The options
It is dismaying that in a country of huge economic capabilities, where a major share of GDP is borne out of the toil of the labour class, they have, for many years, been marginalised when it came to the fruits of their labour. It is unfortunate that they have been denied their rightful entitlements as far as health, education and living conditions are concerned (OpEd page, ‘Parley’ – “How will India emerge out of the lockdown?”, April 24). It may not be an exaggeration to say that we have been taken for a ride by the political class for over 70 years and we are still accepting of their excuses for not spending enough on health and other basic amenities. Take for instance the expenditure on health care, which is well short of the prescribed percentage for the overall well-being of the nation. Let us also not forget the underspending in education and living conditions. How long will we be under this political lockdown at the cost of our basic rights is for us to decide. The pandemic response is also the right time to question the political class about the priorities. Let us not forget that Victor Hugo said: “The paradise of the rich is made out of the hell of the poor.”
Karumanchi Manohar,
Ongole, Andhra Pradesh
For India, further stretching the lockdown poses huge economic challenges. Unlike ‘a formulaic slump, where policies can be tailored to finance and raise demand’, the challenge now is to ‘keep productive capacity intact even as many firms and workers remain idle’. As Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has argued, “The economic response to the crisis will have to include two parts — one, an immediate disaster relief component that ensures survival of both firms and workers who have been rendered idle. And two, a stimulus component that aims to repair and restart production lines during the exit phase of the lockdown.” For India, with a large informal sector and a weak social safety net, the first challenge is going to be tougher than the second one.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
Quarantine facilities
It is disheartening to know that doctors and medical staff in Rae Bareli had to face dismal living conditions (Page 1, “In Rae Bareli, doctors have untold stories of quarantine”, April 24). Frontline health staff need to be treated in a dignified way in view of their selfless service to society. Such incidents might cause people to stay away from getting screened.
Deepika Jain,
New Delhi
Flattening the curve
There is substance in the government’s claim that the extended national lockdown has ensured that the growth of cases has remained linear(Page 1, April 24). But on the other side there can be no denying that the lockdown has inflicted untold misery on migrant labourers, daily-wage earners, self-employed persons and the micro, small and medium enterprises sector. There is a great deal of doubt whether in a post-lockdown scenario the lot of the vast majority of the population would improve. Much would depend on whether India will be in a position to continue focusing on steps such as social distancing. As WHO has predicted that the pandemic is not going away in a hurry, the Centre and States will have to be on their toes.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
