On new role for cops in Kerala’s Covid fight

Back in early May, when the Kerala model of dealing with Covid-19 was being talked about a lot, the state had reported just 500-odd infections. Today, that number has crossed 30,000. Somewhere in between, matters slipped out of the state’s hands. While Kerala can’t be singled out in the present situation, the fact is its containment strategy, once very effective, has failed in a scenario where the caseload is rising at a more rapid pace.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s decision to grant the police a bigger role in Covid-prevention activities should be seen in this context. Under the new strategy, police will handle contact tracing of cases and management of containment zones, including fixing limits and surveillance—tasks that were the responsibilities of health officials and local administrations.

The chief minister believes negligence on the part of those tasked with control of Covid-19 is the cause for the current situation. He is not much off the mark, but handing over what’s primarily the job of people with experience in public health to police officers, though it could be considered bold and game-changing, raises apprehensions.

Opposition parties and health experts have expressed objections but the CM has made it clear that the police can use their powers to bring infection transmission under control and has given them 14 days to do this. This could prove decisive in Kerala’s battle against the virus. IPS officer Vijay Sakhare, who has been made nodal officer for the purpose, comes with the reputation of managing the outbreak in Kasaragod in the initial days of the pandemic. 

There’s no doubt that the police can effectively use their investigative experience and surveillance tools for prevention activities. But this is more of a health-cum-humanitarian crisis than a law-and-order situation. While strict enforcement of containment rules and measures is certainly required, the government must ensure that the police go about the task with a humane approach. Health workers remain central to this fight and they must not be made to play second fiddle. An ideal situation would be the police and health departments working in tandem to tame the contagion.