Doing The Right Things Is Better Than Not Doing The Wrong Things

As of yesterday the 17th February 2022 AD, the global Coronavirus numbers stand as follows:

Total Infections : 419,890,900

Total Deaths         :     5,878,817

Total Recovered : 343,549,292

The above numbers include our own daily records, which, as of yesterday, stand as follows:

Total Infections : 8,683

Total Deaths         :        5

Total Recovered : 5,930

Our highest infection in a day was recorded yesterday – at 386.

It is a matter for alarm that despite our renewed vigilance, Bhutan is seeing heightened incidences of infections. What are we doing wrong? Or, more accurately, what are we NOT DOING RIGHT?

Now let us sit back and ponder on this question: what are we NOT DOING RIGHT? Unfortunately, as I have pointed out many times in the past, the Bhutanese are not a pondering lot and, that, I believe is at the core of why we are seeing daily increase in the infections: WE ARE NOT THINKING AND IN THE PROCESS DOING WHAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.

Yesterday I was forwarded a recording of a woman in Phuentsholing pleading for respite from the lockdowns. She makes an impressive case on the grounds of which the King and the government should consider letting up on the lockdowns. But in that long drawn heart-wrenching appeal, she makes no mention of how she is going to contribute – to help the King and the government to achieve conditions that would make it possible to consider easing lockdowns.

This makes it sound as if I am supporting lockdown – I am not. Some readers – both inside Bhutan as well as outside have accused me of “justifying” the government’s actions based on their misunderstanding of what I wrote in my last post titled “Stop Grumbling” dated 11th February 2022. This is yet another example of how unthinking the Bhutanese are. If you revisit my post, you will see that the absolute last sentence of my post reads:

“If lockdown is deemed necessary, if it is the only way forward, let us have lockdown”.

This means that what I am saying is that I am leaving it to the incumbent government who has the responsibility to do what needs to be done. This means that I am leaving it to the committee of experts to do what they are qualified to do.

This also means that if you know any better – step forward and contribute to the national effort – instead of grumbling and drawing wrong conclusions, through thoughtlessness. If you think the current method of implementing lockdowns is flawed, suggest what is a better way of doing it.

Even small things matter. For instance, when the lockdown was eased in Thimphu, my first thought was to restock on essential supplies. But unlike some, I did not go to 10 vendors to pick up 20 items of my need. I wrote out a complete list of what I need and gave it to one lone vendor - to fill in all my needs. This prevents me from visiting 10 stores that could present a threat.

I have also decided that wherever possible, I will buy my vegetables from the hawkers on the roadside - this will keep me away from crowded vegetable shops.

One other stupidity I see is the vehicle owners thronging the fuel stations. Recently a fuel price increase was due. Whole lot of vehicle owners rushed to the fuel pumps to tank up – in the process creating a long queue and snarling up the traffic. Little realizing that their car idling in the queue for close to an hour would have consumed whatever savings they had hoped for, in addition to precious time lost in the process.

Particularly in a pandemic situation we should know that creating a crowded condition is exactly NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

The lockdowns will ease the day the Bhutanese people begin to think and DO THE RIGHT THINGS. If we fail to do the right things, the lockdowns will continue - that is for sure!