A letter petition in the apex court seeks directions for discontinuing the use of the term “Social distancing” and use the term “physical distancing” instead, owing to the stigma related to the former.

This petition has been filed by an advocate practicing in Hyderabad Dr. B. Karthik Navayan who contends that any of the terms like “physical distancing” or “individual distancing” or “safe distancing” or “disease distancing” may be used instead of “social distancing” by the Union as well as all state governments. He says in his petition that the same should be done in the interest of the country, society as well as to uphold the spirit of the Constitution of India.

He further contends that the usage of the term could lead to furthering the discriminatory caste based social practices like untouchability and also caste prejudices. The advocate cites an incident whereby a Telugu cine lyricist made a video asking his community to take pride in their discriminatory practices against the Scheduled castes as the same are being used to combat coronavirus. He further pointed out that even the World health Organization (WHO) has started using the term “physical distancing” and the Indian government should also follow suit.

He further cites the definition of Social distancing in the advisory issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare which is to stay at least 6 feet from other people, no gathering in groups and to stay out of crowded places. He says this is akin to physical distancing and now social distancing, as the latter is just a term resembling caste based untouchability. The letter petition hence asks the apex court to issue a direction to the Centre as well as state government to refrain rom using the term social distancing in its official documents including public advisories and instead use “physical distancing”.

The practice of untouchability is prohibited under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 as well as Article 17 of the Indian Constitution. The petitioner in this case has however, failed to cite adequate number of incidents to prove that the usage of the term “social distancing” has in fact manifested the practice of untouchability against certain castes hence, it would be difficult for the court to consider giving such directions.

Related:

Migrants wanting to return home fleeced by Centre and states
Aarogya Setu app in hot water due to MHA’s order of mandatory downloads
SC asks Centre to ‘consider’ universalizing PDS, says it’s a policy issue

The post Call it ‘physical distancing’, not ‘social distancing’: Petition in SC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Ever since the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced national lock down on March 24, 2020 to fight Covid–19 and declared that “Social Distancing” is the only solution to save India from the Corona Pandemic, all Chief Ministers are also using the same coinage in  India. We must use ‘Disease Distancing’ not Social Distancing because India is a country of social Untouchability and caste distancing for millennia. If this goes in to the national psyche it will make Untouchability and casteism worst in future. India is not like Europe, America and China. This is a country of millennial practice of social distancing.  

Unfortunately  Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janatha Party claimed biggest organised network in the world. But their cadre are not seen anywhere among the poor, semi-starving labour, beggers across the country when they themselves were ruling. Mohan Bhagwat and Amit Shah are not seen giving calls to nation how to save the poor, unemployed, beggars, nomads and semi-nomads by organizations. No Hindutva organization is seen distributing food, water to beggars, destitute and to the old poor in urban slums. This is a bad nationalism to say the least. Nationalism means saving the poor’s life and a crisis like this.

I request all organizations to not to use the phrase “Social Distancing”  but use Disease Distancing or Corona Distancing. With great struggles from the days of Savitribai Phule and her son Dr.Yashvantharao Phule who died in serving the dying poor in Poona in the Bubonic Plague of 1897, we struggled a lot to fight caste social distancing. We should strengthening it again. The poor must be saved from not only disease but also from hunger and drinking water. Let serve poorest of the poor like Karalites are doing to save the country.

* The writer is a social activist and writer. He is the former Director, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad

The post Disease distancing, not social distancing during Covid-19 appeared first on SabrangIndia.