We are currently in the wake of the deadly epidemic of Coronavirus - Coved 19. The world has virtually come to a standstill - literally. We have never experienced anything like in our lifetimes or our parents' lifetime....... so nearly in the last 70-80 years.
We are in Lockdown, staying home, venturing out only to get some essential food items. Schools are closed. Me & Farah are working from home. Farah had developed some fever, throat pain last week. She is better now.
The British PM and Health Secretary are also down with the virus. Nearly 30,000 have died worldwide due to this deadly epidemic.
We maybe in this situation for the next 3 months or so.
Luckily the numbers from India are quite low so far. Modi has declared a 21 day lockdown. As with many of the monumental decisions he has taken, it was announced in a very abrupt manner without much planning. He made no mention of how the poor will survive in this 21 day lockdown. Most of them have lost their livelihood.
Now another tragedy has presented itself - of the crores of migrant workers who work in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore etc, stranded with no way of getting back to their villages. They waited for 1-2 days, but when no help was forthcoming, they started walking back to their villages, 100-200 or 300 miles away. In most cases they have nothing to eat. This miserable horde trudging back on the sides of highways with their belonging reminded me of the millions who fled the riots during partition to cross over to India or Pakistan. The fact that a country which boasts of the fastest growing economy, aspiring to become a 5 Trillion economy etc etc cannot do anything, or should I say, would not even think of helping this helpless and miserable horde, is outright criminal & shameful.
The apathy shown by the Modi govt for these poor, miserable people walking hundreds of kms back to their villages smacks of class superiority. It also shows how this whole lockdown thing is in effect a way of trying to protect the rich and middle class at the expense of the poor and lower classes. All the policies are targeted towards the privileged and the underprivileged are left to fend for themselves. The Modi govt is not even making a pretence of trying to help them. Their preference and prejudice is so naked.
They are in effect sending the epidemic to the villages while trying to protect the cities. And this virus was brought into India by the rich who came from foreign countries.
It is not just that the Modi govt is not doing anything to help these people, the privileged BJP supporters are asking why these people are trying to go to their villages flouting the govt directive to stay at home. They are accused of going home for vacation. No concern for the fact that they have lost their livelihood, they are hungry, no support from any quarter, where will they go?
The sense of entitlement of the upper classes in India is so ugly. I think that is the reason they love Modi so much, they see in him the messiah who will restore the 'varna vyavastha'.
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