THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the state is riding the second wave of Covid-19 infection, the decision of the LDF to organise the swearing-in of the new legislators as a grand ceremony is drawing flak from all quarters. The demand for a virtual swearing-in has grown louder with citizen groups petitioning the governor, chief secretary and caretaker government seeking the same.
The new LDF ministry will assume power on May 20 and the event is scheduled to be held in the presence of 500 invitees at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, at a time when the district is in triple lockdown. Citizens have urged the government to walk the talk when it has put the whole state under lockdown citing the surge in Covid-19 cases.
The online petition seeking a virtual swearing-in ceremony of the new government was started by Thiruvananthapuram native Arvind Soju and Binu K N. More than 200 people from all walks of life have signed the petition which has been mailed to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Chief Secretary V P Joy.
Arvind who started the petition says that he is just a concerned citizen and that the petition is not “for or against the government or opposition”, but a collective appeal from the side of the public. A hashtag campaign, #TakeOathOnline, was started. In 12 hours, the petition clocked more than 200 signatures and it was mailed to the government officials concerned.
“I will be continuing to push the petition and campaign for the virtual swearing-in until the oath-taking ceremony. The government should lead by example. If they take the oath online, they will set an example for the public and it will give an impetus to the Kerala model,” he says. Binu, a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) trainer, said, “My wife is a doctor and she has been on Covid duty for the past one year. She shares the stories of the struggles of the patients. What we have put forth is the voice of the common man. We hope that there is a positive impact.”
Inspired by the petition, Renjith R has started a petition on change.org seeking the swearing-in on a virtual platform. “The government’s decision to have a large gathering at a time like this is going back on its own strategy to combat the pandemic and sends out a wrong message to the public,” said Renjith, who is an admin of several Facebook groups. “It’s the moral responsibility of the government to refrain from an act like this. Even if it means a small crowd of hundred people, there will be a lot of supporting staff. The numbers are going to be larger and it will be difficult to enforce the Covid-19 protocol. It questions the foundation of implementing the lockdown. If the government goes for an online swearing-in ceremony, it will create history,” said Renjith.
Even small gathering dangerous, says IMA
Even a small crowd will spread the virus and lead to the formation of clusters, let alone having 500 people, doctors say. The Kerala unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had, in its letter addressed to the government, recommended a virtual swearing-in ceremony. The doctor’s body was critical of the move to have a grand ceremony and added that the violations of Covid-19 protocol during the recent assembly election campaigning were one of the main reasons for the second wave.
“In the second wave, the virus is spreading fast. Even if there is a single infected person in the gathering, others can easily catch the infection. All our hospital beds are occupied and the health sector is facing a crisis. In such a scenario, we have to avoid all kinds of possible scenarios where the infection could spread,” says Dr Gopikumar P, state secretary, IMA.
A gathering of hundreds of people is a sure recipe for disaster, the doctor adds. “Most of the legislators who will take oath are above 60 years and figure in the high-risk category. Clusters will be formed easily. Even if you make Covid-19 tests mandatory before function, it isn’t foolproof. The person could test negative if the viral load is less on the day of testing and he could be a spreader,” he adds. The petition is gaining traction and over 700 people have signed till now.