Covid hotspot

A congregation in the times of Covid-induced social distancing is not merely an anachronism — it’s an open invitation to disaster. The headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in Delhi, teemed with thousands of devotees from India and abroad for the better part of last month, particularly during the Ijtema (annual gathering) held from March 13 to 15. The detection of scores of coronavirus cases among the visitors has set the alarm bells ringing across the country. Incidentally, the three-day event began the day the Delhi Government issued a general order prohibiting ‘all sports gatherings, including IPL, conferences and seminars beyond 200 people’. Another order, dated March 16, clearly mentioned that any gathering — social, cultural, political, religious etc — was to be restricted to a maximum of 50 persons in Delhi till March 31. Tablighi Jamaat paid scant regard to these directions, thus endangering public health amid the pandemic outbreak.

This irresponsible behaviour, which is tantamount to criminal negligence, has prompted the registration of a criminal case against the Tablighi cleric. However, the AAP government and the Delhi Police can’t evade responsibility for their belated response. Firm action in mid-March could have prevented the situation from coming to such a pass.

Even as this coronavirus hotspot has triggered the biggest single-day spike in cases so far, the communal spin being given to the whole affair on social media and by a section of the electronic media is an alarming development. Blaming Muslims for the spread of coronavirus across the country reeks of mischief and malice. It has been barely a month since Delhi was rocked by communal violence that claimed over 50 lives. The hate-mongers must not be allowed to rear their ugly head again. Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, recently released after over seven months in detention, has taken exception to the vilification of the entire community, while pointing out that the majority of Muslims in India have adhered to government guidelines and advisories. Indeed, recklessness, like terrorism, has no religion. And, unless contained with an iron hand, it can prove to be no less destructive, as the Covid crisis has shown us.