Breaking the law to uphold it
By A Draft Colaba Diarist
On the morning of 19 April 2020, at about 10 am, a huge crowd gathered at the entrance of Lala Nigam Road aka Colaba Market. Some with their faces covered with masks, some with masks hanging loosely as they huddled to discuss about the 'shooting' that was underway. A drone flew at a height above a few photographers who had positioned their cameras on tripods focussed on a 'tractor' to dispense the by-now-legendary disinfectant around the market.
The entire ordeal lasted for a good hour or so with the BMC personnel driving the tractor blowing the disinfectant around slowly while a posse of photographers reportedly from the BMC and the Fire Department walking slowly with it, shooting every moment. "It's for a documentary," told Assistant Divisional Fire Officer P.A. Sawant to this diarist. When asked about the norms of social distancing being flouted by the very personnel involved in the activity, he quipped back saying, "You must see the market when it opens up at 12 pm, look at the crowds then."
As the 'tractor' meandered its way through Colaba Market in a spectacle of sorts, it was evident that the shooting had taken precedence over the very act of disinfecting as scores hustled to get photographed in the process. Another vehicle made its rounds in the nearby lanes as local 'leaders' rushed to 'direct' the disinfecting activity towards their own buildings. Never mind the lockdown.
Sadly, even as the nation grapples with the threat of COVID-19, the opportunities that the virus has thrown up are there for grabs by both the authorities, political aspirants and local 'leaders' and self-styled representatives of each lane of Colaba. Time the authorities work for the sake of work and not for the accolades that they generate, locally!
As for those rushing about in the processes of facilitating these activities, they're breaking the lockdown rules and pose a risk to all and sundry.
On the morning of 19 April 2020, at about 10 am, a huge crowd gathered at the entrance of Lala Nigam Road aka Colaba Market. Some with their faces covered with masks, some with masks hanging loosely as they huddled to discuss about the 'shooting' that was underway. A drone flew at a height above a few photographers who had positioned their cameras on tripods focussed on a 'tractor' to dispense the by-now-legendary disinfectant around the market.
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| Firemen and photographers walking with the BMC personnel-driven vehicle in Colaba Market throwing all rules of social distancing to the wind during the national lockdown |
The entire ordeal lasted for a good hour or so with the BMC personnel driving the tractor blowing the disinfectant around slowly while a posse of photographers reportedly from the BMC and the Fire Department walking slowly with it, shooting every moment. "It's for a documentary," told Assistant Divisional Fire Officer P.A. Sawant to this diarist. When asked about the norms of social distancing being flouted by the very personnel involved in the activity, he quipped back saying, "You must see the market when it opens up at 12 pm, look at the crowds then."
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| A 'sanitisation' operation with a photoshoot thrown in |
As the 'tractor' meandered its way through Colaba Market in a spectacle of sorts, it was evident that the shooting had taken precedence over the very act of disinfecting as scores hustled to get photographed in the process. Another vehicle made its rounds in the nearby lanes as local 'leaders' rushed to 'direct' the disinfecting activity towards their own buildings. Never mind the lockdown.
 |
| Fire Department personnel busy photographing the 'event' |
Sadly, even as the nation grapples with the threat of COVID-19, the opportunities that the virus has thrown up are there for grabs by both the authorities, political aspirants and local 'leaders' and self-styled representatives of each lane of Colaba. Time the authorities work for the sake of work and not for the accolades that they generate, locally!
As for those rushing about in the processes of facilitating these activities, they're breaking the lockdown rules and pose a risk to all and sundry.
#TheDraftDiary | As India grapples with #COVID19, a few civic authorities, political aspirants, local 'leaders' and self-styled representatives of #Colaba are busy trying to grab eyeballs.#TheDraftColaba @prabhatfire @mybmc @mybmcWardA @MumbaiPolicehttps://t.co/cWnhXj5Y9P— thedraftcolaba (@TheDraftColaba) April 19, 2020
