Back in April, 10 tourists were caught violating lockdown norms in Rishikesh. Instead of being fined, the Uttarakhand Police made them write “I did not follow the rules of lockdown so I am so sorry,” 500 times as punishment.
The New Indian Express reports that in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, something similar will be done. People spotted without face masks will be made to attend a ‘mask ki class’ in the presence of a police official, an official of the district administration, and a doctor.
NDTV quoted Senior Superintendent of Police Sachindra Patel saying,
“In this class, lessons will be imparted to those people who are found moving out without a mask. These people will not face any police action but will be made to sit in the class for 3-4 hours.”
News18 quoted him adding,
“Then, they will be made to write ‘mask lagaana hai’ (a mask has to be worn) 500 times.”
Russia has announced that they have completed human trials for their COVID-19 vaccine but there’s a long way to go before it is manufactured and made available to the public. Until then, masks are an absolute necessity.