In the last couple of days, rush for selfies, handshakes and supporters thronging to meet Karnataka Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had their personal staff worried as both reportedly brushed aside concerns expressed over observing social distancing in the backdrop of the COVID-19 cases tally rising.
It required a Janata Curfew on Sunday and the Karnataka government’s decision to lockdown all 30 districts, suspend public transport and restrict movement for Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who have been receiving public in huge numbers after they were assigned responsibilities by the Congress high command, to reflect on cutting down their interactions.
“It’s very difficult to self-quarantine and maintain social distance. However, I have decided to have only small meetings from Tuesday and have asked people not to meet me till March 31. I will also be maintaining a distance while meeting people and go in for a one-on-one interaction,” Shivakumar said. He cancelled some meetings on Monday and held discussions with the state Congress unit’s media cell.
Siddaramaiah, who in his inimitable style had given the go-by to precautionary measures of maintaining social distance and toured districts last week, is said to have realised the enormity of the situation. “He has started wearing a mask to the legislature session while his aides carry sanitiser. On Sunday he asked all of us to stay at home, but said it has become boring,” sources close to him said.
The ongoing budget session of the Karnataka legislature has been witnessing thin attendance in both the Houses and on Monday the strength of members in the Assembly was 75 of the total 225 members. Though there have been suggestions from some members to curtail the session, which is scheduled to go on till March 31, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa turned it down saying “legislators cannot shy away from responsibilities”. Thermal screening for visitors has been set up at Vidhana Soudha and Yediyurappa’s residence.
However, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who was known as the ‘Janata CM’ for setting aside protocol and mingling freely with the common man and gets a large number of people visiting his house before he sets out for the day, has chosen to self-quarantine himself.
“I am not seeing any people and communication is only through correspondence, I’m not attending the session also. This is on the advice of my doctors as I have undergone two heart surgeries, I’m diabetic and don’t want to take any risk,” he said.
For a person, who as Chief Minister popularised the Grama Vastavya (village stays), Kumaraswamy said his self-imposed quarantine was difficult in the beginning.
“I am spending time reading books on pre-Independence struggle, which helped me to quote few lines from one of the books in the legislature session before I stopped attending. There is no significance in continuing the legislature session as the legislators, secretariat staff and others are being exposed to risk by sitting in the air-conditioned hall for hours together,” he maintained.
The Assembly session is ongoing on Tuesday too.
For now, the personal staff of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are a relieved lot with their leaders realising the seriousness of the situation. “Last week there were delegations of foreigners and others who had returned from overseas and came to meet Shivakumar. He had to socialise with them with hugs and photographs, and dismissed our concerns,” sources said.
However, the reports of COVID-19 cases increasing everyday seem to have compelled him take some safety measures. A close aide of Shivakumar, who accompanies him everywhere, has now been asked to stay indoors and not risk exposure to the virus.
“He has asked me not to accompany him for a fortnight as I’m more than 60,” he said.
Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author’s own.