Modiji has proposed one election, one ration card, one tax, one law etc., to make India that remains truly as one country in letter and spirit where regional differences shall only add beauty and vibrancy and not difference and discrimination.
But the Corona lockdown has exposed the anatomy of such wish or desire or political proposal of BJP. BJP is largely seen as North Indian party because the presence of BJP in southern states and east barring North East is insignificant. But the lock down has affected the north Indian migrants the worst. The unplanned and thoughtless lock down without even the elementary preparation has not only killed the livelihood of millions of Indians but also sickened our economy and MSME. It may take ages to repair the direct and indirect or unintended consequences of 21 day lock down.
Most of the states that are governed by the regional parties like AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, CPI (M) in Kerala, BJD in Odissa, TMC in West Bengal, AAP in Delhi has done yeomen work at the ground and protected the state. But the central government failed to act in time so was the BJP governments in some states. All those migrant workers are also Indians. If that ethos has gone deep in central government’s thinking before declaring the draconian measure called lock down India for 21 days without any preparation; the central government would have prepared the ground first, sufficient time would have given to poor people and then the measure would have been taken.
The lock down declared by Modi’s government has proved that the ethos of one India is nothing but a myth and the people of India can be saved only the respective state government; especially by the regional parties and not by BJP.
If Modi has called all party meeting, had discussion with all state Chief Ministers, Health Ministers, district magistrates and NGO’s, private companies and got their inputs and suggestions, earned their good will and co-operation and then gone for lock down, the measure would have served the purpose as well as the livelihood of millions and millions of poor people also would have been saved.
To the private companies especially the MSME, central government and state government could have told to avail the required interest free bank loans with 6 month moratorium to meet the planned expenditure; the salary component of many middle income groups also could have been achieved.
People of India, rich or poor, urban or rural, educated or uneducated, all would have followed the social distancing in letter and spirit, and we the people of ONE INDIA could have made the measure a grand success. But today people defy not because they care the least about Corona but they too care a little about their life; hunger and to feed the young ones in their tent.
One thing the lock down has proved beyond doubt is that only the regional parties alone can save India because the regional parties always give utmost importance to their region.
Although at cultural level we must promote one India ethos but at political level, we should never experiment the same ethos because such politics shall bound to cause discrimination and differentiation as we saw in the case of poor migrant workers after lock down.
It is not about proving the ego and self-importance due to the majority enjoyed by the central government, the central government should have discussed with all the state Chief Ministers about the economic and other loses due to such measure before such drastic measure is implemented.
Mere medical advice alone was not enough before taking such measure but the central government must have discussed and consulted everyone in the ring to ensure the measure is truly people centric.
The disastrous consequences of corona lock down may take several years to repair and only after minimum repair, we can find our old India. It is one India and not many states in one India have defeated the poor and middle income.
