It has become a challenge to the Telugu-speaking state governments to avoid mass gatherings of the community members.
Hyderabad: Two Telugu speaking states—Telangana and Andhra Pradesh—are adopting different strategies to contain Covid-19 spread during the holy month of Ramzan that commenced on 25 April. The month-long fasting and prayers by Muslims would culminate in the festival that is expected to fall on 24 May.
As most of—around 80%—Covid positive are traced to those who had participated in Tabligihi-e-Jamaat in Delhi last month, and even now some of those who had returned from the event are untraceable, it has become a challenge to the governments to avoid mass gatherings of the community members. Of the around 300 hotspots in the two states, most of them are from the areas where they live in.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has decided to follow a tough stand against any religious congregation or mass prayers till 7 May, when the current lockdown ends. Though the Centre has extended the lockdown from 15 April to 3 May, KCR has added four more days to the complete shutdown. The Chief Minister has convened a Cabinet meeting on 5 May to decide on the further course of restrictions.
According to sources close to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with chief ministers on 27 April, Monday, will offer crucial inputs for the Centre’s strategy to deal with the situation in the country. PM Modi will elicit the views and suggestions from the CMs on extending the lockdown. KCR will be the first CM to seek further extension of lockdown till at least May end.
KCR is of the view that containing the majority of Muslims from coming out in large numbers to offer prayers in mosques or open grounds would be a tough task to the police machinery. The administration may be able to restrict them till 7 May, when the current lockdown runs, but not beyond. So the best way is to extend the lockdown till May end, a few more days beyond Ramzan, sources said.
Arguing for a tough implementation of the lockdown, KCR has ignored the Centre’s advice to relax it for certain sectors from 20 April. As a result, there is no change on the ground in Telangana as far as the full lockdown is concerned. Even the latest guidelines from the Centre to allow shops like stationery and mobile recharge and electrical repairs, too, are not being implemented in Telangana.
“We can either fully implement the lockdown or lift it completely, but we cannot adopt a middle path as people will not listen to us if restrictions are relaxed,” said an official who is involved with Covid cases management in Hyderabad. Though no one mentions about Ramzan officially, the entire focus of the administration is on the fallout of allowing the public before the festival.
Till now Telangana Wakf Board Chairman Mohammed Saleem made an appeal on Friday to Muslims not to come out of their homes for prayers in view of the Covid crisis. “All devotees should offer their prayers from their homes and strictly follow the government restrictions so as to avoid any harm to their families,” he said. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, too, made a similar appeal to Muslims on Friday.
However, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is following a different strategy, though he, too, expects Muslims to stay home and abide by the lockdown rules. Jagan has opened up most of the 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh from 20 April and doesn’t intend to extend the lockdown beyond 3 May, if the Centre doesn’t extend the same.
Chief Minister Jagan has decided to sanction cash assistance of Rs 5,000 to each mosque in the state so that the moulvis there won’t allow devotees to offer mass prayers on their premises. The Chief Minister also sanctioned the same amounts to Hindu temples and Christian churches to ensure equality among religious. “We will have to see how far this policy of carrot works out,” a police official of Andhra Pradesh said.
Some police officials are not sure whether lifting the lockdown after 3 May will help them ensure no mass prayers during Ramzan. “Telangana has a clear policy of not allowing any gatherings till May end, but we don’t know the situation until the next week, when our CM decides the post-3 May course,” said a senior official of Guntur city.
His comments assume significance as Guntur, Kurnool, Krishna and Chittoor districts account for 70% of 900 Covid cases in Andhra Pradesh. A majority of the hot spots in these four districts are from areas linked to the Nizamuddin returnees. Obviously, unrestricted allowing of mass prayers by them may further spread the virus; feel the police and health officials. So far, Andhra Pradesh has accounted for 27 deaths.
His comments assume significance as Guntur, Kurnool, Krishna and Chittoor districts account for 70% of 900 Covid cases in Andhra Pradesh. A majority of the hot spots in these four districts are from areas linked to the Nizamuddin returnees. Obviously, unrestricted allowing of mass prayers by them may further spread the virus; feel the police and health officials. So far, Andhra Pradesh has accounted for 27 deaths.
The situation in Telangana is no different. So far, the state recorded around 1,000 positive cases and 25 deaths. The number of hotspots is increasing day by day and cops are barricading all major roads to restrict public movement in Hyderabad and other district headquarters. Complete night curfew from 7 pm to 6 am is implemented in the entire state.
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