Social responsibility holds key

With any big crisis hitting any part of world comes more responsibility. In this time of a COVID 19 while health experts stress on adopting recommended personal hygiene standards, maintaining physical distance, and demanding the states and centre provide adequate facilities for testing and treatment for the ill, it is also essential to leave that word on the top of the pile — Responsibility. It is important that COVID 19 pandemic is recognized as a public health emergency by the community and it requires collective and responsible responses. A reasonable restriction on citizens’ rights may come into play on invoking provisions of the Disaster Management Act. Authorities are going tough on violators of the lockdown conditions; action is also being taken on those who violate quarantine. However, the strongest weapon that one can unleash against this pandemic is with every individual. The time to say this nicely is over. It is time to insist that every individual respond responsibly during this time: To inform authorities of the relevant history of travel, stay in quarantine even if asymptomatic, follow all other protocols. Keeping health authorities in the loop could make the difference between life and death. The repeated messages by the administration are a reminder that each one of us, individually and collectively, has the responsibility to act in a manner that slows down the spread of Covid-19. Some continue, individually and collectively, to disregard their responsibility. The administration needs to step up vigilance. This would help deal with willful violators and address the difficulties faced by those who disregard norms out of necessity or compulsion. It is time every stakeholder steps up their responsibility to fight and defeat Covid-19.