Category: Lok Issues

Economist and Women’s Rights Activist

‘Marriage Cannot Be Treated As A Licence To Rape Spouse’

By LokMarg

Dr Shruti Kapoor, an economist and women’s rights activist, considers marriage a union of equals, and says consent is the key in any relationship

Marital rape by definition is an act of non-consensual sex or unwanted sexual acts with one’s spouse. If you consult our law books, the Section 375 of Indian Penal Code defines rape as “non-consensual sexual intercourse with a woman”. However, the law then exempts the husband from any penal consequences if he forces intercourse on his wife without her consent, given that his wife is above the age of 15 years.

Clearly, there is a discrepancy in our law which avoids marital rape from ambit of conviction. Marital rape is still not considered as a crime in India for a host of reasons including cultural stigma and shame around marital rape. We feel okay for a husband to demand sex, not take consent into consideration. In our society the institution of marriage translates to ownership of a woman’s body.

Take a look at the global scenario in this context. There are 150 countries around the world which have criminalised marital rape. Still, in many countries, forced sex in a marriage remains outside the criminal law. India is one of the 36 countries which are yet to consider it a crime in law books. Indeed, we are in a minority here.

A marriage is a union of equals, and consent is the key in any relationship. Marriages should not be a license to rape and why would any woman want to remain married to a man who rapes her or abuses he?

WATCH: Women Ask Death For Rapists

It is deplorable that our judicial system is hesitating to challenge the status quo. In August this year, the Chhattisgarh High Court observed that sexual intercourse, or for that matter any sexual act, by a husband with his spouse would not constitute rape even if it was forcible or against the consent of a legally wedded wife. The Kerala High Court reflected a similar sentiment in more guarded words. “In a married life, sex is reflection of the intimacy of the spouse,” said the High Court.

However, we beg to differ. In my view, forced sex even within marriage is gross violation of a woman’s human rights. Rape is a rape, whether in a marriage or outside. Just because one is married, it does not gives one the right to force oneself on a non-consenting partner.

Critics often argue that bringing a law against marital rape will spark a litany of fake allegations of and many women will misuse its provisions. My argument here is that fake allegations and misuse of law can occur in any criminal act. Fear of misuse of a law cannot be used as an excuse against millions of woman who are raped under the institution of marriage. In any case, the percentage of fake allegations would only be a negligible fraction to the number of woman who are raped daily in their marriages.

Dr Shruti Kapoor is also founder of Sayfty, an initiative to educate and empower women against all forms of violence

Assembly Elections in Punjab

‘AAP Will Win Punjab Polls; Farmers Morcha Needs Time’

By LokMarg

Rajni Sharma, a school teacher from Hoshiarpur, says with several new players in the field, Assembly elections in Punjab will be an interesting battle to watch

I keep a sharp eye on the changing political landscape, be it at the state level or pan-India. The upcoming Punjab elections seem poised for an interesting battle between candidates. Given the fact that this time a lot of outside parties like AAP, TMC and BSP (in coalition with another party) are in the fray against parties that have deep rooted cadres, it would be interesting to see which way the wind blows.

I’m interested in seeing how former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s party, the Punjab Lok Congress does in these elections. He had promised smartphones to young students during the pandemic but didn’t keep his word, and many youngsters suffered due to lack of means to afford online studies. It is an important factor.

Personally, from Hoshiarpur I would love to see the Congress candidate, Sangat Singh Ji win and represent us. He has been a fabulous representative and is always there for every event where people request his presence, be it social events or other pressing matters. We know how much an able leader makes us feel safe during these times of the pandemic. He did a great job during the starting of the pandemic and even until now, helping provide rations, listening to people’s concerns etc.

At the state level I firmly believe it is AAP that will win and Bhagwant Mann will become the CM. Given his young age and the ground work he has done in the last five years, people seem to have taken a liking for him. He recently talked about how no farmer works in isolation and thus we need to find collective solutions for farming in villages as a whole. I loved this point that he made. I don’t believe that other party will be able to cut votes of AAP to a great level, because frankly people are fed up of the inability of parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal to sort out the drugs issue for good.

Sharma wants Bhagwant Mann to be the next Chief Minister of Punjab

I teach at the Guru Gobind Singh Public School, Nainowal Vaid and I have personally seen how a good leader can change the whole system and put people at ease. Our school chairman ensured that not a single person from any job category lost their jobs during the pandemic although the school was closed for nearly 1.5 years. I expect the same level of efficacy and concern from our top leaders. They should ensure ke kisi ke ghar ka chulha nahi bujhna chahiye…khas kar kisano ka.

ALSO READ: Who Will Win Punjab?

The farmers protest will definitely play a major role in these elections. However, the local farmer unions aren’t supporting the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha party floated by the big farmers unions. I think the party needs to do a lot of groundwork before they can make a space in people’s heart. Where I stay a major portion of the young population lives in foreign countries. All parties have to take other issues into account along with farmers issue and also talk to the youth in their language.

My children as well as other kids in our extended family are all batting for Bhagwant Mann as CM for they feel he is a vocal person and that’s the need of the hour; someone who doesn’t back down when talking about the issues of Punjab. Farmers should definitely contest elections, but I think it will take a few years before the SSM can make a major mark. Just the rolling back of Farm Bills won’t suffice for the population, other issues causing problems to farmers need to be sorted out too. And no matter whether SSM wins elections or not, they should ‘plough’ on about the issues impacting farmers at all levels.

Sugarcane Grower in Western Uttar Pradesh

‘There Is Nothing Sweet About Sugarcane Farming’

By LokMarg

Nirdesh Chaudhary, 42, discloses the hardships of a sugarcane grower in Western Uttar Pradesh, from delayed payment of dues by mill owners to mounting farm loans and more

We might be growing sugarcane but there is no sweetness left in our lives as farmers. We have to run from pillar to post for every small thing. Growing sugarcane in itself is a time and labour intensive process and even after that we don’t get paid enough for our produce. And whatever little we get isn’t paid on time.

When we earn from one crop cycle it is only then that we can invest in the next crop rotation. We grow other crops too like wheat, Urad pulse and rice alongwith sugarcane and all our crops suffer if we don’t get paid by mill owners on time.

The current price set by the government for sugarcane yield is ₹350 per quintal, which amounts to a measly ₹3.5 per kg. Do you think we invest only ₹3.5 for growing each kilogram of sugarcane? The cost of producing sugarcane is rising each year. And Covid-19 for the past two years has made things even worse.

I haven’t received payment for the past two months for nearly 10-12 transactions. Shouldn’t the government go a step beyond just setting up a price? Shouldn’t the government ensure that the farmers receive the payment, and timely payment at that?

ALSO READ: ‘Govt Wants Farm Sector To Go Telecom Way’

The mill owners are not interested in the plight of farmers. Instead of paying the cane supplying farmers they remain busy in power games by forming lobbies in Lucknow (seat of power in Uttar Pradesh). No matter how many protests, sit-ins and negotiations we have tried to draw attention, the mill owners don’t budge an inch.

Chaudhary wants Govt to fix MSP for all crops

The farmer’s voice goes unheard. It is the same story year after year. Which is why the farmers were so vocal during the recent protests. If local mill owners can treat us like this, imagine what the entry of big corporates in the sector would hold for us!

We feed the nation, but our children go to bed hungry. We are supposed to repay our farm loans back on time but the same rule does not apply on mill owners for dues. The pending dues often force us to default on paying our bills, which results in our electricity supply being cut off, affecting both our homes and fields. At times, we aren’t able to pay our children school fees on time and face humiliation.

Just how are we supposed to survive in such an atmosphere? Middlemen, mill owners… it is as if there’s no one in the system who supports the interest of farmers. The government should seriously think about farm loan waivers if they want to see the farming community not merely struggling to survive, but actually thriving. Farmers are forced to commit suicide because the whole system is stacked against them. Imagine all your efforts going to naught, that’s how we farmers feel. We don’t want our kids to continue farming, any small job would do but not farming. There’s nothing left in it.

That is why agreeing on MSP for all produce is such an important requirement for farmers. The government might have taken back the farm bills but it needs to implement corrective measures soon, otherwise an agrarian crisis is looming large. We farmers are somehow surviving, but it is high time all other stakeholders pulled up their socks too.

As Told To Yog Maya Singh

Vote in Favour of Yogi Aditynath

‘I Want Yogi To Return As CM, And Here Is Why…’

By LokMarg

Pratham Raj, 19, a college student and a first time voter in Uttar Pradesh, recounts the reasons why he will cast his vote in favour of Yogi Aditynath

I am excited to be able to vote for the first time as the assembly elections date draws near. For a state as big as Uttar Pradesh, we all need to take our votes seriously. Even though I don’t follow news religiously, you cannot call me unaware. I am a socio-politically aware youngster even if I don’t understand the nitty gritty of politics very deeply.

I would be delighted to see chief minister Yogi Adityanath return to power for a second term. I have been happy with his tenure from 2017-2022. And I believe Yogi ji and the BJP will go from strength to strength in the next five years or so.

For me, the highlights of his tenure are the bhoomi poojan at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and also the Kashi Vishwanath corridor project. As a Hindu, I feel very happy that my identity is being respected. People might say what they want but Yogi Adityanath has done many things for the state, be it handling Covid well, bringing the crime rates down and an overall lessening of the dabangai attitude. Most importantly, he has taken good care of the education of the youth.

Raj is appreciative of the decicisiveness of CM Yogi (right)

I study in a government college in UP and when even in normal times the education at government colleges would not be up to the mark, I am satisfied that even in these difficult times my education at government college is going well. Government employees have begun to take their work more seriously, because the CM takes his work seriously.

ALSO READ: ‘Polarisation & Pandemic Will Dominate UP Polls’

During Covid, the government did a great job with supplying timely rations to the poor and the needy. No matter which community people belong to, they should appreciate a good job when they see it, irrespective of the party. I agree with what Yogi Adityanath said about this election being an 80-20 fight. Many still do not appreciate even a bona fide project like the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan in the state by Yogi just because he carries his Hindu identity on his sleeve.

When I grow up I want to take an active part in politics. I like the decisiveness with which Yogi Adityanath handles matters. His relatively young age also means he understands the requirements and aspirations of the youth. He is a balanced leader in my understanding and the Hindutva factor totally works for me. I am looking forward to see what more Yogi Adityanath can do in the next 5 years.

Disturbing Social Trend in The Country

‘Those Who Normalise Bulli Bai Creators, Are Breeding Rapists’

By LokMarg

Haleema, 22, a law student in Uttar Pradesh, says communally targeted hate apps indicate a disturbing social trend in the country

I am shocked and aghast, both as a girl and a law student, as how easy it is for people to create derogatory and misogynistic apps like Sulli Deal and Bulli Bai. Kya naya sal ka tohfa diya gaya hai Muslim women ko, jaise unki koi izzat nahi (What a New Year gift! As if Muslim women have no privacy). This level of misogyny, targeted misogyny at Muslim women is scary.

The people who were visiting these apps gleefully must understand that the creators of such apps have sick minds and in future they can turn their hatred to any group, including Hindu women. If we normalise such behaviour, it will breed heinous criminals such as rapists. The safety and modesty of women should be taken seriously.

I had no idea about the Sulli Deal app and came to know about it only after I witnessed the outrage against the Bulli Bai app. A part of me wonders if the timing of the app creation and subsequent arrest of the creators has anything to with the upcoming UP elections.

As a law student I believe that no matter which party comes to power, cyber laws must be strengthened. We were anyway living a large part of our lives virtually and with the pandemic the shift has been even bigger; social media presence is inescapable.

As women in general and Muslims in particular, we also need to be vocal in our protest against such happenings and do everything in our capacity to bring about a change. Wherever we see a scope for social sensitisation we should take part in it. Yet, I still feel worried about young and small town girls who get easily scared about such matters and in extreme cases it might even become victims of honour killing or mistreatment. Or they may suffer silently, undergo depression….

ALSO READ: #MeToo Deserves Applause In Misogynist World

I am happy that certain prominent Muslim women like RJ Sayema are talking about it and not sweeping the issue under the rug. Many vocal Muslim women’s pictures were used in the app. However, I do have faith in God. The very women they are trying to quieten have shown nerves of steel during the Shaheen Bagh protests. If we are being targeted for our faith I believe it is also our faith that will save us. God will take care of us through every trial the life throws at us.

Haleema finds it sad that a woman named Shweta Singh (right) was also involved in the mysoginistic app creation

The saddest thing for me in this whole fiasco is the involvement of another woman, Shweta Singh. How could the seeds of hatred run so deep that a woman could think of auctioning off other women? And I wish youngsters like Neeraj Bishnoi had rather used their technical skill set in solving problems that the pandemic has given rise to. These are misdirected, vulnerable youngsters but very shatir too. The government should take strict action against the creators but also not forget that it is a reflection of a larger social malady: hatred for Muslims.

Until a few years ago I was an Indian Muslim, but now we are seen as Muslims only I guess. Even young kids know what religious divides are all about. I haven’t been mercilessly trolled online, though an othering of the identity is definitely there, but this takes things to a whole new level.

And yet again I keep believing in the idea of India, where the culture is one of love. I hope and pray the communal hatred will soon die down. If the pandemic has shown us anything, it is that we need to support rather than hate each other in these times of global crisis.

Media Reports About Muslims

‘One Property Agent Was Upfront: Muslim Tenants Not Welcome’

By LokMarg

Md Tausif Alam says he had only read media reports about Muslims being turned away as tenants but when he faced the situation in real himself it came as a humiliating shock

I had often read stories and experiences of others and create this unrealistic belief that such things happen to others until we find ourselves in the same situation. Who hadn’t read accounts about Muslims being denied a house as tenant in metropolitan cities, particularly in Mumbai, the biggest cosmopolitan city in India?

Still, it was a rude, and humiliating, shock when I faced it myself in a melting pot like Delhi.

In 2016, I was living in the Patparganj area of east Delhi, working for a top media organisation. The same year, I got married and decided to move into one of those gated housing societies that were dotted close by in Mayur Vihar – an upscale, well-educated and middle-income locality which was close to central Delhi and in close proximity to my workplace too.

My first point of contacts was brokers who connect potential renters with house owners. In no time I realise during my interaction with them that the process is going to be challenging. Worse, there was a pattern to it.

Let me relive how the conversation would often go: I would call up a broker and tell him that I was looking for a flat on rent in one of the gated apartments in Mayur Vihar. He would respond that ‘yes, sir, there are many available’. He would then enquire about the budget, marital status, the number of people in the family and other details.

Then, suddenly, maybe at the mention of my name, Mr Agent would realise that the prospective client is a Muslim. Immediately, the terms would change, the availability vanished. The melting pot had a meltdown.

ALSO READ: Sharjeel Says CAA Last Straw That Broke Muslims’ Back

It became a routine thereafter. Some brokers would say they needed to confirm the availability with the owner again, others said the owner had a condition for a vegetarian tenant. Only a few were upfront: no Muslims tenants, please.

It hurt: being told over and over that there was no place for me there. The first-hand experience of this kind of situation also gave me a sense of perspective about the demographic division of our society on the basis of castes and religions, a metropolitan city no bar.

Thankfully, we were able to rent a house in one of those apartments. But, the irony of the situation was that the entire gated society had reserved itself for Muslims, majorly. A ghetto by another name.

My experience brought back into my mind the stories I had read only in newspapers. Just that this time I was a character in the story. Finding a house is an ordeal for everyone in a big city today. But the challenge goes to another level when your religious identity comes into play. Every time, we change a house, we have to go through the same experience.

I didn’t have this experience before in Delhi because earlier I mostly lived in ‘student areas’. The caste and religion of a student in such zones of Delhi was just “student”. Gated communities were never a student’s choice and reach, also vice versa.

In recent years, much has changed. I am not sure that even student are not judged from their religious or regional identities as tenants. And I am worried and anxious about students who would now be branded as Muslim students, Sikh students, Christian students or Dalit students. I can only pray for sanity to prevail.

Attacks on Christmas Celebrations

‘Christians Faced Subtle Bias Earlier, They Face Violence Now’

By LokMarg

Raj Kumar, 24, a Protestant Christian from Bihar pursuing post-graduation in Delhi, says recent attacks on Christmas celebrations in several states is a growing and worrying trend

I’m a Dalit Christian (Protestant) belonging to Siwan in Bihar. Ever since I came to New Delhi for my studies, I have become an even more active member of the Church. Faith is important to me, which is why it pains me to see when one group of people attacks another group of people, just because they are practising their faith.

The recent attacks on Christians during Christmas in several states and the regular attacks on missionary schools is a worrying trend. I believe the very ethos of India, that is pluralism is under attack. As ‘We the people of India’, weren’t we all supposed to be one nation, one people? And I don’t understand the bogeyman of ‘conversion’ that people take recourse to when they attack people of a minority faith. Let me narrate how our family converted to Christianity.

While many people convert willingly because they feel discriminated against, it wasn’t the case with our family. My grandmother is the one who decided to embrace Christianity. My parents had been married for five years but had been unable to conceive. My grandmother went to different places to pray and in that similar vein she visited the church as well.

I was born soon after and she believed it was a miracle, which is why she took up the Christian faith. That was the turning point of her life. Faith is a very private and personal thing and people have different trigger points for different decisions. For me, the church is a like a psychologist, to guide me, motivate me, support me and help me become one with the community as well.

Kumar says radicalisation will have an adverse impact on Indian social fabric

As a child we did feel ‘othered’ as Dalit Christians but not to the extent as it is today. It was subtle, but since the last few years it has become an in-your-face kind of thing. The very people who talk about missionary schools being run by videshi dharm have their own kids getting the best of education in them.

It is the local level leaders and the aam janta that gets brainwashed at the idea of there being an enemy out there. The landlord of our church is a practising, socially active Hindu and says the only thing he wants is the rent on time and nothing more. I wish more people were like him. I worry if individual freedoms will take a complete beating in the coming days.

ALSO READ: ‘People Getting Touchy About Religious Identities’

Reports of lynching have become relatively commonplace and now alongwith Muslims, Christians are being targeted too. Personally I don’t feel scared because I have faith in God. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about the impact it is having on society at large.

As per a recent report, a whopping 80% of the food distribution to poor people was disrupted because it was coming from Christian organisations or countries. Shouldn’t we be caring about the poor? The pandemic finally made people feel how those practising a minority faith feel: socially distanced and isolated.

Back home in Bihar there have been news of pastors etc. being attacked. We need to bring back the idea of India and understand that hate constantly wants new targets and when there’s no one left, it turns inwards. I would like to remind everyone the poetic lines by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller who said:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

3rd Wave Covid

‘3rd Wave Is Upon Us; Of All Gatherings, Election Rallies Are Worst’

By LokMarg

Dr Mridul Sharma, 24, from Amritsar, says our leaders lecture others on Covid-appropriate behaviour but fall short of following the protocols themselves

No matter where the Covid-19 has come from, it is certain that it will go very far in destroying the health of millions. And we doctors and other frontline healthcare professionals are the first line of defence when the virus attacks. The Delta variant has shown just how devastating the effects of the mutated virus can be and I am pretty sure the Omicron variant is going to cause as much, if not more, damage. The third wave is a certainty and we should brace ourselves for it.

People have no idea how much pressure healthcare workers come under, when the cases surge and peak. Not only are we ill equipped to fight the virus, as it is mutating faster than we can understand it, we are also overwhelmed with the volume of cases.

Conducting a political rally when the third wave is imminent, isn’t a good idea. In fact any gathering is not a good idea, be it a marriage or funeral, but political rallies are the worst. A big rally is scheduled for January 5 in Punjab and in my opinion by January 15, there are chances of the third wave striking in force. I wish people understood the situation.

I myself contracted the virus twice, once in August 2020 and the second time during the second wave. And since I live alone, it gets difficult to manage the infection on one’s own. My oxygen saturation levels went dangerously low while I was infected. On Covid duty during the second wave, I had to take up rented accommodation near the hospital, so that I didn’t have to commute much and there were lesser chances of me infecting someone else.

Sharma lost his grandfather to post-Covid complications but had little time to grieve his death

Most other people can cope with the slow recovery but a healthcare professional, especially a doctor, has to get back on one’s feet immediately. I lost my grandfather aged 86 to post-Covid complications in April. He was full of life and someone with a healthy lifestyle and yet it was difficult for him to fight the long Covid complications. As healthcare professionals we don’t even get time to grieve our loved ones. When people conduct election rallies they must understand that human lives at stake.

ALSO READ: Health Workers Are Anxious About Omicron

My sister is a dentist and during the second wave, healthcare professionals from other streams were also asked to pitch in to enhance resources. My parents get anxious to see both their children stand in the frontline. I wish governments understood that individual families get impacted when prevention isn’t done well and each story ends up differently.

Tamam umr sarkarein yahi bhool karti rahi, dhool chehre pe thi aur aaina saaf karti rahi. (Governments commit this mistake all the time: find fault in others’ behaviour, forget to check their own record). Political leaders should lead by example so that the public knows how to behave and follow Covid protocols. As the virus mutates, the complications are also getting severe: the Guillane-Barre syndrome, body paralysis, long Covid etc. And people with co-morbidities have it tougher.

India has better immunity than most countries because of our food habits, but we also have enormous numbers. We are bracing ourselves to report on Covid duty once again. Even if we report on duty for one day, we have to quarantine ourselves for a fortnight. It isn’t easy to be confined for that long every few days. And when we are called on duty, the workload is beyond overwhelming. We all need to take the right decisions every step of the way to fight the virus.

Virat Kohli’s Public Comments on Losing ODI Captaincy

‘Kohli’s Captaincy Issue Should Have Been Resolved Inside BCCI Walls’

By LokMarg

Mirza Danish Alam, a cricketer and coach from Moradabad, UP, feels the media portrayal of Virat Kohli’s public comments on losing ODI captaincy as revolt of sorts is unfair

Ever since Virat Kohli held his candid press conference about his removal as ODI captain, and other issues, the media is having a field day. Many have tried to project this as Kohli coming out against the cricket control board. Being a cricketer myself (I have been playing professional cricket since 2008 and run a coaching centre since 2015) I would advise people and cricket fans to be kind to the players and do not judge. Let me explain why.

The selection of professional cricketers in national, state or premier league teams is dependent on a lot of factors, and the pandemic has made it even tougher. Athletes being confined at home or in bio bubbles, not being able to do proper practice, playing matches without any spectators present, the worry about when future matches or tournaments might take place… the pressure outside the field is also immense. Which is why I believe that everyone should be kind to Kohli and try to understand him and not see it as Kohli versus BCCI saga.

I have been a part of the U-16 National team, the U-19 Bengal State team, Bengal Ranji Team. I have played in various international premier leagues too. I have played with Kohli many a time and I feel he is a very passionate captain, even though Dhoni will always be my favourite.

Danish has played with Kohli on several occasions

If we speak purely statistically then Virat Kohli’s performance as captain hasn’t been very good in the past few years while Rohit Sharma has had a better track record. It is better for the team’s morale to have the same captain in similar formats. Kohli himself gave up the T20 captaincy, so I believe the matter of ODI captaincy could have been sorted out within the team and selectors rather than in public.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 Has Maimed Sports Fraternity

I also know Dada (Sourav Ganguly) well and believe he has done a lot for players at every level, from domestic to international. He always puts players and the interest of the team first. You would agree with me when I say that the number of new players who have been given the chance, the exposure and the support in the last few years has been extraordinary.

Dada and Kohli both have a different kind of style and swag and I believe the media is making the issue bigger than it really is. The BCCI management has pulled up its socks in the past few years, corruption has come down and transparency has gone up. We have coaches who understand cricket well, be it Shashtri or Dravid.

Yet, it might take a few years for everything to fall properly in place, and until then we should not judge any side but understand them. There is no place for image management in cricket; only skills matter. The media should give matters a rest and let the future crop of players live easy. During the pandemic most budding cricketers could not keep up with their training and have lost two valuable years of their careers, their confidence and motivation too. We should concentrate on revival of their skills for we are all in this together.

Covid Is Not Over Yet

‘People Forget Covid Waves, Health Workers Worried About Omicron’

By LokMarg

Anita Kumari, a 42-year-old auxiliary nurse & midwife in Jharkhand, says masks have come down and social distancing gone for a toss but Covid is not over yet

I have been in the medical profession for nearly 15 years now, but never have I seen anything as devastating as the coronavirus, and the various mutations that it springs upon us from time to time. The Delta variant, the Omicron variant, who knows what other variants are lurking around us. I wish people took more care to wear masks and sanitise hands. The prevention is easy (at least the virus doesn’t have as debilitating an effect) but the cure and treatment is difficult. The public mindset is such that they give up once the peak number of cases come down.

This lackadaisical attitude proved to be so deadly during the second wave. Then we frontline workers are left to pick up the pieces and put ourselves and our own health at greater risk of catching the virus. My Covid duty is to administer vaccines to people. We are a five-member team that administers vaccines to people.

Earlier we would be giving these doses at dedicated centres but now we have to go from home to home. We need to collectively step up on our public duty of wearing masks, getting our tests done if the symptoms arise, otherwise a third wave is imminent.

Off to work: Anita Kumari says public must understand Covid isn’t over yet

The general public should understand that the pandemic has been very challenging for frontline workers. When people are in lockdown at home, we still have to go about our duty. We have to convince people to take vaccines and it’s not an easy thing to do, especially for the elderly population, or even those above 45.

ALSO READ: ‘We Haven’t Learnt Anything From Previous Waves’

I am happy that those from 18-45 age group have shown tremendous enthusiasm as well as a sense of public duty when it comes to vaccines. Seeing them many in the 45+ age group have been inspired to co-operate. We have to travel in public transport and come rain or sun, we cannot relax. Sometimes even Sundays are working and then we have to take care of our household responsibilities as well.

The general public needs to understand that the government and healthcare workers are all trying their best to tackle the virus but without the cooperation of people it cannot be defeated. Immediate isolation and treatment are very important. I myself caught the virus during April this year and suffered. Many others can take more time off to recover, but healthcare workers have to report on duty after the quarantine period.

People’s attitude are at their careless worst in public transport. They feel they don’t need to wear masks while commuting or walking on the roads and you can’t ask them to follow those protocols because many time people pick up fights. We have seen how much healthcare workers have had to suffer during the pandemic. Each person is important in the war against Covid and its many variants. We are all in this together. I commute long distance every day to get to work. It would be nice if the public walked the path of social responsibility too.

As told to Yog Maya Singh