Amidst the coronavirus epidemic, the lockdown has been extended to 3rd May. During, this lockdown one thing is for sure, that each and every civilian’s life has been effected some way than the other. Hope we now develop the empathy within ourselves, which is very important during the present state of the country.
The lockdown has turned into a humanitarian crisis because of poor planning. Indian governments have a tendency to ignore the complexity that human decision making embodies. This seems to reflect a failure to view people as individuals, with all the emotions they have. In fact, India’s social and economic engineering can be compared with the exertions of Adam Smith’s “man of system”, who “seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chess-board”. Demonetisation, GST, NRC attempts, and now the lockdown suggest an approach not very different from that.
What India needed was identification of the hotspots via testing, then lockdown in sensitive zones and treatment of coronavirus patients with extreme care so that the virus doesn’t comes back to him or her yet again.
A nationwide lockdown without any planning and an depreciating Healthcare infrastructure is no solution. There have been reports stating that the lockdown has led to decrease in the number of positive cases. No. That is not a good news. There’s a reason to it, firstly, the Indian government has been sitting ideal after declaring lockdown, thinking it to be a supposed MASTERSTROKE. When you a trap people indoors, without enough testing, and then decrease the testing initiative even more, is it not obvious that the virus is also trapped side by? Hence, when the lockdown gets over, cases will increase and there will be an outburst of more incidents.
I feel we have completely ignored the asymptomatic aspect of the virus. There have been millions of people who had NO SYMPTOMS at all, but were tested positive for coronavirus. So, how do solve that problem? By TESTING. TESTING is the only solution there.
I have even came across people, citing testing to be an expensive expenditure.
Well, read the list below,
3000 cr- Statue of Unity
210 cr- Electoral bond
4300cr- Publicity
2cr- Dinosaur statue near statue of unity
3600cr- Detention centre
4cr- Suit
60000cr- Election
2021cr- Foreign trip
Yet, some morons are reluctant to spend money on testing, citing it to be an extra expenditure.
The fact of the matter is that the government that can have the audacity to think about reconstructing the parliament with thousands of crores during this pandemic, neither lacks money nor requires any donations. I would say, giving donations to politicians is the biggest blunder ever, by citizens.
Coming back to lockdown, what modi did was basically a reflection of megalomania. Various states had already declared a lockdown, there was no need to give an official announcement from the center. What India needs desperately at this time is decentralization of power. However, Modi’s repeated actions of projecting himself supposedly different than the individual states decision is a hallmark of anti – democratic ideology that this government consists.
Various studies and experts globally have proven masks to be ineffective. WHO had previously stated the virus to be Not air-borne, however, further goes on to recommend wearing of masks. This seriously needs a clarification, because if masks are ineffective at first place and the virus is not air borne why do we require to masks? So, how is the lockdown helping in anyway? Except for creating more ruckus, for the middle class, poor migrants, hawkers and other labourers?
Lockdown can still be considered, if there’s a partial liftment of it in areas which have progressed. However, there’s a problem here. Since, it’s a nationwide lockdown and hotspots haven’t been previously identified by testing, “progress” can’t be characterized. Areas which might have supposedly progressed might turn out to be one’s with highest number of asymptomatic patients.
Secondly, partial liftment must be done only in some places and not all at once, because again it invites the danger of crowds. If only few places are done, then it can be watched and controlled by the police effectively that whether social distancing is being maintained or not.
Social distancing is logical because even though the virus is not airborne, it can be transmitted by direct contact. However, this idea is wrongly contemplated. Firstly, the virus is more contagious to surfaces than human contact, (reference: WHO). So, we not require to maintain distance from humans but also forbear contact with surfaces like walls, tables, benches and etc; while we are outside. Social distancing can only be properly maintained by individual vigilance, and for that a nationwide lockdown isn’t necessary. It was important in some places, because of too many people come out of their homes, it will be difficult to maintain social distancing, due to high population. And the places needed could have been identified by hotspots, but that wasn’t done. This destroys the entire purpose of the lockdown.
Most importantly, India cannot afford a nationwide lockdown. Our economy and mental health will be the worst effected.
India’s unemployment rate is at 45 year low with GDP being at a 4.5 rate. Consumption denial is substantial. India is anyway under a recession. The middle class has the pressure of paying off dues and salaries to staff and labourers. The middle class that is neither entitled to any relief packages nor free ration, will be driven to poverty next. The upper class which is busy showing off privileges through bursting crackers and banging thalis is not exempted from paying the price of lockdown either. Businesses no matter how big are stagnant. Moreover, there’s a reason why the upper class is called “upper class” , what kind of business do this people have? Jewellery, construction, furniture, designer garments and etc; Honestly, tell me who on earth is going to purchase such products after coronavirus lockdown gets over? Only grocery and daily essentials will be purchased. Hence, markets will be sent to a paralysis.
Moreover, Indians don’t have the capacity to stock up goods. From an economic point of view, consumption denial isn’t absolute. And too many goods can’t be stocked up at once, considering the purchasing power of an average Indian, which is very low.
Lockdown is thus, another disastrous decision by the government of India. It serves no solution and due to improper planning of the government, all the objectives of the lockdown are hence, dismantled.
Radhika Barman 