From the time the lockdown was announced, this newspaper has maintained that during this time at least, naive though we may sound, parties need to stand together and speak in one voice when it comes to tackling COVID-19
Women offer Chhath puja prayers at Aarey lake in 2019. File pic
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked civic authorities to allow the North Indian festival of Chhath puja, coming up in a few days from now.
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The political party's representatives are pushing the BMC to issue guidelines and SOPs for the festival. The so-called beating hearts for the North Indian community come on the heels of the BJP stating that temples should be allowed to open and carrying out small protests while they remained shut.
Every political party needs to look at the larger picture, rather than pushing for certain relaxations or unlocking with some agenda or motive.
We are seeing a continuation of the BJP and MVA battle. While the raging Chhath puja controversy is going on across the country — with the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party embroiled in verbal salvos — here, it is the internecine BJP vs Maharashtra battle that has reached fever pitch.
One cannot push for unlocking or lifting of restrictions unless truly convinced that it will be safe and is needed. From the time the lockdown was announced, this newspaper has maintained that during this time at least, naive though we may sound, parties need to stand together and speak in one voice when it comes to tackling COVID-19.
Instead, we have had stingers and jibes flying across at a time when grieving citizens, tense seniors, many of them losing their friends and family members, need reassurance and solid direction from those who ran things.
Constructive criticism is the lifeblood of our society, but pushing officials in a corner, literally bulldozing dispensations to demand this or that, and provoking certain sections by claiming this or that party is against them, is highly dangerous. Let informed, wise decisions dictate the terms and let us take this in the correct spirit.
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