Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video appeal to overcome the feeling of isolation and display the collective spirit to fight the Coronavirus at 9 pm on April 5, may seem the right kind of masala to spur hilarious memes. His critics and political rivals have reacted by calling it yet another instance of a “non-serious” just feel-good moment curated by the PM when a grave crisis has eluded a one-stop solution.
Contrary to this impression, those in the know of how Modi and his team are going about handling the crisis believe that while the challenge is overwhelming, we have not gone off the track so far. Yes, a lot of things remain to be done — both in terms of health infrastructure and bringing succour to all the affected sections of the population.
Modi has chaired several meetings in the PMO, hearing out his aides on what they think are the worst-case scenarios and how quick they can put in place both exigency and contingency plans and brace for the most critical phases, which will be the post-lockdown days.
Modi’s call to chief ministers to think of a “staggered” approach to lift the restrictions at the end of the 21-day period follows a deep scare among the top bureaucrats, particularly after two events since the lockdown came out in the open. Both played havoc with the government’s hopes, plans and confidence, albeit temporarily.
One was the direct mockery of isolation and social distancing drills, which was caused by hundreds of anxious migrant workers out on the streets of Delhi and some cities, on long walks to rush back home. Driven by insecurity and extreme fears of a prolonged lockdown circulated on WhatsApp messages, these hapless workers became victims, thanks to their unscrupulous landlords and employers. Local authorities added to the confusion by responding with arrangements for their flight to neighbouring states by buses. Until the PMO cracked the whip on culpable key officials, the situation seemed hopeless before the CMs concerned got their hands on the situation to literally stem the tide.
The second episode was even more shocking for the crisis managers. The discovery of about 650 Coronavirus-positive cases among the several hundreds who attended the Nizamuddin Markaz event and their contacts in 14 states proved a major blow. It poured cold water on all plans worked out hitherto for a possible containment of the virus within the 21-day lockdown period.
Reports of these people resisting testing and quarantine, followed by incidents of violence on health workers, deeply upset the PMO assessment. A top Coronavirus think tank official could not help remarking that a large swathe of ‘Covidiots’ have only added to the PM’s priority to save human lives.
After his video conference with the chief ministers on April 1, Modi got a sense of the prevailing mood across the country. His appeal for a collective show of unity on April 5 was thought of as a way to overcome the overwhelming feeling of isolation and monotony among these large sections who were also upset with the handling of the migrant workers and the Markaz episodes.
Even as his critics repeated their questions as to why Modi did not talk more about rising number of Coronavirus cases, testing, health infrastructure, migrant workers or economic woes, his intention was clear. The PM would not add to the information already being dished out every day about the number of cases, fatalities and recoveries. He would rather reach out again to the masses who need their spirit-lifting moments. A section of the thinking classes would, of course, never need it. Nor would they be ever satisfied or trust his government’s answers to their doubts and worst-case scenarios.
Modi’s own hopes of ending the current lockdown by mid-April, and possibly opting for a lesser restrictive protocol, did come through during his last radio address on March 29. He talked of better times that he expects when he goes on the air again later this month. But this was before the extent of the Nizamuddin Markaz exposure got to be known.
As on date, Modi’s message remains underlined by the importance that the government attaches to the lockdown (despite the huge economic cost). As leading medical experts like Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, told this newspaper, the PMO agrees with the assessment that the pandemic may not have seen its peak just yet.
It is no secret that many officials have suggested to the PMO that the lockdown be extended or lifted in phases till each state is confident that there are no fresh cases. Alternatively, the highly-prone or infected centres in urban India could remain isolated for a longer period while agricultural operations and other businesses are allowed to pick up without the risk of a fresh spread or a second coming.
Modi’s administration is fully conscious of the fact that the economy gets impacted each day because of the lockdown. A staggered withdrawal of restrictions and impetus for new growth will have to be done with meticulous planning.
Shekhar Iyer
The writer is a senior journalist.
This column will appear every fortnight