インド、祭りシーズン到来　２年ぶりのにぎわい

【コルカタＡＦＰ＝時事】ヒンズー教の祭りの季節を迎えたインドでは、およそ２年ぶりにあちこちの市場や会場がにぎわっている。（写真は資料写真）
　人口１３億人のインドで、新型コロナウイルスによる死者は今も連日２００人を超えているが、４月と５月の４０００人に比べると大幅に減少している。国民の約７５％が少なくとも１回目のワクチン接種を済ませ、ほとんどの活動は通常に戻っている。
　今の時期、インドでは「ドゥルガー・プージャ」「ダシェラ」「ディワリ」といったヒンズー教の大きな祭りが相次いで開催される。
　菓子や衣服、車などに散財する時期でもあり、新型コロナの流行で疲弊した経済の活性化が期待されている。
　西ベンガル州の州都コルカタ（旧カルカッタ）では１４日、祭りの期間にヒンズー教の女神ドゥルガーの像が置かれる「パンダル（仮設寺院）」に人だかりができていた。
　マスクをしている人も多いが、交通警察が距離を取るよう拡声器で呼び掛けても効果はなかった。
　「祭りの時期だから人は集まるし、楽しむ。今は規制もなく、政府も許可しているので私たちはこうやって楽しんでいる」と参拝者の一人はＡＦＰに語った。
　近隣のビハールやアッサム、西部のマハラシュトラやグジャラートの各州でも祭りに多くの人が集まっている。
　ナレンドラ・モディ政権は１１日、長い祭り期間に新型コロナが再流行することを懸念し、「１００日作戦」を開始した。
　主要紙ヒンドゥスタン・タイムズが伝えた政府関係者の話によると、政府は「今後１００日間、特別な警戒を怠らず、コロナ禍に適した行動を継続するよう各州に要請した」。
　公衆衛生専門家のラジブ・ダスグプタ氏は、１回目のワクチン接種率が非常に高いため、感染力の強い変異株が出現しない限り、新規感染者の急増はないとの見通しを示した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/10/18-13:32）

India's main religious festival season is back in full swing with huge noisy crowds thronging markets and fairs for the first time in two years, barely six months after a devastating Covid-19 surge.
The coronavirus is still claiming over 200 lives daily in the nation of 1.3 billion people but that is down sharply from the 4,000 fatalities in April and May.
Most activities are back to normal and India has administered almost a billion vaccine doses, with around 75 percent of people receiving at least one shot.
India's peak holiday season includes Durga Puja, Dussehra and Diwali -- major Hindu festivals celebrated with noise, colour and exuberance across the country.
It is also the time when people splurge on dresses, sweets, cars and other consumer goods -- vital for fuelling the battered economy, the world's sixth-biggest.
In Kolkata on Thursday, crowds flocked colourful pandals, temporary structures where idols of the Hindu goddess Durga are installed during the festivities.
The spectators jostled for a glimpse of a 145-feet (44-metre) high pandal designed as a replica of Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper, complete with a dazzling laser show.
Traffic police in the West Bengal state's capital used loudspeakers to remind people about physical distancing, but in vain, although many people wore masks.
It's festival time so people will come and people will enjoy. Now there are no restrictions, the government has allowed us (to celebrate) so we are enjoying out here, Aradhana Gupta told AFP.
Another reveller Riya Tai rued how she could not celebrate the festival last year when strict virus restrictions were in place.
I am feeling happy (this time) although the crowd is excessive. I am sweating like hell but still I am enjoying it, she said, amid the beating of drums and Bollywood music blaring from speakers.
The neighbouring states of Bihar and Assam have also witnessed huge festival crowds as have the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government kicked off a campaign dubbed Mission 100 Days, with fears that the long festive season could see a resurgence of Covid-19.
We are asking states to be extra vigilant during the next 100 days, and ensure that Covid-appropriate behaviour is observed, a government official was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper.
Only then we will be able to save the country from an expected surge in cases.
Community health expert Rajib Dasgupta said the high coverage by the first vaccine doses was likely to protect the country from a new surge, unless a highly transmissible variant emerges.
India's vulnerability potentially lies in a very high proportion of partially immunised persons, he told AFP.