon said that the government, administration and general public should stay united and work together in these challenging times, instead of pointing finger at each other. "First and foremost, people should realize that the virus is still very much there and follow Covid restrictions properly. Secondly, bars, cinema halls and other such places where people gather in large numbers for non-essential activities should be shut down for a few weeks. Thirdly, responsible travel rather than revenge travel should be practiced. The government should make it mandatory for all national and international travelers to undergo RTPCR tests and send the positive persons to strict quarantine. Last but not the least, the government should step up the pace of vaccination to cover a maximum number of people and the common people should respond positively by getting the shots," he said.

Citing England's situation in World War II when everything seeped going against it, Dr Bhattacharya advised that we should all follow the quote which was written on the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill's desk. "The quote read: 'There is no pessimism in this office. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They don't exist.' We should follow this quote in letter and spirit as we are in a similar predicament and we should resolve to take precautions to keep ourselves Covid-negative," he said.