Madan Jha
Various world organizations and global experts have now started advocating the use of the term “Physical distancing” instead of “Social distancing”, a phrase which attained so much popularity during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis globally.
World Health Organisation (WHO) already suggested adopting the term “physical distancing” and now Indian experts too have started debating over the use of the more appropriate term at this juncture to fight the dreaded outbreak of Coronavirus.
An eminent journalist who writes for top international news platforms like BBC, Radio France International and DW, Murali Krishnan while expressing his opinion over the use of more appropriate term says, “It is now an issue of messaging. International organizations like WHO have adopted physical distancing as the right terminology. Practicing social connectedness with physical distance is what keeps us going during this ongoing pandemic.”
“But to flatten the curve physical distancing is required when we travel out or gather in spaces… we need to keep that required distance of six feet as recommended.” Krishnan adds.
Expressing his opinion over the issue, Dr. Sutirtha Sahariah who has done his Doctoral Research from Portsmouth University in England says, “ I think physical distancing means maintaining distance at an individual level (one to one ), and social as the word suggests means keeping a distance from a wider community – cutting off temporarily from all aspects that shape our social life at large. The physical relationship could have sexual connotation too”.He further stated that humans, in general, will always have a physical attachment with something, for example, like a mobile phone which can be used to socialize digitally. “You cannot say keep a physical distance from objects,” Sahariah adds.
In the meantime, Prof. Vinod Kumar Choudhary Head of the Sociology department at Bihar’s L.N Mithila university strongly argued the use of term physical distancing at the great crisis hour. Human is a social animal so we must maintain Social support either by virtual technological supports or other ways. But the term “physical distancing” is more appropriate’, Prof. Choudhary suggests.
VN Jha, senior journalist observed; “Yes. Of course. Actually it has an influence of western social discourse where individuals already socially distant. Besides, in our country, social distancing may have many negative connotations such as community, caste, gender, poor-rich, etc” can be misused to reinforce the stereotypes, social mingling and density of population in India make physical distancing more apt, Jha added.
(This article has been reproduced here in arrangement with The News Agency. It can be accessed here)
