PACHU MENON, MARGAO
IN view of the rise in fresh COVID cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on the recommendation of the state COVID-19 taskforce, has reportedly asked officials to prepare a plan for implementation of a lockdown, which will have a minimum impact on the economy of the state. While Maharashtra and Karnataka have imposed the strictest travel guidelines so far, Kerala has recently made RT-PCR test mandatory for people travelling to the state. This has been prompted by the signals of a second wave of COVID emerging from Maharashtra and Punjab. Yet, Goa continues to keep its borders open for all visitors from various states without any restrictions whatsoever unmindful of the deteriorating scenario vis-à-vis the pandemic across several regions in the country. It is quite ironic that even today the state is bothered by the prospects of not celebrating festivals as was evident from the political reactions from a few Opposition parties which strongly voiced its opinion against the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Goa. But was the order promulgating Section 144 in the state logical by any yardstick? While the government saw religious congregations and festival revelries in public places as a possible threat considering that the gatherings could invariably cause a spike in infections, it is rather surprising that it palpably has no answers to tourists running amok along the beaches defying protocols and the laws of the land. Besides, despite invoking Section 144, reports that the authorities seemed to be clueless about addressing the issue of large assembly of visitors on the beach belt speaks for the inefficiency of the administration at its best. Moreover, social functions, weddings and parties continue unabated in other localities of the state. Allegations that everything to do with tourism, economy and politics in the state are invariably granted exemptions when it comes to curbs imposed due to the severity of the pandemic sends across a feeling that the imposition of Section 144 by the government has been discriminatory.