Sub-Divisional Magistrate of New Delhi district Vasant Vihar -Ankur Prakash Meshram has ordered six Gurdwara Sahibs, mosques and temples in its jurisdiction through an order on 12 July to fully comply with the orders or wearing masks, maintaining social distance and a substantially reduced number of devotees under the Delhi Disaster Management Act. Sikh bodies have reacted protesting the order. WSN reports.

FACE MASK OR NO FACE MASK is now a bone of contention not just between one conscientious individual and another but between the state machinery enforcing a guideline through law and the police machinery implementing through fines, penalties and even through police beatings.

In a strongly-worded warning note, the SDM Vasant Vihar has warned that in case of non-compliance or the order of not more than 10 devotees at a time, the Gurdwaras and other religious places can be sealed and penal action initiated against the management and staff of these institutions. 

Is Delhi nearing another lockdown? Normally what is an advisory is now in the form of a legal order.  Clause 2 (xi) of the current order reads, “Religious places shall be permitted to open but no visitors will be allowed.” 

The orders for the Gurdwaras have been sent to the office bearers of six Gurdwaras in Vasant Vihar, for the mosques, the order has been sent to the Moulana, Imam and Peace Committee members in RK Puram, Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar.  Similar copies have been sent to the Father, president of Churches, caretakers in the said areas. 

Last week Gaffar Market, Sadar Bazar, Old Delhi Markets were closed over the weekend citing overcrowding and fear of the spread of the delta virus. 

The Kejriwal government has much to answer:

Why such an order for only religious places of a particular area of the National Capital Territory of Delhi? 

Is the AAP Government trying to move step by step towards calling for another lockdown?

Is it a new scare being developed for the imposition of new restrictions? 

The Centre proposes and the state disposes of. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and all other government authorities and state governments do not seem to be working in sync with each other.  A copy of guidelines for Covid19 by the  Health Ministry in clause 4.1 says, “persons having no symptoms are not to use masks” and adds on to say medical masks are not to be used by a healthy person. Likewise, an RTI  query by Saurav Bysack on 27 May 2021 has revealed that the use of a mask has not been made explicitly mandatory. The same is the case with vaccines where the RTI reveals that it is a choice and not mandatory to take a vaccine. 

When confronted with this question, a doctor said, “It is part of SOP. Why should we wait till the government makes wearing masks compulsory?”

Sharp reactions have come in from Manjit Singh GK, President of Jago Party and other Sikhs.  He has alleged that the government and administrative authority have failed to manage the situation on the ground.

Sikhs are in a dilemma. While the Sikh Sangat has been paying obeisance at historic Gurdwaras including Darbar Sahib Amritsar, the wearing of masks there too has not been compulsory, since the pandemic’s first months in April 2020.  The SGPC president Bibi Jagir, however, had appealed to the Sangat to wear masks when coming to pray. Of late, WHO, IMA has categorically stated that there should be no let-up in guard.

The President of the Global Sikh Council -Lady Kanwaljit Kaur from the UK had written to the SGPC authorities urging them to make the wearing of masks compulsory so that we do not become super-spreaders. 

Gurdwaras in the West, in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, including those in South East Asia follow the full protocol of wearing the mask inside the Gurdwaras. This was evident in the most glaring manner when Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently inaugurated a Gurdwara with his facemask on and the management committee members also draped as per Covid19 safety protocol.

When WSN spoke to a Sikh medical doctor, he said, “Everything is volatile. This is a new virus and nothing can be stated with certainty. However, the Facemask, handwashing hygiene and social distancing protocol must be followed. Gurdwara management, staff, priests and the Sangat must all follow this. We are a progressive community and we should not hesitate in following guidelines for the safety of our own selves, our families and the people around us.”

Update on this story: 

The order by SDM Ankur Prakash Meshram, drew sharp reactions on social media. Sikhs and other sections of society were surprised and vocal against the order. APS Bindra, a member of the Delhi Minority Commission reacted by saying that the notice has been sent to all religious institutions and not particularly to Sikhs.

Subsequently, with an eye on the Punjab elections next year, the AAP party went into overdrive to withdraw the order as on the social media Sikhs had expressed their surprise and anger at the move.  Yesterday evening, another order was issued withdrawing the earlier order.

Mask Image Courtesy: https://delilahsdressingroom.com/