Even though the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise in India and in Arunachal, the government of India has announced Unlock 4, virtually opening everything. Metro services will start from 7 September, larger gatherings will be allowed in a limited manner from 21 September, while senior students can come to schools on a voluntary basis. The guidelines issued by the home affairs ministry say that states can no longer impose lockdowns outside containment zones without the Centre’s permission and must not seal borders. This has made things difficult for the states in the battle against Covid-19. They will not be able to act independently in case the situation demands.
The most worrying part is the decision to allow the gathering of around 100 people for social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious and political functions from 21 September onwards. Even without these relaxations, large gatherings of people, especially for religious congregations, have been witnessed in various parts of the country. With the assembly elections to be held in a few of the states in the next six months, the situation is expected to be chaotic. The government seems to have left the citizens to fend for themselves. India continues to hit a record for maximum number of Covid-19 cases per day. Instead of working out a solution to bring down the number of cases, the government of India is freeing everything. This is going to make things very complicated in the months to come.