NATURE IS UNLOCKED? AND INDIANS ARE LOCKED?

1.3 billion people of India stay in the world’s biggest lockdown till May 3 says Prime Minister Modi. Prime minister Modi extended a nationwide lockdown until May 3rd as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continued to swell but held out the possibility of easing restrictions in some places next week to restart the economy and help the wage worker and paupers. As India is stuck in the puddle of infectious virus amidst a stagnant economy. As just before the PM Modi announced the nationwide lockdown Indian economy was already falling and now due to the spread of COVID-19 the economy is at its foot. Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das has called the coronavirus an “invisible assassin” that could wreak havoc on Asia’s third-biggest economy. Now due to the “invisible assassin” millions of daily wage worker has lost their jobs, their ability to sustain themselves, their means of income, forcing hundreds of thousands to travel hundreds of kilometers back to their home villages, often on foot, their lives and loved ones.

On 14th April 2020 PM Narender Modi declared three more weeks of lockdown till May 3. Modi, while addressing the nation, said the challenge was to stop the virus from spreading to new parts of the country so the necessary measure are important to take and by extending the lockdown it might help in containing the virus from spreading. He also added that looking from the economic angle, we have paid a big price, but the lives of Indians are far more valuable.”Till April 20, each police station, each district, each state will be monitored closely to see whether the lockdown is being followed and if that area has saved itself from the virus,”. The recent update of the COVID-19 case in India has reached 16,116 with the death toll of 519 just 31 death merely in one day said the Union Health Ministry. 

What about Them?

As India has extended its nationwide lockdown for 3 more weeks the poor hit the worst of all. As the lockdown has imposed, with strict limits on activity, has been mortifying for the economy as well as for the poor people. Million people have lost their jobs, were forced to leave their current homes to return back to there villages with no means of transportation on their foot with their children with no shelter, food or water. But the question is that as many countries that are imposing the lockdown are far more developed than India in the economy, infrastructure, healthcare systems and, etc.they can afford the lockdown, but can India do so? with a population of 1.3 billion people and half of it is even below the poverty line. Yes, imposing the lockdown will certainly help in minimizing the spread of the virus but at what cost? many of the people are forced to live in the stranded in cities in cramped, unsanitary conditions where the virus could spread quickly. Many people are helping these people by providing them food and other necessities.

Some experts have also said that India has not conducted enough tests and that the true number of infections is much higher. Due to lack of healthcare facility India is unable to provide adequate testing facility as well as other necessary medical gear for the doctors and other medical associates to treat the patient, and as the number is swelling day by day the situation is going to get worse.

India is now not only going through coronavirus pandemic but also economic pandemic. And both our hands are filed till the brim, farmers are complaining due to the lack of workers to harvest crops while the grounding of thousands of trucks by the lockdown has hampered food transport. As farmer are the bedrock of the economy of our nation, are heading into their most important harvest time of the year, earning money to finance many villages for months but due to the labors and other forces, it will become so difficult for them.

If the spread of the virus did not contain itself till may 3 will the government extend the lockdown and the hardships or will we get the chance to unlock our doors once again?