Those in favour

First amendment

Making masks mandatory violates the first amendment in the Indian Constitution. It is also a people’s right to liberty to make decisions about their own health. The anti-maskers think that their rights are being curbed by the government.

Suchismita Behera,
Class IX, St. Helen School, Calcutta

Right material

Just wearing masks is not going to help stall the pandemic. First, you need to make masks that can prevent water droplets or aerosols from an infected person spreading among healthy individuals. In that case, the authorities should distribute or make masks made of the right material available to all citizens. Second, people also need to maintain social distance in an enclosed space or room.
Anuron Mullik,

Fourth year, Narula
Institute of Technology, Agarpara

Those not in favour

Best vaccine

Everyone is waiting for vaccines against Covid-19, but till date a mask is the best vaccine against the contagion. To live a healthy life, and let others live a healthy life too, is our basic right. As responsible citizens, we must protect ourselves as well as think of the safety of others. Therefore, we must mandatorily use masks.

Biswajoy Raptan,
Class VI, Calcutta Public School, Calcutta

A rule is a rule

Governments make it compulsory for vehicle drivers to drive on the same side of the road in order to avoid road accidents. People are also asked to throw garbage in designated bins. In a way, these mandates also violate fundamental rights of people. In the same way, making masks mandatory does not take away our rights to liberty and rather help us to stay healthy and safe. It’s about safety, not rights. The only way we can overcome this pandemic is if we think as “we” and not as “me”.

Yafiha Hussain,
Class VII, Techno India Group Public School, Siliguri

Life before rights

If it comes to choosing between killing oneself and standing up for politicising a precaution, it is better to save oneself and others. Studies have shown that if most of the people wore masks, it could save hundreds of thousands of lives. I believe a person who is not wearing a mask is violating the right to live of the other thousand lives he comes in contact with. It is almost the same as arguing that “banning guns violates human rights”. We have rights but we should also think about over seven billion lives.

Sagnik Debnath,
Class IX, The Newtown School, Calcutta

Health is important

Masks should be made mandatory till the pandemic is over to protect masses from getting infected by the coronavirus. Masks not only protect us from Covid-19 but also from pollution. Our health is the most important asset above everything else.

Ayush Mundhra,
Class VII, Adamas International School, Calcutta

To avoid spike

Making the wearing of masks mandatory in all countries has helped avoid the spread of Covid-19. Wherever citizens have avoided wearing masks, there has been a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Divyansh Agarwal,
Class XI, St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Calcutta

Obstructs creativity

They make children believe in the possibilities of becoming famous. They inspire us to chase our dreams, which can come true if one works hard for it. We can’t get better people than celebrities as role models.

Subhro Ray Chowdhury,
Dreamland School, Makhla, Hooghly