The Virus Spread And Its Human Right Impacts

Introduction-

The virus which needs no introduction at the moment is ruling all over the world . Yes, you guess it right ! We are talking about 'corona' – The virus' . The latest variant of coronavirus , known as Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) is a form of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) . The spread of the virus is rampant . WHO (World Health Organization) declared covid-19 as ‘pandemic’ where the word 'pan' means all and ‘demic’ means people which means this particular virus possess the possibility to effect every single individual present on earth whether rich or poor. As we have no vaccine yet to protect ourselves from this draconian virus so the only solution seems to be practical is 'social- distancing'. Here comes the government role into consideration to tackle this pandemic with ease , solidarity and unity but what we see there is imposed censorship over media outlets , lockdown without prior notice which led to serious migrant labour crises and black marketing . Education is under lockdown too . This pandemic has lead to scapegoating and prejudice. ‘Communalism’ is another virus prevailing throughout the country . Overall liberty is at risk of homeless people , and those living in poverty . All this crises lead to human rights crises.

Quarantine, Lockdown and Restrictions-

Common acronym is that tough time makes you learn something new but what if time is uncertain . Quarantining large group of people or isolating them can only be done as per the law , be strictly necessary to achieve a specific and legitimate objective , rely on scientific evidence , and should not be arbitrary and discriminatory. The decision to quarantine should be time-bound , respect human dignity, and be subject to review . Quarantined people should have access to basic necessities of life , including food , water , shelter ,and healthcare. Government must insure all the basic availabilities within the premises which includes proper medical and ration to every single individual . Restrictions must be there but with proper guidelines and we cannot ignore Bentham’s theory of maximum utility completely and also principle of ‘social-contract theory’ where you oblige to give certain rights to government in return, government provides protection from discrimination against the state itself .

As far as human rights are concern it should be noted that mass restrictions hit the poor more than those who are better off.

Human rights allows states to impose temporary Restrictions on certain rights in times emergency . These rights can include the right to free expression to prevent dissemination of rumours , the right to free assembly to prevent spread of the virus , and the right of free movement to prevent the dispersion of the virus in affected areas. There are grave human rights risks of government taking over more powers and establishing a surveillance infrastructure that may become permanent .

Surveillance Risks-

Geo-fencing , surveillance through drones , consideration with right to privacy with Aarogya App are the same factors which somehow seems to be in violation of human rights .See if we look at positive side then technology can provide valuable clues to governments trying to trace the spread of the virus’ by monitoring telecom traffic . Movement of an individual can be traced with the help of geo-fencing during the spread of the disease .

At the same time, such surveillance is a real threat to respect for human rights . If we see within Indian context only then our government have reportedly used camera led drones and details of a person will be matched by Aadhar Card to identify infected individuals if they defy restrictions on their movement .

Technological developments have significant long-term implications . For example, experts believe future airline passengers may have to consent to allow airlines to track their movements following flights . But the real cost of such intrusive surveillance will be borne by the marginalised and economically weak sections of the society .They are less likely to travel easily and those who may have a prison record may find another constraint in their attempt to belong and prosper . At the end of the day , government need to insure proper drone related laws , stringent policies related to data protection to minimise the potential for misuse .

Racism and Xenophobia-

The threat of racism and Xenophobia linked to covid-19 is also real . People who have visited impacted areas have been barred entry in some countries. There have been racist and xenophobic attacks on Asians , including the Chinese , or those judged by appearance to be from China.

Individuals infected by the virus’, or assumed to be affected by it , deserve protection from hostility and human rights abuses . Within context of India there are some people who are living from past twenty years has been discriminated on grounds of their Chinese ascent . We must offer our services to all regardless of their ethnicity , nationality , or any other distinguishing characteristics while safeguarding the rights of their own workers.

Migrant Workers Crises-

Migrant workers have been particularly vulnerable and most affected during the crises . In some cases , they have been quarantined at their workplace . In some cases . Migrant workers are made to feel unwelcome back home , out of fear that they might be infected or have had to walk hundreds of kilometres to return to their hometowns , as public transport bad been suspended due to the outbreak. Some cases been gathering in large numbers, which makes them even more vulnerable to exposure to the virus.

They don’t enjoy the same rights as citizens of the host country . Many have lost their job arbitrarily , they have been forced to vacate their premises , they have no basic necessities like food , shelter and water . They also lack technology , such as high speed internet. Government must focus and pay attention to the rights of migrant workers directly employed by them , and particularly focus on workers in their supply chain who may be working for their sub-contractors so that their security and safety are ensured.

Women and domestic violence-

The impact of COVID-19 on women is important to discuss . Women in abusive , violent, or manipulative relations with their partners or within their families may be heightened risk when they are forced to stay at home for longer hours , increasing their vulnerability. There has been alarming increase in the cases of domestic violence upto 70% mainly in rural areas during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, all mothers being primary caregivers , they are more prone to be exposed to virus and fall sick . The fact that more than 80% of world’s nurses staff is consist of women means they are more exposed to the virus at hospitals .

Concerns have been raised that the statistical data of COVID-19 affected patients does not distinguish between men and human ,make it harder to devise policy responses that affect women . Some illness , for example, are more severe for pregnant women. Government must insure proper protection of women laws throughout the country by running daily campaign for women empowerment .

The poor-

Covid-19 disproportionately impacts the poor , in part because they lack the resources to take adequate precautions.

Business offerings consumer credit , or essential products and services through groceries and supermarkets should be particularly mindful of consumers from EWS category and create special facilities and solutions for them to manage their debt or purchasing power . Government must ensure Relief package and proper ration to the needy and also health insurance . As human rights does not exist in isolation , rights also demand practical humanity to the poor .

All rights are important-

In conclusion, it is worth remembering that human rights are universal , independent , inalienable , interrelated and indivisible . The Covid-19 crises has shown that in addition to right to health and life, other Important rights , including right to inequality , safety , security , housing , food , are also at stake. Consequently all state government need a proper coordination with central government in order to insure protection of human rights and proper allocation of kits and in the meantime, we urge wealthy individuals to make philanthropic contributions.

What are in actuality rights are too often seen in terms of needs , and the state grants them as privileges. That is wrong. Other institutions like big companies which have the capacity to act are often expected to play a larger role in helping the state meet its objectives to protect human rights , even if they may have no legal obligation to do so . .