We must fight determinedly in the days ahead

This picture has been used for representational purposes

The lockdown in several states continues even as we struggle to turn a corner in our fight against the Coronavirus. Every day, India's figures are showing a spike, even though we seek and take some consolation in the fact that we may not be as bad as this or that country.

The fact though is that we have certainly not reached any kind of flattening of the curve as yet, this jargon brought about by the pandemic and now part of our virus lexicon in these dire times. With an acknowledgement of all the good work being done, it is evident that we still have a very long way to go when it comes to flattening the curve. It is also obvious that Mumbai especially is becoming the country's COVID-19 hotspot.

In this scenario, an extension of the lockdown was a given. What it now demands of us is more patience and the will, which must come from within, of bearing all restrictions and operating within the framework of this extension of the lockdown stage.

Adherence must come not just because penalties for flouting the law are becoming stricter and more appeals are being made from multiple agencies about the importance of safety measures, but because we well and truly believe and understand the gravitas of this fight. We are allies of our state, certainly not enemies, and our conduct must be truly befitting of that.

Meanwhile, industries and the influential must desist from pressuring the government to lift the lockdown. Having said that, the government needs to meet business owners half way or at the quarter mark to implement relief measures in some way. We need to make this lockdown extension work to the best of our ability. Grit, determination and an absolutely non-negotiable stance in this fight from every stakeholder ordinary or celebrity, famous or not, can pave this rocky road to some extent.

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