The last few months of the COVID19 pandemic has witnessed a series of people venting out their frustration for being stopped or checked, for flouting the pandemic guidelines, on policemen, guards, security checks at grocery stores and the healthcare workers. Few cases went viral and it turns out the pandemic has brought out people’s intolerant side out in the open. On the receiving end are the frontline personnel, the same set of people entrusted with keeping you safe.
Read this: In Patna, a woman had gone out to get groceries. On her way back home though, she tried to sneak her maids in her car. When her society guards stopped her from bringing the househelp, she scolded the guards to no end.
A man tried to enter the grocery store without a mask in Nagpur. When the guards stopped him, the man snapped at the guards and ordered them to stay in their aukat (status). The man acted so aggressively that the police had to be called in to intervene.
In Delhi, the police personnel had to struggle in order to manage the people who were flouting the social distancing norms while waiting for their turn at the liquor stores.
In Jalna, after a 42 days lockdown, a cigarette shop opened for four hours but a few buyers started reacting restlessly. The small tapri (shop) owner was forced to call the police as the buyers were treating each other violently in an attempt to get more than one pack of cigarettes.
In Punjab, a group of Nihang’s chopped off a policeman’s arm when he tried to stop them and inquired them about their curfew pass.
Such barbaric reactions of the people are making it difficult for the frontline personnel to carry out their jobs. These incidents have created a scare amongst every frontline warrior in the country.
Our frontline warriors are scared, distressed, and exhausted. They are battling more emotional issues than we can imagine. We need to understand that they are as human as us with fears and feelings similar to us.
Let’s together ease their pain and support them by
- Being compassionate towards them
- Being disciplined
- Listening to them and respecting them
Let's put our minds to it to fight the virus together.