Confusion, chaos prevail as strict lockdown kicks in

Bengaluru: The first day of the second lockdown announced by the Karnataka government resulted in chaos and anguish in many parts of the state including Bengaluru.

In rural areas, citizens were seen flouting the guidelines and in some cases, police were forced to resort to lathi-charge.

According to the lockdown guidelines, shops selling essential items like food, groceries, vegetables, fruits, dairy, milk, meat, fish and animal fodder are permitted to operate from 6 am to 10 am every day. As per the new regulations, public transport will remain suspended, and people will not be allowed to move around except in case of emergencies, essential services or vaccination. Use of private vehicles to buy parcel food and essentials is also not allowed except for home delivery of food.

One of the biggest concerns was the decision not to allow people to use their private vehicles to purchase essential supplies. The move was criticised for being city-centric without looking at the realities of the rural parts. Sandeep Poonacha, a resident of Virajpet in Kodagu district said that it was impossible for him to walk more than 10km carrying loads of essential commodities.

“People sitting in A/C rooms have made these decisions for Bengaluru city and implemented it for the entire state. How do they expect us to travel more than 10 km to get to a grocery store, pick essentials for a family of four and walk back with it? Do people in power know what they are doing,” he asked.

Poonacha added that his cousin, who went on his private vehicle to purchase supplies for all the relatives, was thrashed by the police.

Even in Bengaluru, similar concerns were raised. “The government said online deliveries will be available, but all slots are booked and if we call the shops for delivery, they refuse. If you go to the shop, there are large queues, and we only have a window of four hours to get milk and other supplies. Because vehicles are not allowed, we can’t go to other stores if the lines are huge. If this is the measure to control Covid-19, this is certainly not going to work,” said Naveen Sastry, a resident of Bengaluru’s Kammanahalli.

Apart from this, on Monday, several videos of police personnel resorting to violence emerged on social media. In one case, in Hirikur in Haveri district, police were seen hitting vegetable vendors using plastic pipes. The police in Haveri alleged that these vegetable vendors remained opened after 10 am. However, the Karnataka government guidelines on lockdown have mentioned that the sale of vegetables and fruits on pushcarts and HOPCOMS (Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society)will be allowed from 6 am to 6 pm.

In Bengaluru, roadside vendors faced the wrath of government action. In a video released by a group of social activists, Nagaraja, a vegetable vendor in Bengaluru’s Gandhinagar said officials arrived before 10 am and shut all footpath vendors. “How do we make our living with this deadline? We carry our business by maintaining physical distance and also keep sanitiser,” he said.

GM Diwakar, president, K.R. Market Flower Merchants’ Association, said the government has been unfair. “Flowers are a permissible commodity. Since the markets are closed; only roadside vendors are allowed and it accounts for a fraction of the sales. While we are not added to the exception list, liquor is. How is liquor an essential commodity,” he asked.

In a series of tweets, HD Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) second-in-command expressed his anger over the way lockdown has been implemented. “Strict lockdown and not just lockdown, where people will be beaten up like cattle has been implemented from today. It is a tragedy that the government thought lockdown means stopping vehicular movement. It forgot the woes of citizens in distress,” the JD(S) leader tweeted. He said these were not the restrictions the opposition had suggested.

Responding to the allegations of police atrocities, Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant tweeted: “Contrary to the videos doing rounds on social media, police have been advised to only take action strictly as per law, in case anybody violates lockdown guidelines. They have been advised not to use any kind of force in this regard.”

He also added that anyone having any complaint regarding travel to the place of work or carrying out permitted activities during the lockdown, can contact DCP Intelligence Santhosh Babu on 080-22942354.

Meanwhile, Karnataka DG and IGP Praveen Sood late on Monday evening tweeted that people are allowed to use vehicles for buying essential goods. “To buy groceries, vegetables and daily needs there is NO BAR for using a vehicle to your neighbourhood shop in cities or nearest availability point in rural areas. Use this facility with discretion & not as a licence for a free run every day. Stay at home for your own safety,” he wrote.

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