-- Fight against coronavirus finds Modi engaged in tug of war against state satraps
New Delhi: Political class seldom works under a unified command. It is not without good reason that politicians are better known as sojourners - a group of people who have temporary status to everything. They belong to all and also belong to none.Thus when it comes to India's fight against #COVID19 and in democracy as politicians run the show, the combat against the unseen virus has started leaving its political ramifications.
In the season of fighting against coronavirus, well we have a quarrelsome Neta class and the politics in the corridors of power in Delhi ad state head quarters is leaving common people especially the floating population and migratory workforce at
a huge risk.
There has been few reports of 'tragic deaths' amid the exodus triggered by first 21-day lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The magnitude of the 'migrant workers' only grew up substantially when the lockdown was extended by yet another spell.
The movement of these migrant workers has been fatal for some.
At initial stage the count was over 20, though the actual count may be much higher. One person who set off on foot from Delhi to his native place in Madhya Pradesh, died mid-way after walking around 200 kilometers. Some others have been quoted in the media as saying“If coronavirus doesn’t kill us, hunger will!”
Meanwhile, the Lockdown implementation as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (since March 24 midnight) and relaxation brought into force from April 20 has brought to the fore the confrontation between federal Government led by Modi with states - some of them run by communists in southern state of Kerala and others by mercurial and ambitious politicians such as Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. Making things further complex, the Federal Home ministry guidelines on 'relaxation' as announced from April 20 has put the onus on the states and local district administrations to ensure that the mandatory social distancing norms are followed by the migrant labourers and others. Moreover, the states - that is the provincial administrations - have directed individual industrial units - mostly operated by private entrepreneurs and medium size industrialists - to enforce the social distancing norms and ensure that workers are given hygienic food, sanitiser and masks. It's slowly turning into a case of number of cooks spoiling the broth!
Migrant workers' predicament and social distancing has in the ultimate turned a case of no body's child. There have been utter confusions in various sectors including aviation.Much to the astonishment of many, some airlines including federal government-run Air India decided on their own to open bookings from May 4, a day after the all-India lockdown is to expire (on May 3) while Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had to clarify that the government has not taken any decision in this regard. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed airlines on Sunday, April 19 to stop taking bookings for travel after May 3. Government is not sure of enforcing relaxation in train service and air service as the unseen virus that had originated in China has so far (Till Monday evening) claimed as many as 559 lives and the number of total cases has risen to 17,656.
Government sources said some of the confusion are not in "federal government's hands" as no one can work into a guess work on the quantum of damage. Data also showed that as number of tests is on increase, number of positive coronavirus cases too are on rise nationwide. Further, some of the complexity has been added by sheer circumstances and and rest of the issues have been complicated by certain state governments (run by anti-Modi politicians) ordering some relaxation in suo moto decision."These were like violation of national lockdown as announced by Prime Minister Modi," said BJP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia and hence the central government had to issue fresh guidelines and write candid and to an extent harsh letters to the state governments.On Monday, in fact the central government sent in a harsh missive to Kerala government and later convinced the communist regime in the state to withdraw some of its 'special relaxation (from lockdown) orders'.
Reacting to Marxists-led Left Democratic Front government's decision in Kerala to allow opening of restaurants and book shops at certain places, a top Home Ministry official in Delhi wrote: “This amounts to dilution of guidelines issued by Ministry of Home and violation of the Order dated 15th April 2020 issued under the Disaster Management Act 2005". BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva in Good Governance cell points up that the federal system of governance in India is "unlike" the system as practiced in the US. "Here in India, in terms of disputes, the central government's decision stands as the federal government can also take actions against a provincial government unlike in the US." Thus, his explanation was that the federal government is very much within constitutional rights and later in the day, the Kerala government has withdrawn some of its 'lockdown relaxation orders'.
The Modi government in the centre is also in constant confrontation with another state government - that is West Bengal in eastern India. In a week's time, at least three strong missives have been sent from New Delhi making it clear that the situation vis-a-vis lockdown violation and spread of the coronavirus is turning "serious" in at least seven places in the state.Therefore the centre also deputed an official team Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri for on the spot visit as these places were either “hotspots and emerging hotspots” which may pose serious health hazards “not only for the population living in these areas but for people living in other areas of the country”.
Mercurial Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has often had height of love-hate relationship with Modi government, has flayed the central decision saying her administration will not allow the on the spot visits. BJP sources in Delhi, however, insist the state is duty bound to extend cooperation to a central team which functions with the powers granted to it through Disaster Management Act.The Modi government's confrontation with Mamata Banerjee-regime in Bengal and communists in Kerala is nothing new as the BJP's well known pro-HIndu tilt is always stiffly opposed by these two dispensations. While Marxists are 'natural opponents' of the BJP as says CPI-M leader Mohammed Salim, Ms Banerjee often has tried in the past to emerge as 'a direct competitor' to Prime Minister Modi.In fact, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also last week flagged off a great concern of governance issues in India saying on the pretext of fight against coronavirus the Modi government could turn out to be more dictatorial.
There is a real "possibility" that the structure of India's democracy may change after coronavirus, Rahul Gandhi had said in a video conference with journalists adding, however, that India is nevertheless capable to protect its "democracy".
It is not only dictatorial, others say adding some of the orders from the centre especially with regard movement of migrant labourers could also add to the confusion."In order to give a boost to the rural economy, certain economic activities have been permitted in rural areas. Accordingly, District Magistrates and District Collectors in collaboration with industries, should make arrangements to transfer labourers to their place of work within the State," said a central government order.
On this many Congress leaders said generally an impression has been created that the movement of labourers within a state (India is a union of 29 states) would not be spreading the virus; but their movement between two states posed serious danger for the spread of the pandemic.Under the given situation, the Modi government in the centre is convinced that in a country like India - lockdown is the only visible and pragmatic roadmap for fight against corona.Addressing a media briefing, top Health Ministry official Lav Agarwal said there has been no new COVID-19 case for the last 14 days in 54 districts across 23 states. But the concerns remain for all obvious reasons.Federal government has expressed concern on Kerala government's decision to allow supply of liquor for alcoholics while in West Bengal sweet shops were allowed to function. It also allowed five jute mills to be opened in West Bengal as part of giving such permission to 300 such small scale industrial units.
However, in general sense the Modi government may not be all that lucky to get away just by passing the buck on some states for announcing unilateral relaxation when situation has 'not improved'. MUmbai, India's commercial capital, last week saw desperate scenes near a popular Railway terminus to catch distance trains expecting Indian Rails to restart their business and take them to their native villages in the development-starved northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
"Send us home, if you cannot feed us” the migrants screamed but the nationwide lockdown was extended until May 3.
The centre was under attack on migratory workers' plight in Delhi earlier. Prime Minister Modi understands the gravity of the challenges and more than used his pet Hindi phrase eloquently - 'Jaan hae toh Jahan Hae (Survival is the key issue, if one lives he/she can live long to conquer the world at a later stage)". Modi's rhetoric may not generate confidence among millions of his country men or women.Government officials have expressed concern over the news of some journalists in Mumbai testing positive for the virus. In many cases police personnel and medical (corona warriors) are also falling victim to the unseen virus.
The Union Health Ministry on Monday said the rate at which the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was doubling in the last one week improved to 7.5 days, as against 3.4 days unlike pre-March 24-25. Obviously, they feel lockdown is a major weapon to fight the malady. But it is certainly no panacea - or cure all magical trick especially when politicians continue to learn to show an unity of purpose and will.
(Ends)
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