X Chophika Sumi
Pishikhu Village, Dimapur
Today marks the second month of the nationwide lockdown which was necessitated to contain the spread of COVID-19. But the pertinent question as to whether the unplanned lockdown served its purpose is in the open for all to see. There has been a spike in the number of active cases shortly after the ICMR announced that the curve has flattened.
Just 3 months back the nation was merry-making welcoming the arrival of the POTUS to India. This event took place almosta month after the World Health Organization(WHO) signalled warnings about the impending danger and declared the novel Corona virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Over 100 Crore Rupees was reportedly spent only for the arrangements! Today, India is at a shock battling the grim reality and Ahmedabad which hosted the Namaste Trump event with over one lakh crowds at the Motera stadium is the hotbed of COVID-19 in Gujarat. Ironically, the recovery rate in Gujarat is also the lowest in India.
Thousands of crores spent on building statues and renaming of cities and places in the last six years have not yielded any results. In fact, what Modi deprecated Nehru and the Congress's contribution all his life has turned out to be the life saver.The unplanned lockdown has jolted the country to a large extent. The lockdown should have been enforced earlier but the top brass of the BJP weredetermined to install the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh which resulted in the delay. The government which gave notice for the 'Janta Curfew' (the very purpose of social distancing was defeated at 5.00 when hundreds of thousands came out on the streets heeding to the call of PM Narendra Modi celebrating as if some festivity was in progress) two days ahead would later give only four hour notice for the nationwide lockdown. As a result, millions of migrant workers and labourers were forced to stay put all together without work and food for several days. With the gradual easing of restrictions, millions of migrants are on the move on foot heading back homewards. Their tribulation is not at a concern for the central government and there is no mention for the poor migrants either in the 1st or the 2nd package neither is there any respite for the MSMEs which employs over 120 million people. The help for the MSMEs is in terms of loans which is totally absurd. The earlier package of Rs.1.7 lakh Crore which was announced by the FM on 26th March is only a repackaging of the existing schemes. In actual, not even 1/3rd of the 1.36 lakh Crore have been disbursed. The second economic package of Rs. 20 lakh Crore is only an eyewash. With no immediate relief, the farmers who are the backbone of this nation are left to fend for themselves. On further detailed study, the package is worth only around Rs. 3 lakh Crore. India's economy which is in freefall is further devastated due to the poor management of the country's economy during this crisis. The GDP of India is forecasted to grow at 0% for the current fiscal as per Moody's Investor Services. The country's frontline workers are ill equipped and surprisingly despite the WHO issuing guidelines to all countries on February 27, 2020 to stockpile PPEs in view of the spread of Corona Virus. The central government paid no heed to the guideline and was exporting PPEs till March 19 and extended the ban to sanitizers on March 24. Testing is insufficient and the testing capacity is very low with a testing rate ofjust 1700 per million people (Our World in Data, an Oxford University and Global Change Data Lab initiative).
Over 380 deaths of migrant workers have been reported since the lockdown started. And if there is anyone who should be held responsible, it is only Modi. The government has absolutely no plan for lockdown exit strategy. Surely, we've been caught off guard and if we are to continue at this rate with such callousness. Then there is danger looming large over India and it is going to be catastrophic.
