Lockdown and Unlock India - Part I

Why the lockdown was implemented in our country? This is now probably a question of class I school going children. 

One might suggest that it was implemented to restrict the spread of the epidemic Corona virus and to save the lives of our countrymen. For that, like the rest of the world, we also closed down all our shops, malls, markets, factories, offices, all type of works and economic activities which led to an economic loss of millions if not trillions. Those who had some savings they scratched it up in last 3 months of lockdown while those below poverty line are either starving or living on almost nothing. 

As a result, initially there was very slow infection rate and we, especially our Government, were applauded by the whole world for containing Corona successfully. Apart from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamilnadu, rest of the states were under control and safe.

Then 'they' came into the picture. They means "Migrant Labourers". With the continuous extension of lockdown they were almost dying wherever they were. No one thought about them. The factories or companies surrendered saying they weren't able to make anymore free payment to these labourers. Our Government had no definite planning for them as well. In this situation, these starving migrant labourers had no other way but to go back to their home. 

Some of them started walking to cover hundreds of kilometres to reach their homes. Some were smeared by the train while walking along the rail line. This made them come in the headlines of many newspapers and people started to recognize their agony. Only then the Government started noticing about them. After much politics, atlast the Government arranged some trains to send them back to their home states and home places.

But it was too late. Had it been done before lockdown, the disease spreading could have been contained. But now, most of these unaware labourers were already infected and it was next to impossible to quarantine each and every one of them after reaching home.

Our Government has always hurried to take decisions. They have never bothered to discuss with experts in respective fields before implementing any serious decision. The lockdown, like many other important decisions, was implemented through "Man ki baat" overnight and our Government didn't for once gave a thought about the people who went or stayed at outstation places and were stranded far away from their homes. The migrant workers were also part of them. Had the lockdown been  implemented after a cooling period of say atleast 10 days, in which the Government could arrange to bring back all outstation people to their homes, the lockdown project would have been a grand success.

The Government implemented lockdown at a loss of economy and our people when the disease spread was slow and unlocked the country while the spreading took its top speed. As a result, neither we could save the economy nor the people. Our target was to contain Corona at the cost of enormous economic loss. But we lost everything (GDP, Economy) at cost of only boosting up the disease. Then what was the benefit out of this Pandora's box? Nothing. We saw it during Demonetization and again we saw it now. 

Now to cover this gross failure our Government is tickling public sentiment by telling them to be "Atmanirbhar" (Self Dependant). But my dear Government, do you have the required infrastructure to establish your mouthful advices? The answer would perhaps be "No". Can our Government or the ones running it confirm that all the products used by them daily are made in India and by Indian companies only? This time also the answer would be a big "No".

This only makes us wonder about the efficiency of this type of Government and whether it can take any right decision at times of need? Our beloved elected Government got enough time to learn from the rest of the world about how to implement a successful lockdown but unfortunately they learnt nothing. They only played some cheap politics during this crucial time.

So if today our GDP goes down and our economy is shattered, for that Corona is nowhere responsible. It's only because of our beloved and elected government. If today our own people die out of starvation blame our beloved Government. If today the Covid19 spreads at every nook & corner of our country whom you should blame. Its only our elected loving Government.

(This is not a political or politically biased article. This is just the decision analysis of the people who are running our country, our people, our lives.)