With rise in number of COVID-19 cases, the Government and the local authorities have started giving a thought to imposing a lockdown. Closing down markets, restaurants on Saturdays and Sundays, is a step towards implementing a lockdown. Is closing down the establishments completely the solution to prevent corona spike? With this question, ‘The Hitavada’ approached hoteliers, industrialists, educational institute owner, mess-owner. All of them are unanimous on one opinion ‘Lockdown can’t be the solution, but stricter rules will do.’

Rising cases is really a cause of concern. In fact, when Government had relaxed the conditions and opened up the markets after the first lockdown, people started behaving as per their whims and fancies. Had the administration continued to apply certain rules of gathering, timings even after the unlock, people would have become habitual of working in discipline. This would have surely prevented the spurt of corona cases. As people started enjoying the freedom, the torrent of COVID-19 cases started coming. Now, authorities have decided to keep markets closed on weekend days. For example, hotel industries get maximum business on Saturdays and Sundays but civic authorities have asked hotels, restaurants to down the shutter on these two prime days of a week.

 

Opposing the very idea of lockdown, Suresh Rathi, President of Vidarbha Industries Association said, “Lockdown can’t be the solution. Cases are rising and people are not following COVID 19 rules is true. If lockdown is imposed, then the industries may face big trouble. In first lockdown it has happened. We at VIA have prepared a note of guidelines of COVID 19 rules. We have distributed it among our members. In those guidelines we have put a question ‘Are we ready for another economic setback? Not?’ If the answer is no then everybody must follow the rules.”

According to Prakash Somalwar, Secretary of Somalwar Education Society, Government or local head only moves the paper and imposes close down. The stakeholders should be taken into consideration, added Somalwar. “For the last one year, students are at home. They are not coming to their instituions, not meeting their friends, not interacting with their teachers off-line. It is a big academic loss. I think the soultion can be found out at high level. Finances should be arranged and classes should be conducted by following all the rules. Government is using only one weapon that is of imposing lockdown. I feel all budgeted amount should be diverted to the welfare of students. They are our future. But closing down the institutions can never be the solution,” felt Prakash Somalwar.

Arjun Verma whose family runs Lawanya Mess at Navjivan Colony, Ajni had to go through hard times during first lockdown as his service had almost come to the halt. “I strongly feel, people are taught to behave properly in the public. I am shocked even after several deaths due to COVID 19, people have not learnt a lesson. Lockdown may result in ruining small businesses like ours, this is what I feel. Government agencies should impose fines on individuals and the organisations if they fail to follow the rules, but they should not close down everything,” expressed Verma.

Sachin Jahagirdar, Founder Secretary of Vidarbha Lit Festival, Treasurer of Nagpur First and Co-Founder of Shadows Cafe and Restaurant stated, “Today, we stand at almost one year from the first lockdown. All citizens sincerely followed the guidelines issued by the authorities from time to time. In this one year or so, most of the industry sectors suffered huge losses. After September-October we were seeing some economic recovery. And now comes the weekend lockdown. In my personal opinion, I genuinely feel that this is absolutely detrimental to the retail sector.”

Jahagirdar further elaborated, “We all businessmen and people who are in jobs are anyway working six days a week. Weekend comes as a day to re-energise, so that we can again work for next six days. Weekend lockdown may not be able to make a difference significantly. Entire machinery is at work through the week. Instead, we need to learn to live with this virus by taking utmost care and precautions. Majority of the businesses are not in a position to absorb losses further. We all need to strike a right balance.”

Ritesh Sharma, a noted Developer is not happy even with the weekend closing of establishments. According to him, the situation is scary, at the same time closing down the industries is not the complete solution. “People have already suffered in first lockdown. Such decisions should have people’s participation. I fully agree that precautions must be taken but there should not be fear psychosis,” added Sharma.

Purushottam Joshi who runs Gayatri Bhojnalaya at Dharampeth spoke cautiously on the issue. He admitted the fact, corona cases are on rise, people are dying of this dreaded virus. According to him the restrictions are need to be imposed. But as a businessman he too has suffered during first lockdown. Somehow he came out of it, the hotel has started running well and now the weekend days lockdown has begun.

“I am not in favor of complete lockdown, restaurants remaining close on weekend days would ruin the hotel industry,” Joshi expressed fear.