Misplaced priorities of the Government
Modi government continues with its gimmicks as millions of workers suffer from the devastating effects of an unplanned lockdown.
As the lockdown continues, with the government often withholding crucial aid for migrant workers, homeless people, daily-wage labourers and others, many Indians are pushed towards destitution and starvation. The poor and working class in India are faced with the threats of police beatings, eviction from their rented residences, starvation & COVID19 itself. Under such circumstances, the Modi government’s gimmicks like dropping flower petals from aircraft increasingly ring hollow.
The visible ‘social-distance’
Since the beginning of the lockdown the nation has been witness to two different spectacles. One one hand there has been a ‘show of solidarity’ for doctors, nurses & other healthcare workers, not by providing them with proper PPEs or increased number of testing among other things, but by banging plates. This comes off as immensely hypocritical at a time when doctors, nurses & healthcare workers are facing violence and attacks, even from their neighbours. Whenever medical professionals have spoken up about the shortcomings of the government response, including shortage of PPEs, testing, proper expenditure, they have been subjected to a barrage of abuse from supporters of BJP-RSS.
On the other hand, India watched another spectacle where lakhs of migrants walked thousands of kilometers towards home without food or clean water. Many starved to death during this journey, and a similar number of people perished from the hardships endured during such a journey. They endured police beatings on their way and were subjected to utter humiliation during the process.
This marks the real distance in the country, the social-distance between its impoverished and battered working class, and the class that is cheering the Modi government from inside their gated communities.
No respite for migrant workers
While crores were being spent on showering flower petals on hospitals in the name of encouraging medical workers, the government has been refusing to pay the train fare of migrants returning to their homes. This same government paid nearly one lakh rupees per passenger to bring back Indians from China, Italy, Iran, & Japan. This clearly demonstrates how the government is committed to gimmicks and showmanship without any concern for the common worker.
We want rations not bhashan
While the world has been focusing on combating the crisis of COVID19, our PM has been focusing on projecting his own image.
While workers, daily wage labourers & others wanted rations, our PM focused on giving Bhashan from our TV screens.
When doctors and medical staff wanted gears, proper protection, more ventilators, our PM focused on empty applause.
When workers wanted to go home, our PM ordered them to be locked up without food in unsanitary conditions.
When workers demanded to be paid wages during the lockdown, the PM focused on distribution freebies to corporates like Adani and Ambani.
When students wanted a proper solution to disruption in education, the PM focused on arresting activists who were protesting against CAA, NRC, NPR.
When migrant workers, rations, medical gears could be transported via aircraft to increase speed & efficiency, the Modi government decided to use aircraft to drop flower petals.
