Lockdown 4.0 - thoughts

Now that we have the fourth extension of the lockdown, the logical question is, “What next ?” Will the entire country remain cooped up behind closed doors to avoid the virus and then die from starvation ?

India’s record of endemic hunger over the last 70 years is worse than that of sub-Saharan Africa. The stoppage of economic activity will make it worse. We will have many more starvation deaths than pandemic ones – the overflowing FCI godowns and the much touted PDS notwithstanding. History is testimony to that.

A government, whatever may be its popularity, cannot take way the citizens’ right to livelihood – the right to earn for a decent, self-respecting life. Putting money in their pockets as a dole, is not a solution.

And it has done precisely that.

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The lockdown period should have been used to build up healthcare facilities in right earnest – and precious little has been done in that area.

In the bargain, regular patients at many hospitals – diabetics, patients with heart, liver, old age problems have been asked to go home and denied the care they need, while their facilities were forcibly converted to address pandemic patients. This – in the 21^st century ?

And we call ourselves an aspiring super power ?

We must be mentally retarded as a nation to even think on those lines.

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India was once – not very long ago – the richest country in the world, with thriving local economies and major contributions to world trade, till the colonial masters came and destroyed it all in a bid to sell their products.

We should re-start the process of building “local economies” once again.  All metros in this country should be given a designated 100 KM radius to re-start all economic activities, including the suburban trains to facilitate people and freight movement. After 3-4 weeks of observation, these areas can be expanded in concentric circles to eventually include the whole country in a matter of 3-4 months. Containment areas can be tightly controlled to prevent the spread of the virus.

Domestic flights need to be resumed on a reduced scale – now. Then the scaling up can take place over time, as the demand goes up.

On a parallel note, the healthcare infrastructure should be upgraded by adding new hospitals –albeit makeshift for now – to cater to infections. It cannot and should not happen at the cost of denying healthcare to existing patients !!!  This pandemic is a challenge for us to improve.

In about a year’s time we must aim for having at least one primary healthcare facility with doctors and nurses in every village and small town in the country. How that staffing can be done can be discussed separately – not the topic of this article.

For once at least, the powers that be, all across the political spectrum, should move away from vote-bank politics and do something for the citizens at large.

I wait to see that day come.

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