Reconsider decision

As the weekend lockdown continued for the third straight week across Jammu and Kashmir, the traders have started raising their voice against the government decision, claiming that their losses are mounting due to the fresh lockdown in the Union Territory. The trade bodies have made statements from the last couple of days, appealing the administration to reconsider its decision of imposing the weekend lockdown. The businessmen claimed to have suffered losses from the previous lockdowns and had hardly started to recover the losses. They claim that it is not advisable to enforce lockdown in the Valley. The lockdown decision has also sent alarm to the travelers as a result of which around 50 percent of the tourist influx has come down since the weekend lockdown was announced. This has impacted the livelihood of many people. The trade bodies question the imposition of lockdown at a time when most of the population is already fully vaccinated, and believe that the government needs to devise strategies for the “new normal” of life with COVID as suggested by many health experts and practiced by many developed countries like USA and UK instead of brining miseries to the people who are earning from hand to mouth. Notably, the government in New Delhi has also decided to lift the weekend lockdown. Thus in order to lessen the losses of the business community, the government should reconsider its decision of imposing weekend lockdown so that the traders could heave a sigh of relief. Besides, the government should focus on ensuring the implementation of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), which is the only way to fight against the pandemic.