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he outrage among labourers and those most affected by the lockdown across India seems to have diminished. They credit Modi for doing what he can for them.
SAMYAK PANDEY 20 April, 2020 7:30 am IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 14 April address to the nation with his face covered | Photo: ANI
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘lockdown’ measure to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus might have inconvenienced millions of people across India, especially the migrants and the poor, but it has only added to his personality cult.
ThePrint’s interactions with people, especially those on the margins of this crisis across geographical locations, suggest that the measures, termed as “harsh” by the opposition parties, have all-round support.
After the implementation of a 21-day nationwide lockdown on 25 March, the Modi government decided to extend it further up to 3 May. Migrant labourers, who had exited major urban centres en masse to try and get to their villages, have settled at their present locations for the time being, and even their outrage over the lockdown, which took away their livelihoods, seems to have diminished.
Among the labourers and homeless people in national capital Delhi, while the distress of food and shelter remains, a large majority supports Modi’s decision. Their resentment is directed, instead, at implementing agencies.
Many migrants on the streets or in shelter homes still hope they will be allowed to leave for their villages once the lockdown is lifted. But they also hope to receive the relief measures announced by the government, especially free rations for their families and money in their bank accounts.
‘No other way out’
Anil Gautam, daily wage labour from Palamu in Jharkhand, who works in Delhi’s Satsang Vihar, has been spending his nights in the market area while surviving on food donated by local residents. It has been a struggle for him to find food and shelter, but he says he feels assured that his family would at least get free rations announced by the government.
“We are used to fending for ourselves through hardship but at least our family must be getting free ration and money. Modi will also take care of us later,” he told ThePrint.
Anil says the strict lockdown is perfectly in line with the grave nature of the disease, which he calls “Kruna”. “If it’s spreading by touch, what’s the big deal in staying home for a few days? If we survive, we can earn more money. Modi wouldn’t have shut down everything without a lot of thought,” he said.
Shyam Jeswani, a kirana store owner in Bhopal, agreed. “This is very important for the kind of circumstances we are living in. This situation affects everyone. It’s important that the sickness doesn’t spread now. We are happy with the government’s decision.”
Sunil Notani, national working committee member of the Travel Agents’ Association of India, also from Bhopal, said: “I am okay with the decision because there doesn’t seem to be any other way out. We are definitely facing trouble because of this, but it could happen that we face an even bigger problem because we don’t have a proper treatment for this.
“It is only because of social distancing that India is doing better than other countries. The lockdown is the only way, until and unless the vaccine comes.”
Notani said this despite the travel sector seeing its biggest setback ever. “In the 25 years of my career in the travel trade, I never thought that such a day would come,” he added.
In the temporary shelters set up for migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh, people have a lot of complaints against the administration, especially the fact that it has locked them down without any timeframe to ensure they’re reunited with their families. Life at these temporary camps is tough, with migrants having to live on one or two meals a day, with a common toilet for dozens of people. They have no complaints against Modi, though, even as they pick holes in the way the local administration has “failed”.
Those stranded in Pune too agree with the lockdown, such as Sumant Singh from Sripur Gahar village in Bihar’s Samastipur district. “Even if someone else was the Prime Minister, what else could he do? It’s such a contagious disease. It (lockdown) has to be done for our safety.”
https://theprint.in/india/at-least-...down-is-tough-but-give-pm-a-thumbs-up/404892/
SAMYAK PANDEY 20 April, 2020 7:30 am IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 14 April address to the nation with his face covered | Photo: ANI
Text Size:
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘lockdown’ measure to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus might have inconvenienced millions of people across India, especially the migrants and the poor, but it has only added to his personality cult.
ThePrint’s interactions with people, especially those on the margins of this crisis across geographical locations, suggest that the measures, termed as “harsh” by the opposition parties, have all-round support.
After the implementation of a 21-day nationwide lockdown on 25 March, the Modi government decided to extend it further up to 3 May. Migrant labourers, who had exited major urban centres en masse to try and get to their villages, have settled at their present locations for the time being, and even their outrage over the lockdown, which took away their livelihoods, seems to have diminished.
Among the labourers and homeless people in national capital Delhi, while the distress of food and shelter remains, a large majority supports Modi’s decision. Their resentment is directed, instead, at implementing agencies.
Many migrants on the streets or in shelter homes still hope they will be allowed to leave for their villages once the lockdown is lifted. But they also hope to receive the relief measures announced by the government, especially free rations for their families and money in their bank accounts.
‘No other way out’
Anil Gautam, daily wage labour from Palamu in Jharkhand, who works in Delhi’s Satsang Vihar, has been spending his nights in the market area while surviving on food donated by local residents. It has been a struggle for him to find food and shelter, but he says he feels assured that his family would at least get free rations announced by the government.
“We are used to fending for ourselves through hardship but at least our family must be getting free ration and money. Modi will also take care of us later,” he told ThePrint.
Anil says the strict lockdown is perfectly in line with the grave nature of the disease, which he calls “Kruna”. “If it’s spreading by touch, what’s the big deal in staying home for a few days? If we survive, we can earn more money. Modi wouldn’t have shut down everything without a lot of thought,” he said.
Shyam Jeswani, a kirana store owner in Bhopal, agreed. “This is very important for the kind of circumstances we are living in. This situation affects everyone. It’s important that the sickness doesn’t spread now. We are happy with the government’s decision.”
Sunil Notani, national working committee member of the Travel Agents’ Association of India, also from Bhopal, said: “I am okay with the decision because there doesn’t seem to be any other way out. We are definitely facing trouble because of this, but it could happen that we face an even bigger problem because we don’t have a proper treatment for this.
“It is only because of social distancing that India is doing better than other countries. The lockdown is the only way, until and unless the vaccine comes.”
Notani said this despite the travel sector seeing its biggest setback ever. “In the 25 years of my career in the travel trade, I never thought that such a day would come,” he added.
In the temporary shelters set up for migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh, people have a lot of complaints against the administration, especially the fact that it has locked them down without any timeframe to ensure they’re reunited with their families. Life at these temporary camps is tough, with migrants having to live on one or two meals a day, with a common toilet for dozens of people. They have no complaints against Modi, though, even as they pick holes in the way the local administration has “failed”.
Those stranded in Pune too agree with the lockdown, such as Sumant Singh from Sripur Gahar village in Bihar’s Samastipur district. “Even if someone else was the Prime Minister, what else could he do? It’s such a contagious disease. It (lockdown) has to be done for our safety.”
https://theprint.in/india/at-least-...down-is-tough-but-give-pm-a-thumbs-up/404892/
