The concept of social distancing, evolved to avoid human-to-human contact, is followed more in the breach than observance by those who preach.
After the lockdown was clamped across the nation, people are allowed to come out for their basic requirements, with a rider to follow social distancing. Standing at least one metre from others ensures that the airborne virus emanating from a vector does not infect others when they cough or sneeze.
In their endeavour to reach out to the public while distributing essential commodities, it is the overzealous politicians who tend to ‘miss this gap.’
Huge motorcade
Srikalahasti MLA Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy drew flak from the national media the other day when he took out a huge tractor rally in the town. Originally meant to distribute rice bags to every village in the constituency, the motorcade of tractors doubled up as a procession to honour donors such as industrialist Ratan Tata, social activist Sudha Narayanamurthy, film actor Mahesh Babu, among, others by putting up their huge cutouts.
Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzath Basha regularly inspects the rythu bazaar, visits infected colonies in Kadapa district to distribute sanitisers, grocery and vegetables to the public.
He too often faced public and media ire for violating the norm, while ‘getting closer’ to the public, though he never misses his face mask.
Even on Thursday, he distributed essentials at a colony in Kadapa when he was almost mobbed by the beneficiaries.
Many leaders still move around in the garb of providing essentials to the public, and creating awareness and for assisting the frontline workers, without understanding the perils of such ‘outreach’ exercises in COVID-19 times.
