Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a five month extension of the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna, to distribute free grains to the poor. The extension is till the end of November, which is also the peak of the Hindu festive season with Diwali, and Chhath Puja. The Chhath Puja is celebrated six days after Diwali with great fervour in Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, and also in states where people of Bihari origin live. This year the Chhath Puja is said to be on November 20. Coincidentally, the Bihar elections may also be held by late October-Early November, as the current state government’s term ends on November 29. 

The Prime Minister addressed the nation on the last day of the official end of the lockdown, and many citizens were hooked on to televisions screens and web portals expecting further announcements regarding Unlock 2. However the Prime Minister announced that the free grain scheme would be extended across the nation, but mentioned that the extension was till Chhath Puja. He said the festival season would begin soon, and listed major festivals such as “Shravan, Guru Purnima, Rakshabandhan, Navratri, Shri Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Dussehra, Deepawali, Chhath Puja,”  as also being a time when expenses mount. 

He said, “This time of festivals also increases the needs, the expenses also. Keeping all these things in mind, it has been decided that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana should now be extended till Diwali and Chhath Puja, that is, by the end of November.”

त्योहारों का ये समय, जरूरतें भी बढ़ाता है, खर्चे भी बढ़ाता है। इन सभी बातों को ध्यान में रखते हुए ये फैसला लिया गया है कि प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना का विस्तार अब दीवाली और छठ पूजा तक, यानि नवंबर महीने के आखिर तक कर दिया जाए: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 30, 2020

Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, 80 crore people will be given 5 kgs of wheat or rice and in addition one kg whole chana (gram). 

Interestingly it was the globally renowned economist and social worker Jean Drèze, who had in an exclusive interview to SabrangIndia editor and activist Teesta Setalvad on April 22, said that the millions in India were facing a food crisis under the Covid-19 lockdown, and highlighted the need to universalise PDS, especially in rural areas and urban slums. He had said that “Only 2/3rd of Indians that too according to the 2011 population is eligible for rations” while hundreds of millions of Indians were stuck in this lockdown without food. 

Drèze had also said that the central government was “being stingy” about opening up the FCI when grain stocks are at a historic high (77 million tons as of March which is growing because of the harvest season) and it would make “perfect economic sense, simply to allow excess grain-stock to be given to the needy rather than allowing it to be destroyed”. 

The Prime Minister, on June 30th said that the world had been been “immersed in wonder”, that in India, over “80 crores people were given 3 months ration, i.e. 5 kg of wheat or rice free to every member of the family, while fighting Corona”.

The PM said his government brought about PM Garib KalyanYojana, which announced a “package of Rs 1.75 lakh crore for the poor” as lockdown was announced. The PM added that in the past three months “Rs 31,000 crore has been transferred in the Jan Dhan accounts of almost 20 crore poor families, Rs 18,000 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers and Rs 50,000 crore is being spent on PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, which has been started to provide employment opportunities”.

The extension of PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till November will feed more people than the collective population of many countries. “The food grains given to 80 crore people in India can feed 2.5 times America’s population, 12 times the United Kingdom’s population and twice the European Union’s population,” he said, adding that the government will spend an additional Rs 90,000 crore, as the scheme extends. Once added to the past three months’ expedition the free grain for the poor scheme has cost almost “Rs 1.5 lakh crore”. The PM said this was made possible due to the hard work put in by India’s farmers, and honest tax payers.

The second major announcement was that of a “one nation, one ration card.” This is aimed mostly at migrant workers who may move to work and live in different states. 

“A ration card is also being arranged for the whole of India i.e. ‘one nation one ration card’. The biggest benefit of this will be to those who leave their village and go elsewhere for employment or other needs” he said.

The Prime Minister said that in the coming times, the government will continue to take further steps to empower the poor and the needy. He said that economic activities will also be enhanced, as well as work towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and to being ‘vocal for local’. However, the Prime Minister did not directly address the concerns of migrant labourers who were now back in their home states but were still facing dual challenges of unemployment and hunger. 

Related: 

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Migrant Diaries: The story of Sagar Ali

Migrant Diaries: The story of Mohammed Jamaluddin

Migrant Diaries – The story of Hurdanand Behara

Migrant Diaries: The story of Dilip Rana

Migrant Diaries: The story of Munna Sheikh

The post Modi announces free grains for poor till Chhath Puja, ‘One nation one ration card’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The coronavirus induced lockdown has entered its 4th phase in India. Dubbed to be ‘Lockdown 4.0’, it came into effected on May 18 and is to stay in force until May 31, 2020.

However, going by the guidelines set by the government, one can say that it has truly taken off from PM Modi’s sentiment of ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliance) and thrust upon the states the responsibility to actually implement the lockdown on the ground. Apart from putting out a few orders about what is not to be allowed throughout the country till May 31, the Centre has basically asked the states and union territories to in fact, make and amend measures as per their requirement and as per the situation there.

The Home Ministry has left to the respective states and union territories (UTs), the delineation of the red, orange and green zones after taking into consideration the parameters set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW).
 

Here’s an overview of the latest set of guidelines:

1.       All domestic and international air travel; except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance, and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by Ministry of Home Affairs, will remain prohibited throughout the country.

2.       All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places, will continue to remain closed throughout the country.

3.       All metro rail services will remain closed throughout the country.

4.       Except for essential and health purposes, persons above the age of 65 years, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 years of age have to stay home until May 31.

5.       Schools, colleges and all educational/coaching institutions remain closed.

6.       The curfew of 7 PM to 7 AM will be in place.

7.       All social, political, religious functions, and places of worship will remain shut during extended lockdown

8.       Movement of people in containment zones will be controlled and only medical emergencies or movement for essential goods / services will be allowed.

9.       No state / UT shall stop the movement of any type of goods/cargo for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries.

10.   Except in containment zones, the inter-state and intra-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, with mutual consent of the states and UTs is allowed.

11.   There will be intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance and other clinical interventions in containment zones as required.

12.   The Aarogya Setu app is no more mandatory as before, but district authorities and employers can suggest people to install it in their phones for “timely provision of medical attention to those individuals who are at risk”.

Take away

More than fifty days after the first lockdown was announced, as predicted, the coronavirus curve has not shown any signs of flattening. Economic growth is plummeting and the migrants are still on the road. 

The division of the country into red, orange and green zones was carried out, but the operations and the implementation of the guidelines in these zones proved challenging due to the size of population, asymptomatic infections, knowledge gaps in dealing with the virus, the possibility of the cured getting re-infected and the differences in the time the virus showed up in different people – these problems still remain. There has been no emphasis on testing, apart from a customary mention of intensive contact tracing and surveillance to be carried out. 
 

Aarogya Setu not mandatory anymore 

The Aarogya Setu earned the reputation of being a nefarious attempt at putting into effect a surveillance system that raised data security and privacy concerns. Also, the app proved useless for low-income households and non-smartphone users. According to the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), the government had not clarified which ministry would be accessing the data of the users and the high occurrence of false positives. 

Hence, probably now, softening its tone on the installation of the Aarogya Setu app, which was earlier made ‘mandatory’ for all employees in the private and public sectors and the responsibility of 100 percent coverage of which was put on the respective organizations; the Centre has now issued that “employers on a best effort basis” should ensure that the app is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones. 

The current guideline on Aarogya Setu also move away from the earlier 100 percent coverage of the app among residents of containment zones to be ensured by local authorities. Now, during lockdown 4.0, the district authorities are merely to ‘advise’ individuals to install the app and update their health status to facilitate timely provision of medical attention to those at risk. 
 

CMs’ responsibility 

Facing harsh criticism over its handling of the crisis for the past few weeks, the Centre has left the implementation of the nitty-gritties of the current lockdown to the Chief Ministers of different states. 

Once again, even as the lockdown is in place, different states are scrambling to create guidelines to suit their citizens thus causing chaos and confusion. Some want stricter restrictions and some want more relaxations. Given the number of spiking cases, the Centre should have come up with clear Covid-19 testing, treatment and guidelines to curb the spread of the infection to be enforced uniformly all over the country. 

With a large number of advisories being sent in by the Centre about the red, orange and green zones, hotspots and containment centres, the seamless movement of such zones from red to green becomes difficult due to the miscommunication between the states and the Central government.

It is imperative that the Centre give a strict definition of containment zones so that activities of sanitization can be concentrated there. Reducing the number of zones from three to two – containment and non-containment or free zones by the Centre will also help the states to announce a staggered exit from the lockdown. 

The current actions of the Centre only point out towards an effort to shift blame if anything goes wrong in the next fourteen days. It seems like a ploy to shift accountability from self to the states, even though it feels like the Centre is decentralizing power. The current lockdown strategy adopted by the Centre can be viewed as giving autonomy to the States when in fact it is only a face-saving tactic to save itself from the fire it endured in the first three phases of the lockdown. 

The entire set of guidelines by the Centre may be viewed below. 

 (Sources – The Wire, CNBCTV18)

Related: 

Labour laws and rights in peril in India?

How setting aside party politics can help India in the battle against Covid-19 

Aarogya Setu app in hot water due to MHA’s order of mandatory downloads

The post Atmanirbhar Lockdown 4.0: States shoulder the baggage as Centre backs out appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It was a knee jerk reaction by the ruling dispensation in the Centre to announce the lockdown without advance notice or a proper exit strategy in place, much like the character Abhimanyu in Mahabharat entering the Chakravyuh and not knowing how to come out of it. At least, Abhimanyu knew how to enter the Chakravyuh, however the Government did not even prepare for entering the lockdown leave alone exiting it. This is becoming quite evident the way the entire narrative of the lockdown is heading as of now. Atleast, the lower and upper middle class who form a major chunk of society must understand the gravity of the situation and stop defending or justifying their ignorance.

The ‘big announcement’ and ‘credit mongering’ syndrome, a unique obsession of the Centre has created the following dilemma:

(a) of keeping things as they are – economy will suffer more and cases with still rise. or

(b) lift lockdown – cases will rise, States impose lockdown to avoid discredit, broken supply chain and economy will still suffer and lead to chaos causing civil unrest and tension leading to increase in prices of essential commodities, scarcity, famine, unemployment, fall in agriculture yield leading to severe liquidity crunch in the market similar to the times of demonetisation.

Let us examine the German and South Korean model and try to find a way forward for India

Some of the best practices followed by Germany, and South Korea in handling the Corona pandemic are given below. Note: Sweden, Taiwan and South Korea managed COVID-19 without resorting to lockdown.

(a)Germany

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is posing major challenges for healthcare systems and medical institutions worldwide. An ability to rapidly diagnose the virus is of invaluable help in curbing its exponential spread in many countries. Bosch’s new, fully automated rapid test for COVID-19 can help medical facilities such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, laboratories, and health centres make fast diagnoses. The rapid molecular diagnostic test runs on the Vivalytic analysis device from Bosch Healthcare Solutions. Developed in just six weeks, the rapid test can detect a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection in patients in under two and a half hours — measured from the time the sample is taken to the time the result arrives. Another advantage of the rapid test is that it can be performed directly at the point of care. This eliminates the need to transport samples, which takes up valuable time. It also means patients quickly gain certainty about their state of health, while allowing infected individuals to be identified and isolated immediately. With the tests currently in use, patients must usually wait one to two days for a result. Time is of the essence in the fight against coronavirus. Reliable, rapid diagnosis directly on site with no back and forth — is the great advantage of the solution which is an example of technology invented for life. Bosch’s rapid test is one of the world’s first fully automated molecular diagnostic tests that can be used directly by all medical institutions. What’s more, it allows a single sample to be tested not just for COVID-19 but also for nine other respiratory diseases, including influenza A and B, simultaneously. The special feature of the Bosch test is that it offers differential diagnosis, which saves doctors the additional time needed for further tests. It also provides them with a reliable diagnosis quickly so they can then begin suitable treatment faster. It is going to be available in Germany from April 2020. The COVID-19 test is based on a combination of sample preparation (including process controls): Multiplex PCR (Polymerase-Chain-Reaction), μArray-detection to allow the identification of SARS-CoV-2.

In various laboratory tests with SARS-CoV-2, the Bosch test delivered results with an accuracy of over 95 percent. The rapid test meets the quality standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). A sample is taken from the patient’s nose or throat using a swab. Then the cartridge, which already contains all the reagents required for the test, is inserted into the Vivalytic device for analysis. During the analysis, medical staff can devote themselves to other tasks, for example treating patients. The Vivalytic analyzer is designed to be so user-friendly that even medical personnel who have not been specially trained on it can reliably perform the test. 1000 tests per day on just 100 devices.

A Bosch Vivalytic analyzer can perform up to ten tests in the space of 24 hours. This means it takes just 100 devices to evaluate up to 1,000 tests per day. Given the dynamic spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, laboratories are already working beyond capacity. The Bosch Vivalytic will thus help to increase available testing capacities. (https://www.bosch.com/stories/vivalytic-rapid-test-for-covid-19/)

Germany model of COVID anti-body testing

Germany is carrying out Europe’s first large-scale COVID-19 antibody testing to monitor infection rates and help prevent the spread of the virus.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal disease control and prevention agency, the first part of the study is to draw on the country’s blood donation services, a second phase will focus on samples from regions with large coronavirus outbreaks and a third stage will consist of a representative study of the country’s broader population.

Authorities say they will examine about 5,000 blood samples every 14 days, while regions like Bavaria plan to collect around 3,000 samples from representatively selected households. Antibodies in the blood indicate that someone has had the virus. The institute theorizes that these people have some level of immunity, although there is no guarantee of full immunity or how long any defence would last.

Germany, which produces most of its own high-quality test kits, is testing for COVID-19 on a greater scale than most countries: an estimated 1,20,000 tests a day in a nation of 83 million(1 million= 10 lakhs, hence 830 lakhs). The high level of testing has helped Germany slow the spread of the virus and keep deaths low. Authorities estimate more people in Germany now recover from the virus every day than are infected by it.

Germany has an another powerful weapon in the battle to contain Covid-19-a wealth of private laboratories that are helping it test more than 50,000 people a day.

The country had already tested about 920,000 people through late March and checked more than 350,000 people in the past week ending April 2, 2020, as per the report of the Robert Koch Institute public health group. That may still understate the country’s total effort, since not all the laboratories that have done assays have yet submitted numbers.

Germany’s widespread testing — still not as comprehensive as many there would like — has enabled better tracking of the coronavirus’s spread than in many other European nations. The country benefits from other health-care advantages, including one of the continent’s highest rates of hospital beds in relation to population size. Germany is testing about 6,000 of every million citizens, about three times the rate in the U.K., according to an analysis from the BBC. Critics have pointed out that the U.K. was slower than some other countries to make labs available for processing.

German health authorities saw in mid-January what was coming and were “maximally prepared” with a plan for the pandemic. That was certainly the case for Bavaria, which had one of the first Covid-19 clusters outside of China. In January, a Chinese employee of auto-parts supplier Webasto SE visited the company’s headquarters south of Munich without realizing she was sick. Upon returning to China, she was confirmed to have the virus — and soon so did nine Webasto workers in Bavaria along with some of their family members. Since then, Bavaria — with a population of 13 million(130 lakhs) — has performed more than 1,10,000 tests, according to their state health ministry. The region has expanded its capacity to do 13,000 tests a day, with about 11,000 of those performed in private labs. The aim was to get clarity as fast as possible when it comes to possible cases as it is important in order to curtail infections.  The German government will extend a global travel warning until June 14 and cannot promise that it will be dropped after that date.  The German Chancellor, herself a physicist has identified the reproduction factor — known by epidemiologists as R-naught — as a means of gauging how successfully countries have kept the virus in check and how much stress it could place on health services. Germany’s R0 has declined to 0.75 from 0.9 according to their public health authority. That means that each person with the virus infects an average of 0.75 other people.

(b)South Korean case study(without resorting to lockdown)

Since its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in late January, South Korea has shown a determination in the face of the virus that appears to be paying off. From a sudden spike in the number of cases to its decision to implement widespread testing, South Korea has shown itself able to respond quickly and decisively. The fast rate at which the pandemic moved surprised the authorities in South Korea. The first 30 cases identified in South Korea were handled in a steady and diligent manner. Between January 19, 2020 and February 18, 2020, South Korea had recorded a total of 30 cases and no deaths. That slow increase in infections soon changed –February 18 was the day it recorded its 31st case. But that all changed with the appearance of Patient 31. Within 10 days, there were more than 2,300 cases. Patient 31 was what is known as a super-spreader – someone who passes the infection on to a larger number of people. She was then involved in a minor traffic accident and checked into hospital, and while a patient there she attended church services on two occasions and went for lunch in a hotel with a friend, despite developing a fever. In just a few days after she was diagnosed with the coronavirus, hundreds of people at the church she had attended and in the surrounding areas tested positive. Super-spreaders like Patient 31 enable a virus to take hold and act as fuel for an outbreak.

Although the rapidity with which COVID-19 took hold in South Korea initially surprised authorities, well-established strategies were soon put into place. But we need to plan and to stay one step ahead. An all-government approach was envisaged. The Prime Minister of South Korea created a task force of all government ministries and, crucially, all regional and city governments, too making it more a devolved democracy and all inclusive strategy. This joined-up strategy, involving the different regional authorities around the country soon paid off. When one region ran out of hospital beds other provinces were asked to open up beds in their hospitals. When it ran out of doctors in one region, the other region doctors were asked to help.

Crucial role to testing

South Korea also explains that being open with people and securing their trust is vitally important. The key to our success has been absolute transparency with the public – sharing every detail of how this virus is evolving, how it is spreading and what the government is doing about it in totality.  In 2015, the country experienced a sudden and unexpected outbreak of MERS – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which is also caused by a coronavirus. It was the largest MERS outbreak outside of the Middle East, and led to 185 confirmed cases in South Korea. It also led to a firm belief that testing should form a central part of any response to a viral epidemic. So when COVID-19 hit South Korea, testing became the course of action that seems to have set the country apart from other nations. Testing is absolutely critical with a fast-travelling virus like COVID. South Korea has tested over 3,50,000 cases so far – some patients are tested many times before they are released, so we can say they are fully cured.

Unlike Italy, China, the UK and parts of the US, there was no lockdown in South Korea. It did, however, close its schools. There have been postponed attempts at reopening them, but would reopen eventually on April 6, 2020. Even in South Korea, the right to an education is a crucial part of their social values.

South Korea also sounds a note of caution. Beating the outbreak does not mean the coronavirus no longer poses a threat, it’s not going to be normal like things were before the coronavirus. Normal after the virus is going to look very different. This will be with us for a long time.

The world should look to South Korea’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak as a way to emerge from the pandemic without severely affecting economic growth. South Korea saw a rapid increase in cases starting late February and by mid-April, daily reported cases of infection fell well below 100 due to mass testing and strict social isolation measures. As a result, it contained the virus outbreak without suppressing economic activities. South Korea saw a rapid increase in cases starting late February when the flu-like disease spread rapidly among members of a religious group. By mid-April, daily reported cases of infection fell well below 100. The country embarked on mass testing efforts and strict social isolation measures but didn’t totally shut down businesses. As a result, it managed to contain the virus outbreak without suppressing economic activities. The world should look at South Korea as an exit strategy because it has institutions in place to trace and quarantine. South Korea has started easing some of its social distancing measures.

To summarize the South Korean success story without lockdown is  (i) Despite a sudden spike in infections, South Korea is now winning the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. (ii)Regions shared doctors and opened their hospitals to each other’s patients. (iii)Testing is at the heart of the country’s coronavirus strategy.

Successful case studies in the Indian Scenario

(a)Kerala model

Kerala model in handling the floods, the nipha virus and now the COVID-19 is a successful case study in itself. The State leading in high rates of literacy had already invested on education and health care infrastructure over the decades, the proactive approach of the State Government from the time the first case reported till now and the emphasis on testing, timely delivery of essential commodities to the house holds through the law enforcing agencies, testing, treating and quarantine, preparing food from a common kitchen and delivering the food packets to the needy and the migrant labour work force all have worked wonders and the results are there for everyone to see. The decision making at the apex level in the State having daily press briefings with the State health minister and the entire beuracracy  running like a well oiled machine. The State was the first to release a Rs 20,000 crore financial package and sought assistance from the Centre which gave a very negligible sum to that State without any scientific reason or logic. The Centre’s step motherly treatment to the States was evident and did not respond to multiple requests for payment of dues and financial assistance by the opposition ruled  States. On the contrary, the Central Government must come forward with a stimulus package for all the States and hand hold them till the States’ economies are not back on track. State friendly, proactive policy decisions is expected of the Centre. All dues that are payable to the States by the Government of India need to be cleared in one go instead of the piece meal basis.

The indicators which shows that Kerala model is a success are

(a) Lowest death rate

(b) Highest recovery rate among Indian States

(c) Highest number of COVID-19 testing in India based on population density-Ten centres in Kerala

(d) Establish COVID-19 testing Kiosk(WISK)

(e) Went for Plasma Therapy

(f) At least two COVID-19 special hospitals in every district

(g) Promulgation of law on epidemic control-The Kerala Epidemic Diseases Act

(h) Provide telemedicine and consultation for Indian diaspora

(i) Start 1400 plus community kitchens across the State

(j) Has the highest number of migrant labour camps and shelters in the country-19,902

(k) Appoint 300+ doctors and 400+ health inspectors on war footing within a day

(l) Declare stimulus package of 20,000 crore financial aid

(m) Provide one month food irrespective of Above Poverty Line(APL)/Below Poverty Line(BPL)

(n) “Break the Chain” campaign for hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing

(o) Exclusive mobile application named GoK Direct and an SMS system to provide authentic information to the public

(p) Expanding Internet bandwidth and connectivity for the lockdown situation

(q) Conduct daily situation analysis

(r) Daily situational briefing on public health and protective measures and programmes by CM, Health and Revenue ministers and Chief Secretary

(s) An Indian institution to get membership in the world virology network is in Kerala.(Institute of Advanced Virology in Thiruvananthapuram has gained membership in the Global Virus network)

(t) All arrangements for the expatriates returning after lockdown-Space has been identified to accommodate around two and half lakh people and 1,29,000 beds have been arranged in all the 14 districts of Kerala

(b) Rajasthan model (Bhilwara model)

Rajasthan too had its Bhilwara model and was effective in containing the pandemic.  The essence of this model was ruthless containment, strict compliance of the curfew and screening of the whole population of the district. This model was unique that the corona infection was found in the doctors and other staff of a private hospital and without any knowledge, the doctor continued with patient consultations in large numbers and the source of the infection was also untraceable. The biggest challenge was the screening and testing of the population of more than 30 lakhs and to identify people who had come in contact with the infected persons and quarantine them. For this, extensive counselling of people had to be done.

The State Government of Rajasthan was proactive in making all possible arrangements to ensure that not a single person remains hungry on any of the days. It purchased wheat from FCI at a market price of Rs 21 per kg and distributed it free of cost to 60 lakh needy persons. The State declared an economic package of Rs 3000 crore for the poor and the destitute. Provided 10 kg wheat per person for two months to the BPL, State BPL and families covered under the NFSA. Besides these, economic assistance of Rs 2500 had been provided to 33 lakh poor people who are not covered under the NFSA and social security pension schemes. These included construction labourers, daily wage earners, street vendors, rag pickers and other deprived people. These people were also provided packets of dry ration or food free of cost.

To bring the State economy on track and ensure growth at a faster speed, a task force was constituted headed by a retired finance secretary to Govt of India. There have been continuous discussions with experts and stake holders of all the sectors. Permitted activities were supported during modified lockdown to ensure resumption of operations without many obstacles.

Some indicative strategy for lifting the lockdown in a phased manner in the Indian scenario based on the  German and Korean  experience:

1. Healthy people with no underlying medical conditions should be allowed to socialise together in small groups, while family members will be permitted to attend funerals.

2. Further, next step would depend on factors such as how the rate of infection evolves, the number of intensive care beds available, compliance with social-distancing rules, aggressive testing, including defining concrete thresholds on how these measures are effective and can be evaluated from time to time.

3. Aggressive regime of coronavirus testing has to be ramped up. This would help in slowly unwind the lockdown and avoid further economic meltdown.  The Government has to set itself a goal of carrying out at least 200,000 samples per day. So far since the outbreak in India and during the lock down as on April 30, 2020, only 8,30,201 samples have been tested according to ICMR. Britain proposes to test 100,000 samples a day, France plans to test 700,000 samples a week.

4. Once a person tests positive, tracing would begin to identify, test and isolate all those who had been in close contact with the individual.

5. The tests have to be made free of cost by the Government, furthermore the process to get tested should be made easier , as of today if someone voluntarily wants to get tested , it is very difficult

6. A suitable fresh emergency practical economic-support plan has to be worked out and delivered encompassing all sections of the social economic spectrum in the society that would soften the impact of the virus. The detailed economic support plan would be a subject matter for a separate article.

7. The return to normalcy must not lead to a relapse and lock down enforced again which would have severe repercussions on the Indian society.

8. Expediting the vaccine for COVID on a fast track mode so that we achieve the level of maturity similar to that of polio drops.

9. Privacy, vulnerability, surveillance, security, data storage, costs, technical issues of Arogya Sethu including source code needs to be addressed on top priority as it has led to similar rogue applications that are a high security risk. The source code must be open to independent audit. It must not be made mandatory till the aforesaid issues are resolved. It must not be used as an surveillance application as it invades the individual’s rights of privacy.

South Korea is one of the major sources of testing kits for India – the anti-body test kits as well as RT-PCR or Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test kits – for the detection of the novel coronavirus disease. India has sourced around 450,000 test kits from South Korea so far.

Two South Korean firms making the diagnostic kits are M/s Humasis Co Ltd Korea and M/s SD Biosensor. M/s Humasis have signed an agreement to supply 500,000 covid-19 test kits, expected to help in early detection of the disease. These kits would be delivered to the Indian Council of Medical Research in four lots starting from April 30,  2020 according to a statement from the Indian embassy in Seoul.

SD Biosensor started manufacturing rapid antibody test kits in its Manesar plant after getting the necessary go-ahead from the Indian Council of Medical Research and from the Drug Controller General of India. The State Government of Chhattisgarh used the SD Biosensor kits for COVID testing in the State.

The Chinese companies too sent RT-PCR test kits, rapid antibody tests, thermometers as well as personal protection equipment.(PPE) including 6,50,000 testing kits. The major consignees were Imperial Life Sciences, HLL, Matrix Labs, Invex Healthcare, Max and companies of the Reliance, Tata, Adani group besides the state governments of Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. But, some of the Chinese kits proved defective. The cost too were contested in the Indian courts after which the Central Government cancelled the order based on the Court’s direction on pricing.

So in short we should ramp up our testing facility ( which the govt should have done in last 45 days), we should learn from South Korea , TEST TEST TEST  should be our mantra . The more we test the more we should be able to identify and isolate .

To sum it up it is suffice to say that the Government’s response in this crises has left a lot to be desired. It should stop behaving like Abhimanyu caught in a Chakarvyuh and start behaving like Arjun to get out of a Chakarvyuh of its own making.

(The writer is a medical doctor, MBBS, MD practising in the national capital region, NCR)

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Migrant workers in India, who mostly work on a daily wage, were trying to rush back to their native villages when the lockdown was announced as the sudden lockdown had rendered factories and establishments shut, thus leaving them with no money. The government hadn’t even announced a systematic plan to ensure that they get nutritious meals every day and some money for sustenance during the lockdown. The certainty of dying from hunger was higher than them passing away due to the coronavirus.

After the Opposition and civil society went hoarse highlighting the plight of migrants, on April 29, after a month of the first phase of the lockdown, the Central government issued orders for the movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons by road, back to their home states. The responsibility of this mammoth task was given to state governments who were asked to assign nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending stranded persons.

Even in this exercise, the Centre washed its hands off all responsibility and asks the state governments to carry out the complex task of coordinating and coming up with a seamless process to ensure the safe return of migrants.

It is in relation to this, that the Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas (JNP), a civil society organization has condemned the Centre’s inefficiency in ensuring that the lockdown didn’t put lives in danger. 

The Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas (JNP) has issued a statement about the inhuman treatment meted out to migrant workers in India. JNP says that the migrant worker population which runs into lakhs and on whose shoulders factories operate, construction projects are carried out, farmlands are tilled, homes and offices are kept shining, heavy loads are manually transported, it is eventually them who are not considered in the planning processes by the government. This is a tragedy for our democracy, JNP says.

The statement reads, “It was a most inconsiderate decision by the Centre to announce the first Lockdown for 21 days without any State consultation that night giving a notice of only four hours to the public. The most affected were the migrants living far away from their homes in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, etc. Most of these migrants were from Bihar, U.P., Jharkhand and Orissa who were working in those States because their native State had neglected to provide them jobs nearer their homes. Suddenly with the announcement of the Lockdown these migrants got cut off from their work as well from their homes with little or no support system from their places of work. The State in which they were working ignored them; their own State from where they had come forgot them. In one stroke they became stateless beings for whom there was no plan or solace. On top of this they were faced with the cruelty of no support to their families back home in their own State.”

“The second Lockdown still ignored the problem of the migrants except to announce that wherever they are they should quietly and meekly obey the order to remain there and not complain. They were told to practice the joke of ‘social distancing’ in a cramped make-shift accommodation on a hungry stomach and be satisfied with whatever was offered to them as a grace. There was no mention of when they could go back to their villages and no news about whether their distant families had been taken care of. If they came out on the streets in desperation of hunger and torture, they were beaten and pushed back to those dingy accommodations that were a mockery of preventing Corona Virus through social distancing,” it adds.

JNP says that only when the government feared a riot by the migrants, it allowed to arrange transport for their return home. Even then, just a circular was issued by the Centre asking the States to facilitate the same; the Centre absolved itself of all responsibility and washed its hands off the problem even though it was the one to create it in the first place. The main points listed in the circular were:

1. Sending State and receiving State must agree on the transfer

2. Migrants should be checked for Corona before being sent and also checked on arrival to their receiving location

3. They will be transported in sanitized buses with social distancing norms

4. All the above is State’s responsibility with the Central Government having no part

JNP says all the above could have been avoided if the Centre had taken appropriate measures before issuing the first lockdown. It adds, “At this point in time to satisfy the above conditions, firstly the States will require enormous number of Bus trips requiring financial inputs they can ill afford. Transport by Buses will take a number of months for completion of the job resulting in further alienating the poor migrants. Checking both at boarding point and receiving point will place a heavy manual and financial burden on the State already reeling under the spread of virus.”

In conclusion JNP adds that had a buffer between announcing the lockdown and executing it been in place, migrants too could have been home with their families, a facility that the rich enjoyed in the comfort of their homes. “The lone sufferer is our poor helpless migrant population who is being sacrificed on the altar of saving us the rich community from Corona Virus. Should we close our eyes and live happily thereafter?”

The entire letter may be read here: 

Related:

1.6 billion informal economy workers significantly impacted by lockdown measures: ILO

Migrant labourers want to go home, but what kind of life awaits them?

Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas narrates the tale of a migrant worker stranded in Mumbai

Covid-19: Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas condemns the Centre’s inefficiency in implementing the lockdown 

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The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order extending the national lockdown for a further period of two weeks from April 4, 2020. This is the third phase of the lockdown, the first two being March 24 to April 14, and April 15 to May 3, 2020.

The order invokes section 6 (2) (i) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to continue the lockdown measures. The order also goes on to say that all states and union territories (UTs) are to identify red, orange and green zones based on spread of infection and risk profile. In fact, the latest list of red, green and orange zone lists showing Covid hotspots, issued by the MHA may be viewed here:

The order also lists protocol within containment zones in red and orange zones. These include directives with respect to contact tracing, home or institutional quarantining, testing, home surveillance, clinical management and counselling.

Domestic and international air travel remains prohibited except in case of air ambulances. Train travel is also prohibited except in cases permitted by the MHA. The same applies to inter-state buses.

As far as safety precautions are concerned all non-essential movement of persons is prohibited between 7 PM and 7 AM. Persons over 65 years of age, children under the age of 10, pregnant women and persons with co-morbidities must remain at home. Other directives and the entire order may be viewed here:

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This May Day, around 4000 fishermen have reached home to their villages on the Andhra Pradesh coast. These migrant fishworkers were stuck on their boats anchored on the Gujarat coast, where they work as contractual labourers during fishing season. As the national Covid-19 lockdown was announced without warning, they, like lakhs of other migrant workers, were stuck without work and unable to make their way home inland. It took days of negotiations between the two state governments to enable the workers to return home. While they had been supplied basic food, and water by their contractors the fishworkers, had been living under difficult conditions on the cramped boats. 

While the boat owners have faced massive losses, the migrant workers of Andhra Pradesh stranded on the boats faced great mental and emotional stress too. Two of them died while waiting to go home. After a month-long ordeal they finally boarded buses and braved the long journey by road to get home. 

Tragically yet another death of a fishworker from Andhra Pradesh was reported from Mumbai on April 29. He too had died on the fishing boat in which he was stranded. This, once again highlights the rising human cost in the fisheries sector has been forced to pay as the Covid-19 lockdown continues. 

Kori Jaganathulu (35), a native of Andhra’s Srikakulam District is said to have died of kidney failure as he was not able to get medication due to the lockdown. According to information shared by the NFF around 120 migrant fishworkers from Andhra Pradesh are still stranded on board their fishing boats in the village of Uttan Pali, Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra. 

According to NFF, Kori had arrived in Mumbai three  months ago and soon developed a kidney problem. Before the lockdown was enforced he was undergoing dialysis. As his condition did not improve, Kori’s friends hired a private ambulance to take him back to his village. They reached the Karnataka-Maharashtra border on March 26, but since the lockdown had been announced the ambulance was turned back. The NFF says that Kori had been living on the boat since, without  access to medical care, and finally succumbed to the illness. His friends told NFF representatives that they collected wood for the pyre and cremated Kori’s body themselves as no one else stepped forward to help.

The NFF also shared that two Covid-19 cases have been reported from Uttan Pali village and fishing vessels had been prohibited from going back to sea. The fishworkers remain stranded on their boats without much access to health facilities. According to the NFF, here too the boat owners may now be exploring the possibility of making arrangements to repatriate the workers back to their native states. It is said that between 1200-1500 workers from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand work on boats in this area.

Even those workers who have now been sent home from Gujarat, will have to deal with bigger challenges once they emerge from the 14-day self quarantine period. Most of them have barely managed to work in Gujarat, first due to bad weather, and then in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

The workers stranded in Maharashtra have been working for 3 months before the lockdown was announced. They are yet to receive the wages for this period, though it has been promised by the owners. “They are however, not going to be paid their wages for the period during the lockdown; though entitled to these wages as per directions from the GoI, they are not demanding these. Their immediate demand in the aftermath of the death is to be repatriated to Andhra Pradesh at the earliest,” said the NFF.

Their stress on this demand is high as they now know that the migrant fish workers who were stranded in Gujarat have reached home in Andhra Pradesh. As the Ministry of Home Affairs has slowly allowed the migrants to return home, fishworkers from other states have begun to demand that they be sent back to their native villages.

However they too will face an uncertain financial future once they  get back home. Some may have meagre savings, but most will not be able to resume work as in a month or so the seasonal Monsoon bans on fishing will come into effect along the coastline. This is when the real challenge begins. 

“Registered fishworkers have a savings and relief scheme which the state govt provides funds during the monsoon ban period,” said Anil T varghese Delhi forum, Secretariat of National Fishworkers Forum. It is not known if this fund will be extended to all fishworkers, including migrant fish workers, all of whom have been severely impacted by the Covid19 national lockdown. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s next address is expected on Saturday May 2 at 10 AM, as the May 3 deadline of the lockdown nears. 
 

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Imprisoned on their boats along the Guj coast

Privatisation of fishing industry on the cards

The post Lockdown 2020’s impact on migrant fishworkers will last longer than the season did appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Migrant workers who have been stranded in cities outside their native villages in cities for work, are finally being sent home. But some others, who started walking back home in a bid to reach home due to the uncertainty surrounding their future in the city, haven’t been so lucky.

One of them was Insaf Ali, a 35-year-old helper to a mason in Mumbai, who walked and hitch-hiked 1,500 kms from Mumbai to Shravasti district in Uttar Pradesh, carrying Rs. 5,000, only money that remained with him. After managing to dodge the police and checks for 14 days, he was caught and quarantined just as he reached his Mathkanwa village on Monday morning. By noon on Monday, he passed away, reported The Indian Express.

His wife Salma Begum (32) said she didn’t even get a chance to see him as she was at her parent’s home and his body was taken away before she returned. She said that when Ali had called her from his way, just before his mobile battery ran out, he said that he was only surviving on biscuits. At the quarantine, officials say, he kept throwing up.

Ali has a six-year-old son, Irfan. The rest of Ali’s family, including his parents and his brothers’ families have been put under quarantine. His two elder brothers who also work as migrant labourers are currently stranded in Punjab. Ali’s sister-in-law, Amina Bano (40) said that nobody had informed them when Ali would be buried or when they could leave the school they were quarantined at. “Some are saying we will have to stay here for 14 days, some say we will be allowed to go after the results come,” said Amina.

Salma said Ali left Mumbai on April 13, telling her he was running out of money. “He had not got any work for weeks. He said that in the village, he would at least be around familiar people and manage.” Breaking down while she spoke on the phone, she said, “He kept saying how he only wanted to come back to the village. After he did, he could not live for more than a few hours.”

She said Ali had kept calling her throughout his way back. “He came to Jhansi with 10 others, either walking or hiding in a truck, paying the driver Rs 3,000. From there, he walked till Bahraich, where he was caught Sunday night by police and asked to return. Having lost the others with him, he dodged police and hid at a ghat for the night. After that, his mobile died and I could not get in touch with him. I called all the people he was travelling with, but no one knew anything. Then, on Monday morning, he called and told me to come back to Mathkanwa village,” she said. But Ali passed away before she could return.

Anoop Kumar Singh, Shravasti SSP said that Ali had passed away after he had had some breakfast at the quarantine centre in the village. He said, “His body has been kept in the mortuary and his sample sent for COVID-19 test to Lucknow. His family members have been quarantined as they had touched the body after his death.” He explained that post-mortems were only being conducted for only those people who were testing negative for Covid-19. He also said they hadn’t confirmed the exact reason for Ali’s death yet.

Shravasti Chief Medical Officer A P Bharghawa said the test report was expected soon, adding, “The cause of death is still doubtful.”

However, coupled with the grief of the loss of her husband, Salma is now being ostracized in the village as the villagers suspect her to be infected. All alone in the house, she said she felt more afraid for her son, who kept asking her for biscuits. “What will happen to him? I have no money,” she sobbed.

Current development

Insaf Ali has tested negative for coronavirus. However his autopsy couldn’t ascertain the cause of his death. “His coronavirus test is negative. The post-mortem was inconclusive. His cause of death could not be ascertained,” SP Anoop Kumar Singh told The Indian Express.

His mortal remains were handed over to the family and the burial was scheduled to happen yesterday. They had been quarantined but were sent home after his test report came back negative.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on April 14, mentioned that the lockdown will be extended until May 3 and that consolidated guidelines will be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which will be followed through the extended lockdown period.

As the Disaster Management Act remains invoked, the Chairperson of the National Executive Committee, who is also the Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, wrote an intimation to all states and Union Territories stating that all guidelines issued by the MHA are to be followed and implemented strictly, without any dilutions.

The Letter of the Home Secretary may be read here

The consolidated guidelines have been issued today by the MHA, and have special provisions for operation of guidelines in hotspots and containment zones. There are also provisions for permitted activities from April 20. Some relevant guidelines which will be applicable until May 3, are as follows: 

Transport and travel:

1.       No air travel, either domestic or international is permitted

2.       All movement of trains restricted

3.       Buses, metro remain suspended

4.       All inter district and inter state movement of individuals prohibited, except for some contingencies

5.       Taxis, rickshaws, cab aggregators shall not function

About hotpots and containment zones

Strict perimeter control in containment zones and activities other permitted under these guidelines will not be permitted in the containment zones. No unchecked movement of people except for essential services

Activities permitted from April 20

1. All health services to remain functional including pharmacy labs, medical labs, dispensaries, chemists, hospitals, nursing homes, veterinary hospitals (and related), manufacturing units of drugs and medicines, movement of health care personnel

2. Agricultural and horticultural activities like working in the field; Mandis operated by APMC; shops of farm machinery and spare parts; sale of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds; movement of harvesting machines

3. Fishing and related industry including feeding maintenance, harvesting, cold chain, sale and marketing, hatcheries, commercial aquaria; movement of fish and fish products, fish feed and workers for these activities

4. Tea, coffee, rubber plantations can operate as well as processing, packaging, sale and marketing of same, along with cashew (all with 50% workers only)

5. Animal husbandry farms, poultry farms, livestock farming, animal feed manufacturing, including supply of raw material, operation of animal shelter homes

6. Dairy: collection, processing distribution and sale of milk and milk products including transport and supply chain.

7. MGNREGA work allowed with implementation of social distancing and wearing of masks, with priority given to irrigation and water conservation related work

8. Banking sector to remain functional as before, including banks, SEBI, RBI, IRDAI

9. Shelter homes for children/disabled, senior citizens, women, destitute and such other will remain functional

10. Educational institutions expected to maintain academic schedule through online teaching.

11. Public utilities to remain functional as before, including oil and gas sector, transmissions of power, postal services, water supply, sanitation sectors, municipal bodies, telecom sectors

12. All goods traffic will be allowed

13. All rail and air transport for transport of goods allowed, as well as sea ports. Movement of trucks will be allowed, also shops for truck repairs and dhabas on highways.

14. All facilities involved in delivering essential goods and services allowed as before, including kirana shops, groceries, PDS, milk booths and such other, with no restriction on their timing of operation.  

The rest of the guidelines may be read here.

The MHA has further issued National Directive for COVID19 management, under the Disaster Management Act which is to be enforced by the respective District Magistrates 

1. Wearing of face mask in public places has been made mandatory
2. Gatherings of more than 5 persons in pub places prohibited
3. Gatherings such as funerals and marriages to be regulated by the DM
4. Strict ban on sale of liquor, tobacco.
5. Work places to make adequate arrangements for temperature screening and provide sanitizers
6. Work places to have staggered lunch breaks to ensure social distancing
7. Use of Aarogya setu app to be encouraged for all employees, private and public
8. Large meetings prohibited
9. Sanitization of workplace
10. Make available list of nearby COVID19 treatment hospitals  

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Communalisation of a pandemic

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As India braces for an extended lockdown to rein in the transmission of the coronavirus, the lower-rung of the society also braces for its battle with hunger and poverty. While some migrants have managed to reach the safety of their homes, braving thirst, hunger, the heat and the cold, some are still stuck in cities with no jobs and no shelter. Some others, who are lucky to have a roof to live under, have been robbed of their jobs that earned them their daily wages and thus, their daily bread.

Inventiva reports that as per the Economic Survey of 2019, 93 percent of the total workforce of the country is from the employed in the unorganized sector. However, government think tank NITI Aayog, in a report released in 2018 said that 85 percent of the total workforce was a part of the unorganized sector. The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18 showed that 71 percent of the regular / salaried employees in the informal sector (non-agriculture) do not have a written job contract. 49.6 percent of them do not even apply for social security schemes and 54.2 percent do not get paid leave.

A halted business with no guarantee of a quick revival after the lockdown stares many in the face. Wedding planners, florists, tailors, washermen, fishermen, coal loaders, security guards, folk artistes, salon owners, among other small business owners and artisans, and those in seasonal employment are bracing themselves for the impact of the pause in their livelihoods.

Testimonies of misery mingled with hope

Fishing:

“I estimate that 1 lakh tonnes of fish went to waste. We could not store it because there was no ice available, no cold rooms available. Even if there were cold rooms, there was no transport available. If there was transport available, there were no drivers or loaders available. Why are fishermen always left out of the fold of security benefits? I see a horrible picture in the coming days.” – Ganesh Nakhawa, fisherman and Vice Chairman of the Purse Seine Fishing Welfare Association to Sabrang India.

“It was only on March 31 that the government included fish as an essential commodity and allowed for fishing to continue, but it was too late. There has been no communication between the Centre and the States about how much stock was affected or how many fishermen are affected. We estimate that 16 million fisher folk are dependent on the industry. Almost 1.5 to 2 percent of the GDP depends on fisheries. In the past seventy years, India has faced many disasters, but it is only the farmers who get benefits, no one talks about fishermen,” rues Nakhawa.

His struggle as well the struggle of his colleagues is slowly paying off now. Yet there are innumerable hurdles in the way. He says, “For the first time the Centre has asked for the details of fishermen and promised to give relief and compensation to the fishermen until the lockdown continues. In this industry 90 percent of the fisher folk depend on daily wages. Lakhs of women are dependent on fish. If there is no fish in the market, what will they go and sell? Since they can’t catch fish due to the lockdown, they can’t even sustain their own fishing villages. To top it all, the monsoons are approaching. We’ve already gone 50 days without fishing and we won’t be able to until August due to the monsoon ban.”

Nakhawa also explains the global pressure on exports saying there is no country who is buying now. He says, “Export markets are down. The problem with the seafood industry in India is that there is no local demand. People in India don’t know what seafood is caught locally. Unlike campaigns for eggs, vegetable, chicken or milk, there have been no campaigns for fish in India. Had the consumption in the country been high, we would have been economically able to sustain, but that is not the case. It is now the government’s responsibility to innovate and figure out how fish will reach to consumers in the lockdown situation. How will social distancing work in fish markets? I see a very horrible picture in the coming days.”

“Everyone is afraid. The government has to make policies and guidelines around the concept of social distancing. There is no hope for a vaccine any time soon. Most of the fishermen come from remote villages. Even if the lockdown is relaxed in the coming months, they will be apprehensive. We as individuals too have to change our habits. Maharashtra has already lost almost Rs. 300 crores in revenue due to the halt in fishing. The industry is on the verge of a collapse. There is no help. Where will food come from? Fish has to be sold in a new way. I am trying to sell the catch of a few fishermen by putting them in contact with buildings who order for fish. We are delivering fish in bulk. Now supply will drive demand, instead of the opposite that has always been the case. Many industries can survive on work from home, but we can’t. We have to incorporate social distancing and plan policies for the industry,” he concludes.

Wedding Planning:

“There were 80 weddings planned in the locality, but all have been indefinitely postponed. I’m lucky to have some resources at hand, but I don’t know about those who live hand to mouth. How will they survive?” – Shweta Koushal, home salon owner in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh to Sabrang India

Evidently, a gamut of services have been hit due to the lockdown that has been extended to May 3. Though the summer hasn’t shown any signs of arriving late, all summer weddings have been postponed and has put lakhs of people out of jobs.  These months which offer excellent seasonal employment to everyone from washermen to tailors to beauticians, have now become a dreary phase in their lives.

In Lucknow, over 1,800 weddings have been postponed and about four lakh people working in different sectors like hotels, marriage lawns, community centers, restaurant, florists, bands, tents, music and decorative lights, reported National Herald.

Surendra Sharma, President of the hotel and restaurant association in Lucknow, said, “There are about 800 small and big hotels in the state capital and almost all of them were booked for the wedding season. Though the cancellation of bookings has led to losses and unemployment, we can safely say that the sector has suffered a loss of around Rs 125 crores.”

“The impact of the lockdown on the wedding industry is going to last a year. The manpower who used to work on a per-day basis have everything to lose. Their families aren’t here, they have to arrange for food and money. I am helping all my employees. I have suffered losses too, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” – Dharpesh Chhajed, owner K’real events to Sabrang India

Dharpesh Chhajed, a celebrity manager who also runs a wedding planning company, is relying on divine intervention. Speaking about the stress he underwent during the first ten days of the lockdown, he mentioned he passed that phase and now advises everyone to meditate at home because that is all one can do till this phase passes.

Chhajed also says we can’t rely on the government for everything, but we can ensure our support to whatever measures the government has put in place. “Pehle desh, phir hum (First the country, then us). I’m thankful that the lockdown was implemented early. It wasn’t a wedding that could have been planned.”

He also spoke of precautionary measures taken during this time. Reflecting awareness of the threat of the spread of the virus and the micro measures taken to protect his employees, he said, “I have stopped the bank transfer of salaries as people use ATMs to withdraw cash. ATMs at this time are very risky to use. The door and the numbers on the machine could have the virus on them. The underprivileged may not be as educated about the virus and as aware as us. Their problems are related more to hunger than the virus. It is my responsibility to ensure their safety and I request others too to hand over salaries in cash. Precautions are a must.”

Security guards:

“We have paid the security personnel the entire salaries for the last month. But this month, we don’t know the exact scenario, because we don’t know how we are going to get paid by the client or how much are they willing to pay us. Yet, we are hoping to pay all employees the maximum amount of money.” – Ronak Karnik, Owner, ACE Squad Security Services to Sabrang India.

Another group of people severely affected by the lockdown are security guards serving at malls or commercial sites. While most from the industry have retained their jobs, the uncertainty of getting salaries is posing a problem to most of these personnel.

Speaking to Citizen Matters in Chennai, R Nambiyar, a security guard who returned to his village in Thiruvarur due to the uncertainty over Covid-19, said, “Forget advance payment, I had to leave immediately if I wanted to get back home, and I have not even received my salary for March yet.”

R Iyyasamy, who starts his day helping workers like him at the Unorganized Workers’ Federation before starting his duty as a security staff, says, “Since many of the workers are out of jobs now or working with no pay, the federation is helping us have at least one meal a day. I eat my breakfast there, serve others and walk down four kilometres to the bank in Ayanavaram where I work.”

Just like Iyyasamy who has been provided with gloves, masks and sanitizers by the bank where he works in Chennai, closer home in Mumbai, Mr. Karnik too says that he has provided all employees working with his company, with masks, sanitizers and gloves.

He says, “In industrial premises, security personnel are still employed, may not be in 100 percent capacity, but at least 60 percent of the workforce is function. In residential premises, the full strength of the employees are at work. The cops are helping them to reach their work locations, except those personnel who are employed in areas where there are high number of cases.”

“The guards travel by BEST buses to their work locations, however long distance travel is not allowed. Some come walking, some cycle, but they do go to work. We are taking complete care and precautions from our end. For people staying at the site (residential or commercial) and who can’t leave due to cases discovered in the area, we have provided a place to stay, washrooms and snacks and beverages. If an employee resides in area where there are positive cases, that employee is asked to stay home as we don’t want to hamper his / her health further,” he adds.

Karnik says most of his employees are not facing a cash crunch. He also adds that there are organizations who are working on-ground to help those in need. He says, “We are so caught up in operations and shuffling duties that we are unable to provide other utilities to people. However, we appreciate those who are involved in relief and urge others to help too. From our end, we have ensured that none of our employees face a problem whether on site or off site.”

Handicraft:

“We don’t want to have negative thoughts. We want to think about what we’re going to do in the future. We are supporting craftsmen and have asked all our members to also pay pending dues to all craftsmen working with them.” – Source, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts to Sabrang India.

March to July is supposed to be a good time for weavers, tailors and the whole of the handicraft industry. However, according to the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), as Hindustan Times reported, the industry has run into losses to the tune of Rs. 8,000 crore.

“We cannot generate business for craftsmen at this point. The government is trying to provide for everyone and we are urging our exporters who employ craftsmen to clear dues. After the lockdown, the revival of the industry depends on the government’s policies. The last two months have shown us huge losses. But with the help of the government, we hope that the next two quarters will be good. This is a good time for entrepreneurs,” says a source from EPCH.

In Jharkhand, The Telegraph India reported, folk artist, percussionists and traditional pyatkar painters across villages of East Singhbhum district, whose incomes depend on tourism, are at their wit’s end for they haven’t earned a single penny for a month now.

It is only due the NGO, Kalamandir, which has been working with these artists for over 21 years, that these folk artists and painters in the areas of Dhalbhumgarh and Ghatshila are gaining access to non-perishable food iteams – rice, lentils, cooking oil, salt, sugar and other grocery essentials.

“I just spoke to a mask maker and told him instead of making an innovative show mask, make a mask that covers the nose and mouth. It will at least fetch him some money. The mask makers who make items for these Chhau festivals are in tears.” – Amitava Ghosh, Vice President of NGO Kalamandir, Jamshedpur to Sabrang India

Speaking to Sabrang India, Amitava Ghosh, Vice President of Kalamandir expressed grave concern about the impact of the lockdown on the lives and livelihood of these artists, but also highlighted the generosity of people who came forward to help those in need. He said, “I used to work as a banker before I entered this industry to help artisans and revive certain dance forms and crafts 35 years ago. Today, all those dreams have been shattered in one go. These artists are scattered in 4 major clusters where there are more than 25 or 50 artists in each cluster. I just spoke to a mask maker and told him instead of making an innovative show mask, make a mask that covers the nose and mouth. It will at least fetch him some money. These are Chhau tribes and the Chhau season has begun from now until September. The mask makers who make items for these festivals are in tears. They have invested all their capital in making these masks and costumes and now their orders worth around Rs. 50,000 are just lying there with them. There are no takers. Imagine their plight. Our shop in Biponi which makes a sale of Rs. 10,000 to 12,000 every day is empty. We don’t see any respite for the next two months.”

Explaining the terrible situation and explaining their aid provision measures, Mr. Ghosh added, “We have already supported 365 such artists and artisans. People whom we don’t know, including government officers, have come forward to donate and help.”

“Even those who were very critical of the NGOs, are coming to support us now. Now they are sending me money. Kahin na kahin accha kaam ka result aa hi jaata hai (good work eventually pays off),” he says, reflecting the government’s understanding that things have gone too far and the support of such NGOs is really needed.

But all hope is not lost for Ghosh. “India is winning. I salute the Indianness,” he concludes on an optimistic note giving thanks to all those who have sent donations to save art and these artisans.

The situation for artists in Jamshedpur and coal loaders in Dhanbad isn’t quite different.

Coal loading:

“If the situation continues like this, I don’t know how I will arrange food for my three children.” – Om Prakash Yadav, 35-yo coal loader at Rajapur, Dhanbad to The Telegraph

50-year-old Bhagatdih resident Arun Mandal who also works as a coal loader at Bharat Coking Coal Limited’s (BCCL) Rajapur colliery area told The Telegraph India, “I had raised all my four children with my income as a coal loader. I have never faced such hardships. After the lockdown, we are somehow making do with the khichdi distributed in our locality.”

Om Prakash Yadav, 35, who too worked at the Rajapur loading point, earning Rs. 200 – 250 per day, but lost his livelihood due to the shutdown.

The coronavirus induced lockdown in India has now been extended up to May 3. Yet, there is chaos in the calm that prevails on the streets. The relief provided to the marginalized doesn’t suffice and the Prime Minister has urged the society to come forward to help. There seems to be no plan in place for the underprivileged and if there is one, it hasn’t been executed on ground.

Millions have been robbed of their incomes and are going to have to wait for aid and face an uncertain future. As food and money run out, will the authorities take stock of the situation or will it just shrug off responsibility to those who are helping?

Kudos to the government for implementing the lockdown soon enough, but could the government have executed the lockdown better? The resounding answer from all quarters only seems to be – Yes, it could have.

Related:

Saptapadi: Modi’s Se7en steps to fighting Covid-19
Lay offs, salary cuts continue even as PM asks employers to be compassionate to employees
Covid-19: Bhilwara model aside, could India have managed outbreak better?

The post Covid-19 lockdown impact: India’s unorganised sector faces an uncertain future appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday morning to announce a continuation of the nationwide lockdown till May 3. In terms of new information, there was little else in his 25-minute speech. But while the speech was devoid of any new useful information or even a hint of condemnation of spreading hate against minorities, what it wasn’t devoid of was Modi’s signature style of peppering all his communication with soft Hindutva.

To begin with, he called his seven-step plan to combat coronavirus, Saptapadi. It is noteworthy that Saptapadi is a key element of Hindu culture, as it refers to the seven times a couple walks around the holy fire while getting married, as they take their wedding vows. The Prime Minister then dropped a Ramayana reference and urged people not to cross the Lakshman Rekha of social distancing. It is also noteworthy that one of the seven steps prescribed by the PM to fight the Covid-19 pandemic is to drink ‘kadha’ prepared using ingredients listed by the Ministry of Ayush! Here’s a closer look at Modi’s Se7en deadly steps against Covid.

Care for the old and sick, but where’s the plan for those whose support system has been affected?

Modi urged people to look after the elderly, especially those with existing illnesses. This is because comorbidity plays a major role in Covid related deaths.

पहली बात-
अपने घर के बुजुर्गों का विशेष ध्यान रखें
– विशेषकर ऐसे व्यक्ति जिन्हें पुरानी बीमारी हो,
उनकी हमें Extra Care करनी है, उन्हें कोरोना से बहुत बचाकर रखना है: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

Now, while this sounds full of compassion, it places the responsibility of caring for the old and the ailing on people, instead of mentioning the government’s efforts at offering aid and assistance to thousands of elderly citizens who live alone across the nation and do not even have access to their caregivers, nurses and housekeepers due to the lockdown!

It is unfair to assume that all children live with their elderly parents as per tradition. Many people move out of their parent’s homes to live and work in the cities where their jobs are located. Many elderly people have children living and working abroad. Moreover, women routinely leave their parent’s homes after marriage. Many elderly people don’t even have children. What happens to these people whose previous support system of ayahs, cooks or other caregivers, has been snatched away by the lockdown? Many of them require special care on account of illness and disability. How does the PM propose to help them? Does it fall upon citizens to care for them? What about the government’s responsibility?

From ‘pakore talo’ to ‘kadha piyo’?  

The PM urged people to follow advise by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and drink hot water and kadha made using ingredients listed by the ministry advisory.

According to this advisory, people are advised to, “Drink herbal tea / decoction (Kadha) made from Tulsi (Basil), Dalchini (Cinnamon), Kalimirch (Black pepper), Shunthi (Dry Ginger) and Munakka (Raisin) – once or twice a day. Add jaggery (natural sugar) and / or fresh lemon juice to your taste, if needed.” Other Ayurvedic Immunity Promotion Measures listed by the Ministry in this advisory include, “Take Chyavanprash 10gm (1tsf) in the morning. Diabetics should take sugar free Chyavanprash,” and “Golden Milk- Half tea spoon Haldi (turmeric) powder in 150 ml hot milk – once or twice a day.”

तीसरी बात-
अपनी इम्यूनिटी बढ़ाने के लिए, आयुष मंत्रालय द्वारा दिए गए निर्देशों का पालन करें,
गर्म पानी,
काढ़ा,
इनका निरंतर सेवन करें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

As a hat tip to science, the PM had, just a little while before he listed his ‘Saptapadi, encouraged young Indian scientists to develop a vaccine against Covid. But the kadha-chyavanprash pitch does make one question his allegiance to proven science over traditional home remedies. Also ‘kadha piyo’ has a distinct ring to his previous ‘pakora stall’ remedy do combat unemployment.

Social distancing as Lakshman Rekha?

The PM also urged people to stay at home and use masks prepared at home regularly. Now, we can debate efficacy of these masks till the cows come home, but one cannot overlook yet another example of soft Hindutva in the PM’s speech when he urged people to follow the Laxman Rekha of social distancing.
 

दूसरी बात-
लॉकडाउन और Social Distancing की लक्ष्मण रेखा का पूरी तरह पालन करें ,
घर में बने फेसकवर या मास्क का अनिवार्य रूप से उपयोग करें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

For those unfamiliar with the Ramayana, Lakshman Rekha was a line Lakshman, brother of Lord Ram, drew at the threshold of their home in the forest, forbidding Sita from crossing it… a line Ravan tricked her into crossing when he abducted her.

Yet another app!

Then the PM urged people to download the Arogya Setu app, and also directed people to encourage others to download it. The app developed by the National Informatics Commission (NIC) of the Government of India (GoI) in the app description, says, “The app is aimed at augmenting the initiatives of the Government of India, particularly the Department of Health, in proactively reaching out to and informing the users of the app regarding risks, best practices and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of Covid-19.”

चौथी बात-
कोरोना संक्रमण का फैलाव रोकने में मदद करने के लिए आरोग्य सेतु मोबाइल App जरूर डाउनलोड करें।
दूसरों को भी इस App को डाउनलोड करने के लिए प्रेरित करें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

The privacy policy of the app states that the app will store your name, phone number, age, sex, profession and countries visited in the last 30 days on a government server and provide the uses with a unique digital ID (DiD). It further states, “The app continuously collects your location data and stores securely on your mobile device a record of all places you have been at 15 minute intervals. This information will only be uploaded to the Server along with your DiD, (i) if you test positive for COVID-19; and/or (ii) your self-declared symptoms indicate that you are likely to b infected with COVID-19; and/or (iii) the result of the self-assessment test is either YELLOW or ORANGE.” The app therefore appears to stop just shy to ringing privacy alarm bells.

No ease in availability of lockdown passes, but PM urges people to feed the poor

The PM urges people to help the poor and the needy, help them with food.

पांचवी बात-
जितना हो सके उतने गरीब परिवार की देखरेख करें,
उनके भोजन की आवश्यकता पूरी करें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

While, on the surface, this sounds compassionate, he also fails to offer any explanation as to how people who intend to feed the poor should go about doing so in the middle of a lockdown. Getting passes has already proved to be tedious with people required to jump through bureaucratic hoops.

Don’t fire people from their jobs!

This is one suggestion we can get behind. Kudos to the Prime Minister for articulating concerns of millions of people knocking on the doors of unemployment.

छठी बात-
आप अपने व्यवसाय, अपने उद्योग में अपने साथ काम करे लोगों के प्रति संवेदना रखें,
किसी को नौकरी से न निकालें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

Unfortunately, lay offs have begun and where people aren’t losing jobs, their monthly pay cheques have shrunk considerably. According to the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE) unemployment stood north of 23 per cent in the last week of March, shortly after the nationwide lockdown was first announced. Giving people job security amidst these trying times will help salve some wounds.

Respect for medical professionals

This is yet another welcome step by the PM who has urged people to treat all frontline defenders in the battle against Covid-19, whether they are doctors, nurses of policemen, with respect.

सातवीं बात-
देश के कोरोना योद्धाओं,
हमारे डॉक्टर- नर्सेस,
सफाई कर्मी-पुलिसकर्मी का पूरा सम्मान करें: PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 14, 2020

This is vital given how medical professionals in particular have been at the receiving end of discrimination and social ostracism, with many forced to vacate their rental homes. However, in the absence of any assurance about availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) that are becoming increasingly scarce, his concern for our medical fraternity appears to ring hollow.

The PM also made a cursory reference to the Rabi crop harvest and attempts to repair the damage done to supply chains. Both of these points were extremely essential and deserved more time in the PM’s speech with a proper listing of actual measures being taken, given how both, food scarcity and a damaged supply chain can cripple the economy.

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