As the daily and overall COVID-19 cases of India keep rising with alarming speed, we are also seeing the introduction of COVIDiots.
These are people who willingly and outright flout mandatory rules that have been implemented by government and other authorities after seeing the rapid increase of coronavirus cases in the country.
Then there are also those extremely privileged people, who are more than willing to flaunt on social media of how they are still living their best life even with a life-endangering pandemic gripping the country in a vice-grip.
One has to ask these people of where does all that entitlement comes from? When more than half of the nation is battling with severe mental and physical health issues, lakhs of people are abiding by the stringent regulations, thousands are fighting for their very life, what exactly do these people think they are doing?
Here are a few of those privileged people rubbing in to the common people who cannot afford to or don’t want to do the same considering the grim situation.
1. Couple Not Wearing Masks
In a now viral video, a Delhi couple can be seen flouting the rule of wearing masks any time outside the home and being proud of it too.
The couple was stopped by police officers around the Daryaganj area on Sunday because they were not only going against the weekend curfew, that had been instilled due to the alarmingly high number of COVID-19 cases but also was not wearing masks.
In the video, the couple is seen arguing with the cops, with the woman stating “I will kiss my husband. Can you stop me from that?”.
The Delhi High Court had made it mandatory this month itself that people have to wear their face masks even if they are alone in their car.
आज की शिक्षा संस्कार नहीं दे पा रही, घमंड दे रही है!!! pic.twitter.com/mpi0nPLWTr
— Deepak Chaurasia (@DChaurasia2312) April 19, 2021
The couple constantly refused to wear a mask and eventually a case was registered against them on Sunday. Pankaj Gupta the husband was arrested on Sunday itself while similar action is being taken against the wife Abha Gupta too.
2. Pooja Bedi
Bollywood actor Pooja Bedi was also mercilessly trolled after she posted a video on her social media or “holidaying” in Goa with her fiance Maneck Contractor.
In her caption she wrote, “Joys of living in healthy, happy #goa. Free your mind #NoFear. Life is meant to be lived…not spent caged and masked for a year/ years in fear of a virus that’s clearly not going away! If you died tomorrow after year of masking/lockdown.. what would ur greatest regret be?”
This instantly resulted in an immediate backlash against the actor with many people calling her out on her privilege and that she should not advocate such behaviour in such times.
MY BRAIN CELLS HAVE DIED. People are dying, the country is engulfed in grief, this #COVIDSecondWave is ruining entire families, log bhauk-bhauk ke thak gaye ki #MaskUp but madam here is on another trip only.
What a dangerous thing to tweet. @TwitterIndia should take it down. pic.twitter.com/cTd6xS9C34
— Somya Lakhani (@somyalakhani) April 16, 2021
What privilege. ?? Beaches are available and accessible to every individual irrespective of what u consider privilege… We have a large coastline in India. It's only your state of mind (fearful or positive) that makes u avail the "privilege "
— Pooja Bedi (@poojabeditweets) April 15, 2021
Beaches ain't accessible to everyone. Consider a person living in a non-coastal area who is below poverty line. 6.7% of Indian population belongs to below poverty line and that's a HUGE number. Would they choose to avail medical safety and food or CHOOSE to travel?
— Krati Tiwari (@KratiTiwari14) April 15, 2021
The privilege of having money and good connections with doctors (which btw a lot of people don't have) in case anything were to happen to you or your family.
— shuks (@shuktija) April 15, 2021
Read More: COVID-19 Warriors Dance In Front Of Patients To Encourage Them To Keep Up The Fight
3. Celebrities Vacationing In Maldives
A bunch of celebrities have gone on a vacation to the Maldives and a few other places.
Posting several photos and videos of them having the time of their lives on sunny beaches and luxurious resorts is common to see for them.
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor were recently caught by paparazzi leaving for the Maldives. Actors Jahnavi Kapoor and Disha Patani have also been constantly posting to their social media of how much fun they are having there.
4. People Gathering Outside Liquor Shops
Recently after the Delhi curfew was announced, people flooded to the liquor shops, with no social distancing in sight and even masks were haphazardly placed on faces.
#Delhi: People gather in large numbers outside a #liquor shop; social distancing norms flouted. #Lockdown to be imposed in the national capital from 10pm tonight to 6am next Monday (26th April).#COVID19 #COVIDIOTS #Corona #लॉकडाउन #Curfew #Kejriwal #दिल्ली #Remdesivir #vaccine pic.twitter.com/Gm2wROH83t
— Rajan Tyagi (@NewsImpact18) April 19, 2021
In the midst of all this, one has to ask what is the correct way to post on social media without being insensitive to the grim COVID-19 environment.
One way is to go the route that actor Amit Sadh went where he’s taken a break from social media altogether. He stated, “The whole country is going through a difficult time. I believe my posts and reels of the gym sessions, the silly things that I do will not heal or entertain anyone.
This is not a criticism to anyone. I personally feel the best way to be sensitive about the situation is to pray and hope for things to get better.”
Another is to at the very least not post of your lavish mansions, humongous kitchens, go on rants of how difficult life these days while sitting in your private pool.
It is fine to share small joys that one has gotten without shoving your riches and wealth in the faces of people who really cannot do half the things these people are doing.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Week, News18, Hindustan Times
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Privilege people, Privilege people covid, Privilege people gap covid-19, india covid-19 pandemic, pooja bedi, pooja bedi Privilege, pooja bedi trolled, amit sadh, amit sadh social media, coronavirus, coronavirus india, masks, wearing masks india, covidiots delhi, covidiots