BJP PUTS ECONOMY IN DANGER BY EXTENDING TOTAL LOCK-DOWN

WHO website marked the spread of coronavirus around the globe

Coronavirus has come as a danger not only to the life chances of people but also to the livelihood of the people who work every day and dependent on that money for survival. Apart from the government employees, pensioners, people belonging to the upper-middle class, all others are facing questions of survival. Large private companies are still paying to their employees, but small-scale business cannot afford it.

The government should also think about the direct cash transfer to ordinary people who are directly affected by the lockdown. Although the US, China, Germany and a few other countries are likely to develop a vaccine in coming months, it is very unfortunate that India could not develop anything significant to deal with the virus. Once the vaccine hit the market India will end up paying billions of dollars for the vaccine.  

It is a tragic reality that if COVID-19 lockdown expanded further, India is simply unprepared for dealing with the coming health crisis, neither for its economic fallout. Millions of people likely to lose their life. Although the lethality of coronavirus is exaggerated in the media reports. In any case, India simply does not have healthcare facilities to deal with any serious pandemic, let along highly contagious coronavirus.

Thousands of Indians lose their lives even due to fully treatable diseases including Malaria, Dengue, encephalitis, swine flu among others. Due to extreme poverty hunger and malnutrition is also rampant in India. Millions of children do not attain and develop their full cognitive capabilities due to non-availability of nutritious food to the children and their mothers. Most of us feel offended when other countries raise questions about the prevalence of extreme poverty in India, but it’s a harsh truth. Closing our eyes and avoiding discussion on it will not make the problem go away.  

It is a harsh reality this situation cannot continue for too long. PM Narendra Modi, promised in 2014 general elections that better days will come under his leadership. The country was facing tremendous challenges of widespread corruption, indecisiveness and policy paralysis. Congress leaders were minting money with impunity. Corruption was rampant. Reports of gobbling of millions of dollars and black money became a major issue in the country. CAG reports helped in generating the narrative.

Riding on the failures of UPA, Modi became Prime Minister. His triumph was also the hope that things will be better. India will become another China. It will emerge as another factory for the world. Reforms will be started, corruption will be eradicated, the government will not hesitate in taking hard decision to propel the growth. The government will spend more infrastructure and supporting companies which have immense potential.

But unfortunately, PM Narendra Modi wasted his first term. He relied on Congress style social welfare schemes to garner votes. His flagship bullet train project could not even start. Export-led growth remained a dream. His investments in constructing the world’s tallest building unlikely to change anything in Gujarat either.

He should open the lockdown in stages. First work should start with government departments. Then large industrial complexes and then others. People should be allowed to travel in their vehicle. Public transport can be remained closed for some more time. Construction activities should start immediately. An opportunity should be given to daily labourers to return to their hometown.

Without any job, labourers would not be able to survive in cities as all construction has been suspended. The government must open the construction industry, large mobile and car factories, software companies, retail outlets, pharmaceutical companies. Essentials are already open. E-commerce should remain banned. Otherwise, American companies will profit on the bleeding small traders as markets are closed all over the country.

Once Corona crisis is over, India must consider that current stagnation due to political indecisiveness cannot continue for long. India is so far a story of how opportunities are being lost. Apart from the democracy and timely elections, we must prove that India is more than that. For a better future, India needs new leadership who could concentrate on economic growth and less interested in indecisive politics.

It is not easy to speak against Modi government. Corporate houses are afraid of retaliation by the government. Only Rajiv Bajaj has questioned the utility of continuous lockdown. It is just impossible to keep India locked until the vaccine hits the market. Businesses will go bankrupt and people will die of hunger. It is very unfortunate that India started with Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar and almost 75 years down the line ended up with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.  

The end.