The judiciary can always be relied upon to be cool and reasonable even in this age of unreason. The Calcutta High Court’s directive disallowing visitors from entering pandals during Durga Puja this year is a perfect example of the courts’ ability to blend pragmatism with a humane vision. The judgment, in fact, underscores the seriousness of the health challenge that confronts Bengal and India in the form of Covid-19. The ruling came close on the heels of the World Health Organization warning against any institutional complacency in the battle against the virus. The strictures passed by the Calcutta High Court — a limited number of organizers and the priest will be allowed inside the premises while pandal-hoppers will be kept at bay — would send a strong reminder not only to the administration but also callous citizens to not to let their guard down. This order, along with the earlier judicial pronouncement that mandates Puja organizers to spend the lion’s share of the government grant on hand sanitizers and other protective equipment, shows that the courts have, time and again, been at the forefront among institutions committed to bear the mantle of public welfare.

The Calcutta High Court must also be complimented on its magnanimity. It has stated unequivocally that its intervention should not be viewed as a tacit acknowledgment of the ineffectiveness of the measures that have been implemented by the state government to contain the epidemic thus far. This objectivity is especially important given the partisan nature of the political atmosphere in the state. What the judiciary seems to be suggesting is that the battle against Covid-19 is a collective responsibility and every stakeholder — the government, administration, people and even the political Opposition — has a duty to do its own bit to mitigate the crisis. There is some concern that the order has come a bit too late in the day and that smaller Pujas may find it difficult to implement the rules. These reservations should not deflect attention from the far bigger responsibility of doing as much as possible to ensure that Bengal does not go the Kerala way: the laxity during Onam has led to a significant spike in the southern state’s Covid-19 load. The court has done what is necessary. Honouring its noble objective is a shared responsibility. Neither citizens nor the government of the day should forget that.