COVID-19 is an acronym that stands for CORONAVIRUS DISEASE of 2019. It is a new name given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a press release on 2nd February 2020 for the disease caused by novel CORONAVIRUS. It is a dreadful disease for which there is no vaccine/medicine. It spreads mainly by droplets but the only caution is the biggest defence. It took the form of pandemic and rapidly spread its wings thereby 210 countries of the world including  India are affected. It started in Wuhan, China in late 2019. All the affected countries of the world are now facing the CORONA crisis and have been trying to slow the spread of it.

The era of this crisis has also given rise to very important questions such as:

1. What is the importance of science and scientific thinking in today’s time?
2. Why the walls of caste, religion, gender, region and country or nation could not stop this disease?(“Coronavirus  – Human – Humanity“)

Another important question – why spiritual or supernatural powers could not control the spread of coronavirus?

India though independent but a developing nation is abundantly endowed with more than 1.3 billion population, has been facing many problems and crisis till today.

While the Indian economy has been going through a very bad and difficult patch Since 2019, while the country is under Global Hunger Index (GHI) and facing the grim crisis of unemployment, now the nation confronting another corona crisis. Is not it a real thunderbolt to India?

When COVID-19 cases rose above 300, India observed “JANATA CURFEW”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi adopted new formula to fight coronavirus. He urged all the State Governments to undertake measures to help in observing “JANATA CURFEW”. He also urged all the citizens of the nation to help the Government in fighting the pandemic and requested to observe “JANATA CURFEW” on 22.3.2020 from 7 am to 9 pm. Janata  Curfew means, curfew to be observed by the Janata (Citizens) and for the Janata.

Read also – Untouchability In The Times Of Corona

When the confirmed positive coronavirus cases in India was approximately 500 and after a call came from the UN Health Agency, WHO, for the country to take aggressive action the  Govt. of India took the decision to impose a 21-day lockdown. Accordingly on 24th March 2020 giving India four hours notice the Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared lockdown and told the nation that every state, every district, every lane and every village in India will be under lockdown for three weeks and further requested all the citizens to be prepared to remain under lockdown “If you can’t handle these 21 days, this country and your family will go back 21 years”, said Modi. The lockdown was in line with WHO guidance.

To be certain the word ‘LOCKDOWN’ is not a technical term and can be used by public health officials to mean anything from mandatory geographic quarantines to non-mandatory recommendations to stay at home and ban on events and gatherings. In the context of the current situation surrounding the coronavirus, it is being used in reference to Government asking citizens to stay indoor in self-isolation.

When death toll increased, new infection growth of the COVID – 19 continued to be reported and with the rapid spread of novel coronavirus across India and in order to break the chain of transmission of COVID – 19, the Government across India put in place significant civil restriction and extended lockdown for the second time up to 3rd May 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,“ There is a need to follow two important things to fight this pandemic COVID – 19 – resolve and restraint.”

Important instruction for precautions (social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, using sanitization, banning people from leaving their homes, etc) and preventions are also being issued to the people through electronic and print media from time to time by the Government and Health Department. The Government has taken many measures to prevent the entry and spread of Corona Virus in India.

All transport services – Road, Air and Rail are shutdown and suspended with exceptions for transportation of essential goods, fire, police, patient and emergency service.

All Industries, all educational Institutions, all examinations, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants shops are shutdown. (Vegetable vendors and grocery stores are an exception). Inter-state, Inter-district and even inter-village movement of people is prohibited during the lockdown. No. of districts, villages and areas are identified and put under containment zone, Buffer Zone, Red Zone, Green zone, etc.

The sudden announcement of lockdown on 24th March 2020 sent waves of panic across the country.

The Prime Minister’s hasty COVID-19 lockdown of the country  (affecting more than 1.3 billion People) leaves many fearful and tearful for what comes next. But the lockdown and the shutdown though painful it was badly necessary to fight against COVID-19 and to save the life of the people of India.

Read also – Corona Virus, Science and Buddha

During the Lockdown people having positive coronavirus are put under treatment but people having symptoms are kept in quarantine. India is a country of more than 1.3 billion people and does not have the health care infrastructure to support the effects by the spread of Corona Virus. In rural areas the medical facility is inadequate and health structure is weak or even non-existent.

In the lockdown period police struggle to enforce law and order and to bring people under restraint to stay at home. Police in India physically strike people who violate coronavirus lockdown. Even some innocent people have been beaten up. In some places, police help people in hunger.

COVID-19 lockdown has tragic consequences for the people of India and it has been a worrying time for us all. Out of more than 130 crores population of India, the working-age population is 103 crores. There is job destruction caused by the nationwide lockdown anything ever recorded in the economic history of India. The number of ‘Precariat’ in India today may be large. Around 14 crores Indians have lost employment over the last two weeks of the lockdown.  So one-third of the country’s 25 crores households (government data from 2011) could be facing a livelihood crisis. The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown period is harvesting time of grapes, watermelons, bananas, chana, cotton, chillies, turmeric, ginger, jeera, coriander, onion, tomato, potato, etc but farmers could not harvest it. Therefore farmers across the country are in a panic. They say “the COVID-19 lockdown damaged our crop and this situation is worse than demonetization.” The government could not step up procurement to protect agricultural income and save the produce. Hence the lockdown hits Indian farmers.

The scheduled caste, the scheduled tribes and the other backward classes make up 70% of the population out of which 50% are poor and under below poverty line. Indeed, they are the labour force. On their strength, sweat and toil this free India survives. They are the inter-state migrant labourers. These labourers, loaders, cart pushers, contraction homeless, shelters, thelawallas, dhabawallas, orphans, destitute, taxi and autorickshaw drivers, four-wheeler drivers, bus drivers, vegetable vendors, carpenters, mason, delivery boys, waiters, domestic help, barbers, washermen and list goes on, they all belong to the SC/ST and OBC. Due to lockdown work has dried up and these people lost their jobs and earnings. They could not pick up even occasional odd jobs. Many are facing hunger and starvation in the absence of daily wages.

With work coming to halt and jobs are gone, hundreds of thousands of Inter-state migrant workers with their family members are desperately trying to return home in their own states. The poor migrants not only seeking economic security but also wanting social security lies in their native villages where they assured food and shelter. They say “ We do not fear death caused by coronavirus but we fear death caused by hunger and starvation. But due to lockdown and shut down they become hapless and hopeless.

COVID-19 lockdown has already disproportionately hurt the migrant workers, the labourers and the marginalized due to loss of livelihood and food, shelter, health and other basic needs.

Read also – Corona Virus vs Caste Virus; Caste Hindus Justifying Untouchability In The Times Of Corona

So to say India COVID-19 lockdown means no work and food for rural poor. They need work to support their family. On 26th March 2020, the Government of India announced a relief package of Rs. 1.7 Lakh crores to provide food and cash transfers to the poor and vulnerable population. Some states Government also arranged food and shelter. But relief measures proved to be inadequate and even could not reach to the needy.

It is heartening to see many organizations and individuals from all over India coming forward to help people in displaced and distress. The support is flowing in cash, kinds, food and essential commodities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a feeling that the poor, the migrant workers, the labourers, the daily workers and the farmers, are the real backbone of India. They make up more than 50% of the population of India and are struggling for shelter, healthcare, hunger, starvation and in a pitiable state during the lockdown, therefore he apologized for lockdown “ which has caused difficulties in your lives adding these tough measures were needed to win the battle”,  said Prime Minister.

Researchers from Harvard University led by Stephen Kissler said that without a vaccine or other interventions “ prolong or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022 for coronavirus.”

COVID – 19  lockdown is the world’s, largest lockdown and it is really a disaster. The corona crisis should be taken as a warning and we should go towards restoring peace in the society by destroying all kinds of un-equal ideas such as casteism, communism and Patriarchy in the society. COVID-19 outbreak comes at the cost of human rights violation. Rampant job losses have gripped much other economics too in the face of the pandemic. COVID-19 lockdown effect may have left a devastating impact on the economy and overall unemployment may rise to high. During lockdown prices of commodities, vegetables have gone abnormally high. The rich have become richer and the poor have become poorer but the middle-class people have been adversely affected.

Over the course of time COVID-19 will cool down and the lockdown is lifted but India’s economic growth which has already been slowing down would be precariously close to recession and some multiple problems may crop up.

Author – Kapilendra Das
Social Activist
daskapilendra2012@gmail.com