By-election amidst COVID-19 crisis can be perilous, says PANDM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 23 2020: The People's Action for National Democratic Movement (PANDM) has expressed that by-election to the 13 vacant seats of the Manipur Legislative Assembly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic will put lives of many at risk.

PANDM, in a statement, said that the by-election during such a critical junction needs reconsideration and deliberation since it can bear disastrous consequences.

The Government should consider voices and views from all sections of the society very seriously on this matter as the COVID-19 cases are surging rapidly and the disease does not discriminate on one's social position, it said while adding that the need of the hour is to handle the situation carefully and sincerely.

As per experts of the COVID-19 Technical Expert Committee, the State is likely to see four digit cases daily during October/November, it said while describing how the situation of the State has worsened in the past 5/6 weeks.

The State was overwhelmed by fear and panic when only two cases were detected in the beginning but it seems that fear has faded when the death toll stands at 22, it said adding that people just pretend to be afraid of the contagion as SOP guidelines are hardly followed or enforced thereby causing further spread of the disease.

Calling for extra care from all sections, PANDM also reminded people of the likely situation when they are supposedly found positive for the virus and are shifted to the hospital or COVID Care Centre.

Currently, even experts of the Joint Committee of COVID-19 (formed by Government agents, CSOs), Peoples' Task Force for COVID-10 and Indian Red Cross Society who are taking proactive role in raising awareness on the disease, are facing difficulties since there is restriction on large gathering, it said.

In the meantime, people are exasperated with the difficult situation facing the State due to mismanagement of COVID-19 and its political fallouts, it said.

These "insensible" political leaders who shy away from their responsibility and duties have created a very ugly scenario while the people are bearing the brunt of the prolonged lockdown and they ought to be taught befitting lessons for their utter irresponsibility, it said.

It went on to ask why the by-elections could not be deferred for sometime when these politicians could ignore their duties.

It is a constitutional obligation to fill up the vacant seats, it said while asking whether it would be good to ignore the pandemic for the sake of the by-election.

Saying that the State has been passing through a period of political uncertainty since June 17 owing to dissent, party-hopping and political horse trading, the body expressed concern since there is no assurance that election guidelines and related orders would not be flouted.

Helpless and broke due to the prolonged lockdown, many people would be easily manipulated and influenced by some political parties/candidates and their workers while some will be indulging discretely in unfair means to garner votes, it said while asking how far physical distancing, sanitization and other measures will be effectively observed when there will be campaigns, meetings and during the voting.

Moreover there is a high possibility of rampant abuse of intoxicants, it said.

Above these, many Government officials, security personnel and vehicles will be utilized during the election which would likely facilitate the growth of COVID cases, it said and urged the Government to reconsider deferring the by-election and save everyone's life.

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