The inability of certain people in the country to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously is damaging Indias efforts to contain the disease. By failing to follow social distancing rules, observe quarantine, and wear masks, the actions of a few are strengthening the virus chain of transmission, making it harder for the many who are following rules in the hope that responsible behaviour will end this ordeal sooner. Another example of this selfish thinking was seen in Haryana, after a wedding that reportedly flouted social distancing measures resulted in over 100 people being diagnosed with confirmed cases of coronavirus.
According to a report in The Tribune, the wedding was held on June 29, and the groom was the nephew of a well-known jeweller from the town of Hisar in Haryana. While the jewellers family claimed that the event was held according to the regulatory guidelines and only had 50 guests, the team of health officials investigating the event said that the photos and videos captured indicate there were anywhere between 150 to 200 guests at the wedding.
While the Big Fat Indian Wedding is a dream nursed by many families, surely a pandemic would be an appropriate time to challenge the stereotype. Unfortunately, as weve seen in such cases, selfishness wins out over civic responsibility. Since the wedding on June 29, the number of infected persons connected to the wedding has continued to rise, from 87 to eventually 130, including the bride and groom, as reported by Indiatimes. The infected persons are not only from Hisar, but also nearby towns like Padampur, Ganganagar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa, as well as from Pilibanga in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan.
The local police registered a First Information Report (FIR) as the number of infected cases continued to rise. While action is yet to be taken against the family that organised the wedding, a case has been registered under IPC section Section 188 and under Section 51 of Disaster Management Act 2005.
Sadly, the Haryana wedding is not an isolated case. In Kerala, 42 reportedly tested positive for coronavirus after attending a doctor couples wedding.
Earlier this month, in Bihar, a groom died after the ceremony and close to 95 guests tested positive, triggering the biggest Covid-19 infection chain in the state.
While officials are doing their duty charging the offenders, lets hope citizens do their responsibility and act less selfishly in the future.
This article was first published in Arre