Stay indoors or else you’ll end up in a ‘quarantine facility’ in a lock up: Assam Police

March 30: When the entire world is busy battling the fatal coronavirus, India government also announced a 21-day national lockdown. However, many throughout the country is seen not too serious about the lockdown and rather is found on the streets on one or the other pretext. Many parts of Assam including Barak Valley too is witnessing a similar scene. We have perhaps till now not understood the seriousness of the situation.

It is high time that the citizens should take lockown seriously. This is required to flatten the curve and arrest the rising number of coronavirus positive cases in the country. Failing to follow rules amid lockdown, citizens will be arrested. The government has served several warnings to ensure that citizens should stay home and only step out when necessary. But all these advisories seems to fall flat at the ears of many people throughout the state.

State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma categorically said during his Silchar visit on 29 March that, “When developed countries like USA, France, Italy etc. with robust health infrastructure are baffled at the outbreak of COVID-19, you can imagine what will happen to Assam, in case there happens to be a large number of patients infected with novel coronavirus. So the best way is to obey the lockdown and stay indoors.”

Prevention is always better than cure. Moreover, in case of coronavirus, there is also no certain cure. Repeated advisories issued by the government seems to have no influence on the ‘literate’ urban masses of even Silchar. Every morning & evening, people in large numbers could be seen loitering in the streets, as if inviting a challenge to the deadly virus and hereby risking their own lives along with the lives of their close ones, locality, society and above all that of their nation. The irony is that inspite of repeated appeal, even many ‘educated’ persons seems to exhibit anger when advised to stay indoors.

The fight against Coronavirus will require efforts from the public as much as from the Government. The onus now lies on the public to render all possible help to the concerned authorities. Around a dozen persons were arrested by the Assam Police till now for disobeying lockdown. As per reports, more than 140 cases were registered for violating lockdown. Putting the blame on the Government may be easy but we all know this fight will not be easy.

In a humorous tweet, Assam Police wrote, “A piece of ‘ friendly advice’ for all criminals: Tis’ is the time to redeem yourself. Stay indoors & wash your hands off all criminal activity. Or, you’ll end up in a ‘quarantine facility’, designed especially for you.”

A piece of ‘ friendly advice’ for all criminals:

Tis' is the time to redeem yourself. Stay indoors & wash your hands off all criminal activity.

Or, you’ll end up in a ‘quarantine facility’, designed especially for you.

With watchful regards,

Assam Police#IndiaFightsCorona

— Assam Police (@assampolice) March 22, 2020

Meawhile, Assam government has ordered closure of all markets except, grocery shops and pharmacies until further orders after people thronged to the markets to buy food supplies, in view of the lockdown. But who cares. The fight against coronavirus does not require our herculean efforts. We only require a small initiative on our part and that is to stay indoors. At this critical juncture, this seems to be the only effective weapon to control the deadly corona virus. Stay home, Stay safe.