Corona Virus - Immediate Fallout of Lockdown
The whole world and the international community are engaged
in fighting the deadly pandemic – Corona Virus or Covid – 19. India is no exception. Thousands and
thousands have died and lakhs and lakhs, throughout the globe, have been found
positive for the virus and are being treated under difficult conditions. The
developed countries where medical facilities and health care arrangements are
supposed to be of desired standards are equally trapped by the Corona Virus. I
will not go into the details with figures. It will be suffice to underline the
gravity of the situation that as of March 28, about 10 lakh people have been
found positive with the virus and about 30,000 people have lost their lives.
The situation is really grim which requires concerted efforts to contain the
virus and impending danger to the humanity.
Fortunately so far in India, things are not that alarming
though we woke up a bit late. Nevertheless, it is not time to resort to the
blame game. In India about 900 people have been found positive and about 20
have died so far. But we are not to lower our guard. We are sitting on a
volcano given the ground situation of our under development and poverty. We
don’t have adequate medical facilities
and health care regime. Poverty and illiteracy would yet be an impediment in
imposing self discipline – social distancing,
self confinement and isolation –
the only effecting mantras to control the virus from its spread in the absence
of any effective medicine or vaccine. The central government under the
stewardship of PM Narendra Modi and the state governments has declared
countrywide Lock out and even curfew in many regions to meet the deteriorating
situation with the only available remedy to contain the virus that is - social
distancing, self confinement and isolation. We all must listen and cooperate to
save ourselves though it is easier said than done. But there is no other
option. We would ignore this at our own peril.
There is immediate fallout of the sudden and immediate lock
out which needs to address to make the lock out successful to achieve the
intended results. I know the authorities are doing their best both at the
central and state levels. But still to underline the immediate need to look into
some of the aspects, I thought of reaching the public and the authorities and
seek action and cooperation:
-
Appoint
district level joint committees of governmental authorities and the civic
society to monitor the situation and address local requirements to make the
lock out effective.
-
Police
authorities should be sensitive to the human needs and human psychology while
enforcing the curfew and lock out and use their discretion. It has been
observed that the police have been resorting to excessive force with undue
approach of high handedness. I know it is a difficult situation particularly
when the mob mentality overtakes and some people do not listen to the
authorities. The enforcement agencies need to be tactful but assertive. We are
a democratic country and should not be seen as a police state.
-
Central
government has come out with a relief package for the poor. It is good gesture
with a meager 170 lakh crores (about Us Dollar 2.2 million). But it would have
been better given the scale of poverty and immediate requirements of the
unorganized sector. The state governments are also doing their bit but need to
do more. Now is time to sincerely and seriously implement the relief packages
without any delay. The relief including monetary dole outs must reach the poor
and needy. It should not remain on paper and the media to gain brownie points.
Otherwise the situation has every potential to go out of hand and result in
lawlessness leading to ‘foot riots” as warned by some economic experts. It is
advisable to the authorities to take a good note of these requirements.
-
Internal
migration has created yet another problem. The exodus of workers from their
work places because of shut down of factories and projects have rendered them
unemployed. They have no fallback position with any money in hand and shelter
on their head. It is correct that the exodus defeats the purpose of confinement
and social distancing but what to do. They are hapless people- worried and
concerned to avoid starvation not only of themselves but their families back
home. There is no point in blaming them. It seems that they are no mood and
mind to listen also. The authorities are trying to make them understand and
making necessary arrangement for their food and shelter. But I don’t think that
there would be any respite from the movement. Better would be, in spite of the
inherent dangers of spreading the corona virus in the rural areas, to organize
transport and make their movement in an orderly fashion with all possible
precautions. In some circles, it is argued that if governments can spend crores
and crores on bringing back NRIs from affected countries by air flights why the
authorities are jittery in spending small money on their transport by buses
etc.? Let us maintain the social order by demonstrating that governments are
equally concerned about the poor and under privileged.
-
People,
who don’t have access to unaccounted money, don’t have cash in hand. Government
would also pay the relief amounts to the Jan Dhan Accounts of the beneficiaries
as announced. Obviously, they would ned to get banking services physically as
most of them have no excess or mechanism to resort to on-line or digital
banking. Pensioners and other senior citizens also have their money in banks
only. Banks are not working. It is a problem which needs to be addressed. Banks
should start working immediately, if not full time; let it be part-time with
skeleton staff. Payment of insurance should be facilitated to avoid later
difficulties in claiming insurance claims. Banks should entertain their clients
with a liberal approach with discretionary powers to senior officers to help
the clients rather than invoking minor procedural cookies. The idea is to avoid
dislocation and undue scare.
-
Let
us not allow ourselves to be bogged down by political rhetoric. The ruling
outfits must engage the opposition in meeting this unprecedented challenge. The
opposition should be mindful that they should not find faults with the
governments just for the sake of opposition. United we stand – Divided we fall.
The whole world is looking at us as
most of developed world has been engrossed by the pandemic. We are struggling
to ward off the danger just near our door with meager sources. Let us pledge
ourselves to fight the deadly virus of Covid – 19 with determination and grit.
If we fail to stand up and do our best, there would be no one to save us. We
should be aware of these ground realities. Let us listen to the authorities and
the governments who are fully engaged to save us and the humanity at large. I
conclude with our resolve to stand up and fight the virus together concertedly
and jointly. May my country become a place of the vision of our forefathers as visualized
in the Gurubani:
ਬੇਗਮ ਪੁਰਾ ਸਹਰ ਕੋ ਨਾਉ ॥
ਦੂਖੁ ਅੰਦੋਹੁ ਨਹੀ ਤਿਹਿ ਠਾਉ ॥
ਨਾਂ ਤਸਵੀਸੁ ਖਿਰਾਜੁ ਨ ਮਾਲੁ ॥
ਖਉਫੁ ਨ ਖਤਾ ਨ ਤਰਸੁ ਜਵਾਲੁ ॥1॥
ਅਬ ਮੋਹਿ ਖੂਬ ਵਤਨ ਗਹ ਪਾਈ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਖੈਰਿ ਸਦਾ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ॥1॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
ਕਾਇਮੁ ਦਾਇਮੁ ਸਦਾ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ॥
ਦੋਮ ਨ ਸੇਮ ਏਕ ਸੋ ਆਹੀ ॥
ਆਬਾਦਾਨੁ ਸਦਾ ਮਸਹੂਰ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਗਨੀ ਬਸਹਿ ਮਾਮੂਰ ॥2॥
ਤਿਉ ਤਿਉ ਸੈਲ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਿਉ ਭਾਵੈ ॥
ਮਹਰਮ ਮਹਲ ਨ ਕੋ ਅਟਕਾਵੈ ॥
ਕਹਿ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਖਲਾਸ ਚਮਾਰਾ ॥
ਜੋ ਹਮ ਸਹਰੀ ਸੁ ਮੀਤੁ ਹਮਾਰਾ ॥3॥2॥345॥
(ਬੇਗਮ=ਦੁਖ ਰਹਿਤ, ਅੰਦੋਹੁ=ਚਿੰਤਾ,
ਤਸਵੀਸੁ=ਸੋਚ, ਖਿਰਾਜੁ=ਕਰ,ਟੈਕਸ,
ਜਵਾਲ=ਘਾਟਾ, ਵਤਨ ਗਹ=ਰਹਿਣ ਦੀ
ਥਾਂ, ਦਾਇਮੁ=ਸਦਾ, ਦੋਮ ਸੇਮ=ਦੂਜਾ ਤੀਜਾ,
ਆਹੀ=ਹਨ, ਆਬਾਦਾਨੁ=ਆਬਾਦ, ਗਨੀ=
ਧਨੀ, ਮਾਮੂਰ=ਰੱਜੇ ਹੋਏ, ਮਹਰਮ=ਜਾਣਕਾਰ,
ਖਲਾਸ=ਸਭ ਸੋਚਾਂ,ਦੁੱਖਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ)
