Fight against coronavirus, not victims, says Sonali Kulkarni

“The fight is against Corona, not its victims," appealled actor Sonali Kulkarni. The noted actor, known for lending support to social causes, has raised her voice against the apparent discrimination against COVID-19 positive patients across Maharashtra, through a video titled Vicharbadla.

There have been rising cases of COVID-19 positive or even suspected patients facing discrimination. Recently in Mumbai’s Lalbaug area, a 24-year-old photo-journalist working with a Marathi newspaper was ostracised and verbally abused by his neighbours after he returned home from institutional isolation.

The photo-journalist had not even tested positive, however, since he was in close contact with two other photo-journalists, who had tested positive, the BMC identified him as their high-risk contact and asked him to go to an isolation centre on April 20.

COVID-19 positive patients are also facing issues like their videos being circulated or their names being shared on whatsapp groups. Health professionals, including mental health experts, are increasingly expressing concerns over the long-term psychological impact of this on patients and their family.

Even Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been urging people to show support towards the COVID-19 patients as well as their families instead of stigmatising them.

The 70-second video has been released by Mumbai based Waatavaran Foundation, and Jhatkaa.org who are working together in Maharashtra to create public awareness on COVID-19.

The film has been conceptualised and executed by Goregaon based Geeta Singh and Avinash Kumar Singh of Turtle on Hammock Films. Through this video, popular actor Sonali Kulkarni is seen encouraging and urging people to treat those suffering from COVID-19 with dignity and respecting their privacy.

“The unfortunate fact is that being COVID-19 positive seems nothing less than a crime as people think that if a person is tested positive for COVID-19, the person is a criminal. This is wrong and this mentality needs to change,” says Sonali Kulkarni in the video.

“Our fight is against the pandemic, not the people suffering from it,” appeals Kulkarni. Kulkarni concludeD by appealing to the public that, "let's not shake hands, instead let's shake off all the myths and stigma that is associated with being COVID-19 positive".