Role of Citizens vis-à-vis Government- post lockdown’

‘The world has virtually come to a standstill. One tiny virus is holding all lives to ransom. It has forced all to shut themselves up behind doors. There is deafening silence all around. Certain viruses are such! They can make or destroy a civilization. That is what Jared Diamond speaks of in his book ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’. He talks of the domination of Eurasians who overthrew Latin Americas and North Americas because they had developed herd immunity against viruses causing measles, chicken pox and small pox. Eurasians thrived, whereas the latter perished in large numbers because they fell prey to the virus. The spread of Coronavirus is a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities of humankind. It has certainly made everyone apprehensive about the days ahead. At this juncture, no one knows how long this would be and how deep its roots are.

The post lockdown world would be a different one for sure. We are already witnessing isolationist tendencies bordering on de-globalization in the thought processes of various world leaders. The disallowance of immigration applications for two months by the American authorities, the criticism of World Trade Organization by President Trump and his withdrawal of funds from WHO are some specific instances of this scenario. All countries are busy building walls and erecting boundaries around themselves. ‘Nation first, the rest latter’ is the underlying thought across the world. There is currently an overwhelming sense of fear, distrust and apprehension in all minds.

India with very high population density, the lifestyle in many one room tenements, habit of close social interactions and poor health infrastructure faces a daunting task in containing the spread of Corona virus.

But we all need to derive solace from the fact that the world situation was much worse just after World War II. Think of Europe and Japan. They were in tatters. But these countries slowly gathered steam… they built themselves up and, as we know, they achieved commanding heights. This was possible due to strong political leadership as well as a committed body of citizens who worked together very hard in an atmosphere of trust, goodwill and optimism. We, Indians, certainly have the advantage of a very strong leader in PM Modi who is walking with everyone with resolute steps in the right direction. By honouring the call of our PM each time he has asked us to follow guidelines for saving lives, the entire body of citizens has shown tremendous maturity. There is a need to keep walking hand in hand with the Government with same level of resilience, maturity and understanding post lockdown too.

What are the possible changes that may take place in our day to day life? Physical distancing is likely to continue and many of us would prefer indulging in some kind of self- isolation. Fear of proximity with others and apprehension of contracting the disease would certainly remain somewhere at the back of the mind. Gloves, once discarded by serious chefs, will be an unavoidable accessory. Thermal scanners will be the new metal detectors and masks will replace the waiters’ toothy smiles. Digital menus and contactless dining may all be part of the new normal. Remote classrooms and webinar will be popular. A blended model of online and in- person instruction is likely to be adopted in the days to come.

Besides, Work from Home (WFH) practice will become the order in many of the establishments. Reportedly, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the largest IT firm in the country, has already decided to have 75 percent of its 4.5 lakh employees across the globe, work from home by 2025. Of these 4.5 lakh employees, 3.5 lakh employees work in India. This new model of TCS, called 25/ 25 will require far less office space. This kind of working pattern is likely to be adopted by many.

In our resolute drive to save lives, our economy would, of course, face some serious setback. With more than 40 days of lockdown the state of the economy world over is going from bad to worse. Cities, which are called the engines of growth, have come to a grinding halt. Small and marginal farmers (owning less than 2 hectares of land), who constitute 85 percent of the total number of farmers, around 14 million farmers who depend on fisheries and, in total, 40 crore people in the unorganized sector are struggling the most in these difficult times.

As far as governance systems are concerned, it is likely that Government would spend hugely on creation and strengthening of health infrastructure. Mobile apps like Aarogya Setu have come to stay. Such apps to monitor by using location details, facial recognition and artificial intelligence, do contact tracing and issue health alerts to citizens have been adopted across the world. However, the Governments in many countries will have to handle issues raised by a few pertaining to privacy of individuals and increased surveillance under the pretext of health monitoring and other apps. Those fears relating to breach of privacy will have to be allayed. Industrial establishments or Government departments having lot of human interface on the ground will have to develop Standard Operating Procedures for minimizing contagious situations. And these establishments will be expected to be SoP compliant. The realization that a virus of this nature can pose a big threat to humankind will lead to increased investments in research and development issues. This has been seen in unprecedented levels of fast-paced research that has gone into development of vaccine for Covid19.

Our journey from ‘Jaan hai toh Jahan hai’ to ‘ Jaan bhi, Jahan bhi’ shows Government’s concern for both lives and livelihoods. While steps like enforcement of lockdown, awareness generation exercise regarding the precautions to be taken through various means, feeding the needy , contact tracing, testing and medical treatment etc are being taken, there is equal emphasis on supporting the poorest of the poor through financial aid to the states with a package of Rs 1.70 lakh crore. PM Garib Kalyan Yojana has been launched to address the poor and vulnerable.

In the post lockdown scenario the citizens will have to adapt themselves to the new normal. They need to continue the current practices of physical distancing, handwashing, sanitation and hygiene and use of face covers in the days to come. Since travelling, going to shopping malls and restaurants and gatherings at various entertainment points would be restricted, the citizens will have to customize their lifestyle accordingly. Similarly, getting used to disinfectant tunnels, work from home practices and staggered office timings will be the order of the day.

Notwithstanding these changes in the societal, psychological and governance fields, the citizens’ role in maintaining social harmony and contributing to economic growth will play a key role in reinvigorating our nation. Thus all of us need to build on the collective energy and resolve of 1.3 billion Indians, to rise from the nadir and make India a vibrant economy, a place of great social harmony and an example of the collective resilience and resolve.