Editorial: 30 days and counting…

The pandemic was in its early days – the official numbers showed 500 positive cases. However, despite the best efforts – ranging from containment to house checks and compulsory masks – COVID-19 still managed to infect over 20,000 people in the past month and claimed 50 lives. It also infected the economy to such an extent that thousands lost their jobs, and lakhs stare at a bleak future, even as they remap their life goals against shrunken incomes.

But people are optimistic. ‘How long can it last’, they ask in their WhatsApp group chats. To answer that, let’s take a look at some of the other lockdowns. In 2001, there was a 3-day lockdown of the civilian airspace in the US post the 9/11 attacks; in 2013, Boston was locked down during a massive manhunt for suspects in the marathon bombing. So, is this the longest lockdown in history? The largest maybe, but not the longest. Kashmir went into lockdown on August 5, 2019, and the ongoing lockdown of eight months and counting is by far one of the most intense curbs that have ever been imposed in a democracy. Since then, nearly 4,000 people were arrested and this included over 200 politicians and activists, not to mention a couple of former CMs. Omar Abdullah, who was freed just a few weeks ago, famously quipped that he could teach a lesson or two about coping with lockdowns. For those who complain about inadequate bandwidth, the Kashmiris have been deprived of prepaid mobile services and the internet for months on end. The Kashmiri apple trade, which supports 3.5 million people, has been in the doldrums. Education has suffered, and tourism which supported their fragile economy is at a standstill. There are reports of a rise in mental health-related problems, an outcome of prolonged lockdowns.

So the next time we express gratitude to the government for keeping us safe, light lamps, beat thalis, bake banana bread and display new respect for our domestic help, spare a thought for our fellow citizens in Kashmir whose lockdown doesn’t have an end in sight.