The management committee of Dargah Hazratbal has decided that there would be no night-long prayers on the upcoming Shab-e-Meraj on March 11 at the revered shrine, that houses the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The committee decided that in view of the pandemic, it was neither safe nor feasible to allow night-long prayers. However, the holy relic of the Prophet (SAW) will be displayed after every prayer for the devotees on March 12 and 13 (Friday and Saturday) and also on March 19 after every prayer, senior administrator of the shrine. The decision of the committee is appreciable given that the pandemic continues to threaten the lives. Though the number of infections in Jammu and Kashmir have slightly come down but fact of the matter is that people are testing positive on daily basis and infection related deaths too are being reported regularly. In this backdrop, the decision of the managing committee of Dargah should be hailed by one and all and as a follow-up, managements of other shrines and places of worship should also take necessary steps to follow the Covid-19 related SoPs.
Though, as already mentioned above, the number of infections in Kashmir has come down and the vaccination too is going on smoothly, there are no grounds for complacency. People have to realize that not taking the spread of Covid-19 seriously is suicidal. Of late, people have turned somewhat indifferent towards the Covid-19 protocols. The other day, the Army organized a function in Uri area of district Baramulla which was attended by a few film starts. Pictures of the event circulated to the media show hundreds of people crowded together, with no masks and no distance. When responsible government agencies fail to follow the Covid-19 protocol, one would expect least from the general public. That is why masks are vanishing from the faces of people roaming around; social distancing is not being given a fig and not much attention is being given towards hand washing and other such precautions. This is a worrying factor and puts the lives of the entire population at the risk. Need is that the fresh guidelines issued by the government are followed in letter and spirit. The deadly coronavirus continues to be on prowl. People need to understand the gravity of the situation. Precautions are a must and those who don’t follow these are putting their as well as the lives of their nears and dears to danger. Let people vow to not to move out without wearing a mask and follow all prescribed protocols.
