The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday threatened to move the Supreme Court if the Kerala government didn’t withdraw its order to ease Coronavirus restrictions ahead of Eid-uz-Zuha, or Bakrid, because of the "inevitable, impending third wave".
In a statement, the IMA said that it was "pained" by the decision of the Kerala government which comes amidst the rising cases in the state even as many states have cancelled pilgrimage yatras.
"When many northern states like J&K, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttaranchal have stopped, with a constructive sense of public safety the traditional and popular pilgrimage Yatras, it is unfortunate that learned state of Kerala had taken these retrograde decisions," the doctors’ body said in a statement.
“IMA, in the larger interest of the country and well-being of humanity with the sense of responsibility strongly urge the Kerala state government to immediately withdraw this order and force zero tolerance against covid appropriate behaviour…IMA, the body of warriors of this covid war with the sense of altruism will be constrained to knock the pedestals of the Supreme Court if the state is not enforcing covid appropriate behaviour…,” it further said.
The Kerala government had declared that lockdown restrictions in the state would be relaxed for three days starting Sunday given Bakrid being celebrated on Wednesday in the state.
Shops selling clothes, footwear, jewellery, gift items, home appliances and electronics and repair outlets will be allowed to open.Besides concessions for Bakrid, certain activities like film shooting and relaxations for places of worship were announced on Saturday by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who added that restrictions were also needed to overcome the serious situation that Kerala was facing.
The Chief Minister said that the restrictions, including lockdowns, no matter how limited, were causing huge economic and social problems and therefore certain concessions were being allowed after evaluating the course of the COVID-19 infection daily.
The issue has also sparked a debate on social media with comparisons being drawn to the cancellation of the Kanwar Yatra by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. While some people criticised the Kerala government’s decision, others pointed out that comparisons with Yatras were misleading as people will celebrate Bakrid at their homes only, without any mass public gatherings, and that only the shops have been allowed to be opened.
Kerala reported 16,148 new Covid-19 cases and 114 deaths on Saturday. The state has emerged as a region of concern along with the North-East, the central government has said.
