Two days ago, I heard my mother talking to the maid who has been coming to our house for dusting and mopping for the past ten years. She wanted to inquire whether she would come to clean the house or not. In her reply, she told that her Basti is converted into a cantonment area and police is patrolling very frequently to check the to and fro of the people. She had heard not even pronouncing coronavirus appropriately.

In her conversation with my mother, she shared her hypothesis that the police feels that the Basti people, though illiterate and due to poverty, do not take care of the hygiene and their physical movement out of their Basti, being daily wage earners, may spread the global coronavirus. The commuters, through her analysis, were under the vigilance of the protectors of the land. At last, she said that it is her helplessness that will not allow her to move out physically from her home and serve us and halted her voice after asking a, though very logical for her but illogical for me, question: aunty ji meri tankha to nahi katogi? (Aunty ji will you deduct my salary?).

A question like this is disturbing the entire community of those who go to provide their daily services to the well to do families. The lockdown which is the need of the hour has created the economic vacuum for these people. Being in the unorganized sector, their income is not permanent. They lose their job if they take long leaves due to illness or pregnancy or at times when they go to their native place during harvesting. Salary jump is a rare occasion. They even don’t have fixed timings and remuneration is also not appropriate.

In the majority of the cases, it has been found that the income from the spouse is ineffective due to their seasonal employment or addiction to consuming liquor. Apart from that the burden of feeding the family members, spending on medical ailment, monthly rent of the jhuggi and educational expenditures of the school-going children are the common and day to day disbursements which are borne by the female members of the family.

Amid of these irregularities, their savings is highly negligible. In such an environment the question of Rani (name changed) is very much relevant. In her single question, she very innocently revealed her entire miserable condition. In her question, she tried to depict many hidden consequences which were traumatizing her to a great extent in a pessimistic manner. She might have asked this question from each household where she goes every morning in order to make their beginning of the day in a healthier fashion. But today due to this sudden and long lockdown, an inevitable mechanism to combat coronavirus, the life of thousands of Ranis has come to a standstill. Her savings are exhausted. Her resources at home are in endangered condition.

Mental trauma is at the peak as income from all sources is nil. This wretched situation might have given courage to Rani and forced her asking this question. This is not just the story of Rani as a maid, but thousands of rickshaw pullers, workers at construction sites, petty vendors, auto drivers, private van drivers carrying children to school, daily wage earners, destitute and many more present the same picture.

News of corruption on the part of many shopkeepers is also in circulation. The theory of haves and have nots has once again become a buzz phrase. Those who have control of factors of production are accumulating the resources and those who are dependent and are helpless are simply facing the economic crises. Karl Marx has once again emerged in a larger framework but with a precise subtraction and addition. In its precise subtraction, the framework has to delete the idea of withering away of the system of the ruling government. There is no question of doubt on the preparedness of the administration of both federal and its units working in their capacities in different states of the country.

Their logistics are unchallengeable. Along with government the medical staff and the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, are also playing their role-taking their life at risk. There is no denying to this fact. Talking about the precise addition, the government has not just merely think for that portion of the population who has become marginalized because of this pandemic but at the same time has to execute schemes for their welfare scrupulously. Central and many states governments have come up in this direction but more is required in this hour of destruction.

This is a global problem and every nation, big or small, developed or developing, weak or strong, technocrat or mediocre is struggling with whatever natural and technological wealth they have in their nation. No nation is in a position to provide a supportive hand to the other needy nation. The entire responsibility of saving the lives of those who are infected and those who are on the verge of fading due to inappropriate resources cannot be put on the shoulders of the government as it has its own limited facilities.

It is a national emergency and the time has come to serve the motherland. It is a movement which will be won through two weapons: cooperation and compassion. Every honest citizen must cooperate with the government by following the guidelines of staying at home and maintaining social distancing and compassionately support those who are in dire need in this national crisis. Government alone cannot fight this enemy. It needs the support of the people. Piling up of consumable goods at home will not help the nation to come out from this problem. Rich have money to afford all goods but resources belong to the entire society. This needs to be rationalized by all.

We will not cut the salary of Rani rather will render our aid to her in this time of great stress. Governments, administration, medical personnel, police, media, the staff of airport, volunteers, NGOs, cleaning workers and many more are performing their part. It is the time when a nation is seeking our honest support. Let us not cut the salaries of our staff and waive off one or two months of rent from the tenants as they too have their families.

Due to dysfunctional of roadways and railways, many are stuck up in between. Following the instructions of the Prime Minister in which he urged the citizens to stay safe at the place where they are, has restricted their physical mobility. They require the basic amenities to survive in this adverse period. Government alone cannot reach every step as it has other priorities to furnish but together we can. The situation can be handled and converted into normalcy if we proceed an extra mile. We cannot go out from our homes but instead of sitting passively let us bring some relief in the lives of many by simple and small active gestures.

Author – Mukesh Sablania, Research Scholar, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi