Mudik: Return Home after Such a Big Effort? No Way!

This article linked below talks about once-a-year "homecoming" (exodus). We Indonesians call it 'mudik': a special trip to home towns after the Holy Month of Ramadan. Published in the Jakarta Post (2 May 2021), the article talks about the relations between risk on mudik and Covid's transmission, and how the government should revise its policy. Excerpt of the article:

When people have left their cities, you need extra energy to ask them to go back home. After all the effort and beautiful imagination of gathering with fellow villagers, after setting a complex arrangement for this once-a-year big trip to share happiness with their families, now you want to turn them back? “No way.”

It would be different if they were stopped at the beginning when they are still at home. You can make them aware that there are many conditions necessary to buy tickets, with a kind of exit-and-entry permit. Long time before D-day all travelers must understand this, after wide publicity through all communication channels. This will be more accepted. “If I fail to meet all the requirements, I will not be able to buy a ticket and therefore make such enormous preparations.” Energy is not wasted.

• This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "‘Mudik’: You want me to turn back? No way!". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2021/05/03/mudik-you-want-me-to-turn-back-no-way.html.