By Sushil Kutty
The Centre is not admitting that Covid-19 might be in the community spreading phase. Indications are it set out on that journey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should seriously rethink his corona-strategy. The government will not lose face. Curiously, the Centre has not ordered a lockdown, but Modi on March 23 asked states to “Strictly enforce lockdown.”
Asking people to lock themselves at home — each man and woman to himself, herself and family — while not cautioning that we may already be in the community-spread phase amounts to cheating.
The urgency should be conveyed in an emphatic manner. People should be jolted out of their complacency. A self-imposed one day 9am to 5 pm “janata curfew” will not do. That is sarkari naukari, not a “do-it-or-die” operation.
There’s the China learning curve. And there’s the Italian lesson. China locked down Wuhan mercilessly. People trying to escape were dragged out of trains and forced indoors. Today Wuhan does not have a single new Covid-19 case.
The Italians are not Chinese. They don’t cow down to authority. Youtube is full of Italian machismo. Italians are paying for the mutiny. Corona has spread there like spilled milk on marble. The Covid-kill rate in Italy is alarming. It has overtaken China’s.
So, who wants to beat China? Nobody in their right minds. The Modi government has to show spine. Steely resolve. The fight should not be left to the people alone. Indians are more Italian than Chinese. Look at what’s happening in Mumbai.
The maximum city is reckless. The migrant population of Mumbai is in panic. Migrants want to return “home”. Till Saturday (March 21) Mumbai’s CST, Dadar and Thane railway stations were crammed with migrants to take a train out. Half of Mumbai was set to jump ship. Flee.
Covid-19 was going places. Fortunately, somebody high up noticed. Understood the ramifications. The Indian Railways shut down all long distance trains to and from Mumbai. What if Covid-19 gets a free-ticket to villages across India? Imagine.
Why does not the Centre order a general all-India lockdown and let the states impose it? That way it will be shared responsibility. Many states are already in partial lockdown. Modi tweeted Monday he was disappointed some people on Sunday evening broke “janata Curfew”.
He asked state governments to be tough. To impose a janata curfew! Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana… There is partial lockdown in all these states. The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are also in lockdown.
Point is, if the states have acted act, why are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah not flexing their muscles? They should stick their necks out before people everywhere get their necks stretched by Corona Jalaad!
What will make the Modi Government harden its stand against corona? Should the Supreme Court hear an urgent post-midnight hearing, proclaim coronavirus Public Enemy No.1 and order an all-India lockdown?
That may be the only way to stamp out Covid-19. Too much is at stake. President Donald Trump said it: “You cannot sacrifice the most valuable generation to a virus? That will be dumb!”
Yeah, the generation of Trump and all those 60+. Covid-19 has a special dislike for those above 60. The 60+ are easy to kill. But Novel Covid-19 isn’t starving. In Mumbai, yesterday, it killed a 56-year-old.
The worst thing about corona is that it kills people when they are alone. With no family by the bedside… A lonely quarantined death. Only memories left. And an overwhelming sadness. Regret, actually. Why couldn’t I say goodbye; hug, kiss, hold the hand?
This is not the time for sentiments. Now is for taking tough calls. Isolate, quarantine. Admit corona is spreading. By train. Plane. Automobile. On foot. Declare coronavirus mobile and beat it to the tape – the chequered flag! It’s Formula 1. Ask the Italians!
Can India do it? Can the Modi government? Does India have the wherewithal? Surgical masks, face masks, gloves, state-of-the-art hospital beds, ventilators, meds… Does India have all these in sufficient numbers to save a billion plus?
Ventilators! India has only 40,000 ventilators in stock. News is the Indian Army has joined the ventilator production line. Even Mahindra & Mahindra. Has panic set in? Do we have time! What use billion dollar purchases of Apache and Hawk choppers? To cut a long story short, India may not be fully equipped. Can we do a Wuhan (China), or will we have to live through a Lombardi (Italy)? (IPA Service)
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