Time to Work Together
Jawhar Sircar
Ananda Bazar Patrika (English Translation)
29th March 2020
This Corona attack is the first major disaster to have ever affected all
Indians, in all regions and of all classes, in our entire history. Wars, even
the world wars or our three with Pakistan or China, have really never touched
everyone everywhere as the fighting and deaths were at the frontline. So when
Corona democratized death and respects neither privilege nor power, our panic
is overwhelming. Our response must, therefore, display unity and resolve, but
at the international level this is yet to emerge. The G 20 nations took many
weeks to just come together.
India’s
Prime Minister has already made two dramatic public appearances to convey to
his rather indisciplined citizenry that they must lock themselves at home to
break the viscous cycle, while the lathis of State police forces make
this clear to both the deserving and the innocent, rather unimaginatively. But
then, one wonders why we took so much time after neighbouring China was being
ravaged in January and the World Health Organisation had declared as early as
on 30th January, that Corona was a ‘Public Health Emergency of
International Concern’. WHO has specifically warned India every week, but PM’s
advisers and officials could not get the crisis registered in his busy mind. Delhi’s
response has not been speedy enough as it took several weeks of bickering to
finalise the large scale procurement of even low technology products called
PPE, personal protection equipment. This meant that while Narendra Modi spoke
of the Kurukshetra War on Corona, his government was unable to supply adequate
protection to medical staff and doctors actually engaged in the battle. Thus,
State and private hospitals suffered all across the country and even now the
supplies are inadequate. Then, while we clanged pots and pans or blew conches
and rang bells in true Hindu style on 22nd March at 5 pm, doctors
all over India cried for more testing kits. The scandalous delay in procuring
these kits meant that India was not testing enough suspects and was perhaps
under-reporting and under-playing the alarm. We can only pray that god forgives
us and we do not face a sudden explosion of critical cases that we just cannot
handle, as we do not have sufficient beds nor ventilators. This aspect cannot
be ignored any more and contingency plans must be made to earmark public
buildings for large scale evacuation, isolation and oxygen supply.
We
know that not only did experts try to convince the national government, but the
chief ministers of West Bengal and Kerala were especially active in drawing the
prime minister’s attention to speed up actions. Mamata Banerjee surely rose to
the challenge with the spirit of a seasoned street fighter, when chief
ministers like Yogi Adityanath were busy beating up protesters and in
installing Ram Lalla to a makeshift mandir in Ayodhya. Even as a critical
observer, one was impressed with the ‘hands on’ leadership she displayed by
visiting every important hospital to build up morale and ensure proper
arrangements. She even started drawing circles herself at market-places to
demonstrate how customers are to maintain social distancing. Her directions and
advisories made more sense, as they were from the battle-ground, unlike chief
ministers or even the prime minister who depended more on reports from others.
After all, in this age of a billion cameras, the credibility of leaders is
adjudged by people on 24 x 7 basis, by visuals. Besides, someone has to contest
much of the nonsense that Whatsapp universities are spreading faster than the
virus, as they insist on making every person an MBBS in Corona control.
Even the financial package announced recently by India’s finance
minister also copies elements from initiatives undertaken by enterprising chief
ministers within their limited means. For instance, West Bengal started its
insurance policy to cover medical staff combating the deadly disease and later,
the Centre only increased the amounts of coverage. Similarly, schemes for free
and subsidised food-grains announced by the Centre were actually launched by
this State even earlier — to help the poor, unorganised strata that suffers the
most when there is neither employment nor food. After all, a nation that has
rice stocks of some 5 crore metric tons and almost 3 crore metric tons of wheat
can feed the whole country at the basic level for more than a year, though
quality and fair distribution are always problematic. West Bengal set up its
State Disaster Relief Fund even before the Centre invoked this very law on 25th
to declare its delayed nation-wide lock-down, without informing the States. It
is strange that few in Delhi could not foresee the chaotic and pathetic
migration of millions of labourers returning home, even though States had drawn
attention to this. Banerjee was the first to demand that such movements that
could spread virus and death be halted. The prime minister can rise further in
the public esteem if he announces immediately certain special steps to feed
inter-state migrants who are stranded jobless in other States. And, it is also
time to grant funds to States that are actually commanding the batallions,
without bringing in petty politics.
The manner in which we tackle this crisis will surely demonstrate whether we, as a people, and our social value structures are capable of responding effectively and surviving its onslaught. Societies that have suffered wars, plagues and other catastrophes at their very doorsteps in the past developed ‘fight-back-together’ codes in their DNA, but for India this is its first collective fiery ordeal.
