Opening of offices
Jammu and Kashmir like the rest of the regions in India is facing an extended lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as the lockdown 4.0 was nearing its end in other parts, the government though it apt to restore the business and other activities as the economy started to crumble owing to a continuous closure.
Various sops were announced and people in almost all trades and sectors were allowed to resume their activities though with some restrictions under new guidelines. The situation was eased to the extent that most of the market places, shopping malls, places of worship and other places will be opened up from Monday.
Interestingly, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kashmir specifically was denied such provisions and no-or at least very little relaxation was offered to the people in this part of the world. The situation here came to a boiling point as most of the business activities have already suffered huge losses owing to the August 5 lockdown that continued for almost six months at a stretch.
The situation was reflective of the crisis as most of the trade bodies (almost 30) in number, addressed their concerns on Wednesday by alleging that the packages and other measures offered by the Union government had nothing concrete for the people in Kashmir region.
The hotel industry which has crumbled owing to the bad situation prevailing since many years now even threatened to move the apex court seeking relief and announcement of an industry specific economic package.
The situation in Kashmir region, we were made to believe did not allow the authorities to examine the possibility of opening up various activities as the number of Covid-19 positive cases witnessed an unusual upswing.
This argument was quite logical and the people too understood it, but the administration made us believe that logic does not stand as the base for taking decisions here. This is evident as the administration opened up all government offices in Jammu and Kashmir and asked all employees to make their presence felt in offices.
This decision however, lacks the argument that will or can be raised about opening up other sectors as well. If the government employees are made to believe that three months back the COVID threat was looming large, hence offices were closed, what has changed for now when not only covid positive cases are increasing but the fatalities too are showing a steep rise.
If precautions were argued at the time of enforcing a lockdown, what has prompted the administration to open up government offices and restricting people to their homes and not attending to their business and other activities?
This illogical decision making needs to be explained to the people who have lost all hope of even witnessing a revival of their businesses and other establishments for the next year or even a longer period of time.
The administration has to come clean on various fronts including its decision of continuing the lockdown in Kashmir when almost the entire country has opened up.
