Life in times of Covid-19; Call of 16; Naveen Babu & his art of hand
Opinion Watch
Life in times of Covid-19
India is now reporting less than 200 new Covid-19 cases in a day. Masks are invariably out of use. Vaccine manufacturers have ceased producing doses and developing new shots for the newer versions. The virus has shaken China. There is a sharp uptick in hospitalization in the US – 30 per cent in the last two weeks. India certainly is not a land of people with super immunity, and that calls for alertness.
The Times of India has called for caution, arguing that a new Omicron variant with a Delta mutation is a cause for worry. It stated that seven crore people have not taken their second dose, only 22 crore have taken the booster doses, only 40 per cent of eligible senior citizens have taken booster doses. The daily called upon the government to offer incentives to the manufacturers to update their vaccines.
Indeed, the Covid-19 is now endemic and the people have to learn to live with the virus, which will undergo enormous mutations in the coming days. The government shouldn’t lower the guard. In times of social media and when WhatsApp knowledge is the touchstone of awareness, the government should be steps ahead to answer questions agitating the minds of the people, including incidents of sudden deaths.
Call of 16
Hindi films copied the western music to romanticize the age of 16 for girls. The National Family Health Survey-5 had claimed that 39 per cent of the women had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 18 years. But the advent of monstrous sexual crimes against women or their wider reporting unveiled the amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the age of consent was enhanced to 18 years.
The Indian Express in its Editorial has stated that one in four cases listed under the Act involved admissions of romantic relationships. Recently, a random search in schools in Bengaluru had revealed that students were carrying condoms, oral contraceptives, while kids as small as 10 years were using foul languages.
The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has lent his voice to the concerns of several High Courts over dragging of the teenagers to courts in criminal cases. There is a growing demand for a return to age of consent to 16 years. Parliament must weigh all the facts. Also, parents are struggling to deal with their teenaged sons and daughters who have plethora of distractions in the age of free internet. That calls for sex education in schools and making available skilled health counsellors.
Naveen Babu & his art of hand
Gujarat verdict has awe struck many, and accolades have come in plenty for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah. But the man who perfected the art of cleaning the hand for an opposition less state is neither Modi nor Shah. He’s Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has brought in the full strength of Congress leadership and workers base to his Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which ensures victories in each election.
The New Indian Express in its Editorial has credited the victory of the BJD in the Palampur byelection, stating that Congress is plunginging to a new low every time there is an election in the state. Congress candidate forfeited his deposit, polling just a little over one per cent vote in the constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which hopes to find a foothold in Odisha, was again outsmarted. But that’s an art of an original politician, and Naveen Babu grows only strong.
About The Author
A matter that demands the law making authorities’ attention is definitely the procedure adopted by courts towards underage witnesses’, victims’ and so on. Thank you for updating us on the country’s situation with respect to the pandemic! Interesting read as always.