Today, as the world is fighting against the deadly virus which began from China’s Wuhan to all across the world, Tablighi Jamat is in the headlines. The Chief Minister of Telangana released a press note said that six people died due to novel Coronavirus. Jammu and Kashmir reported it’s first death caused by the Coronavirus where a 65-year-old man died. All of these people had a travel history to Markaz, the international headquarter of Tablighi Jamat in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz.
About two thousand Indian citizens from different states along with hundreds of foreigners had participated in the Markaz. Many of these who had attended the Markaz have tested COVID-19 positive, As many of them who had attended the Markaz left for various states, and it has been a tough job to track each one of them.
A similar event had happened in Malaysia and people who attended the Markaz had tested COVID-19 positive. It was then irresponsible on the part of the organizers to hold a similar event in India. No doubt, the congregation took place before the announcement of the complete lockdown henceforth, many gatherings were seen in different parts of the state. It is also a failure of the concerned administration of not intervening seriously. The Markaz, however, released a press note according to which, they kept informing the officials about those attendees who were stranded out there in the Markaz and also requested to arrange vehicles for them.
What Do IPC Sections 269, 270, and 271 say?
It is important to know these sections at this point.
- Section 269 says that whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any diseases dangerous of life, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.
- Section 270 of the same chapter XIV says Malignant act likely to spread infection of diseases dangerous to life and shall be punished for a maximum of 2 years with fine or both.
- Section 271 of IPC clearly says that whoever knowingly disobey any rule made and promulgated by the government for putting any vessel into a state of quarantine or for regulating the intercourse of vessels in a state of between places where an infectious disease prevails and other places, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months or fine or both.
At this crucial stage, every one of us should understand the importance of lockdown. We have seen countries like Italy where the number of positive cases would have been lower if they had shut down the state as earlier. As far as Tablighi Jamat is concerned, the Markaz has become the centre hotspot of COVID-19 and people are expressing anger on the activity of the Tablighi Jamat. Viruses have no religion.
People who have violated this and risking their fellow citizens must be punished. The Prime Minister ordered the lockdown nevertheless some various people and groups are continuing to violate this and ignore the call on social distancing. The following tweet of ANI is an example. Large numbers of people are there in the market without maintaining any social distancing. What is the use of law such a lockdown then?
There are many market places like Mattuthavani in India. People should apply their consciousness and should understand the outcomes of it. The number of cases in India is increasing. It is the high time we become aware and follow the instructions.