You must see how people roam around on campus here in JNU. They don't even wear masks, says Shivam Chaurasia. The President of the ABVP's Jawaharlal Nehru University unit goes on to say how he is disturbed to see people sitting cramped in dhabas, outside hostels and other parts of the university, as India is grappling with a scary second wave of the pandemic. But Chaurasia and his fellow karyakartas have seemingly come up with a way to create awareness about social distancing in a slightly colourful way — by conducting a flash mob.
This may seem oxymoronic to someone, considering how most institutions and organisations are calling for a ban on public gatherings and events. However, Chaurasia says that this is the best way to create more awareness and to ask people to wear masks, get themselves tested and get vaccinated when their turn comes. The flash mob begins at 4 PM on Monday, near the university's Sabarmati Dhaba.
But is a flash mob really a good idea to provide awareness on social distancing and COVID, we wondered. Chaurasia says, "There are only 4-5 participants here and everyone is dressed up as a character relevant to the pandemic. While one is a surgeon, the other is a vaccine and another is the Coronavirus itself. We will also adhere to social distancing norms," he says.
READ ALSO: Jawaharlal Nehru University ups vigil after 24 students found COVID-19 positive on campus
JNU has recently seen a spike of COVID cases, owing to which, the students have been told to not come to hostels, unless necessary. At the same time, all students or visitors from Maharashtra are asked to bring a negative RT-PCR report or quarantine themselves for 14 days. It has also made wearing masks mandatory on campus.
