Affect of Pandemics – When the State Met Citizens in Marneuli

The global COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on various aspects of public life in Georgia, shedding light on the challenges our society faced. It brought about a significant shift in our interaction with state institutions, illuminating both their strengths and weaknesses in crisis management. The pandemic necessitated crucial national decisions made by the government. This paper examines how the designation of the Marneuli and Bolnisi districts as quarantine zones during the COVID-19 outbreak influenced the perception and understanding of ethnic minorities. Additionally, it explores the communication and language barriers in these densely inhabited minority regions. The research investigates how Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani communities perceive Kvemo Kartli and Marneuli and their roles in shaping our collective identity. It questions the rationale behind the imposition of lockdowns on these municipalities and discusses their necessity, inevitability, and legality. This juncture can be considered a "state of war" during the pandemic, where the demonstration of power becomes a crucial element of political ontology. It analyzes how the state utilizes attributes of war to manage anxieties, transforming general apprehension into fear, thereby making society more compliant. Building on the work of Lehtinen and Brunila regarding the pandemic's political ontology, the study explores how the state's adoption of the war ontology can lead to instances of racism, where individuals from other nations and diverse minorities are perceived as "enemies" and "threats." The paper also addresses the local population's response to strict state measures such as lockdowns and restrictions, examining their protest methods and levels of organization. It analyzes the strategies adopted by the population to coexist with the pandemic and adhere to state regulations. In the concluding section, the focus shifts to the process of integrating the Azerbaijani community into Georgian society, a pivotal aspect of the pandemic's impact.