In his column for The Indian Express, former Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, draws up a list of nine keywords related to COVID-19 to mount an attack on the central government’s response to the pandemic. Describing the prime minister as the “Commander” and citizens as “foot soldiers” in the battle against the novel coronavirus, Chidambaram argues that centre has thus far fallen short on policy, economic and social grounds.
Goaplkrishna Gandhi, in his column for The Telegraph, raises a question that offers pertinent insights into effectively handing a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic: what would Mahatma Gandhi have done now, were he alive?
Thumbing down pages of history to analyse Gandhi’s responses to the Spanish flu in 1918, his grandson puts forth five suggestions, including the need for the centre to “recognize the integrated experience and inherent good sense of” the citizens and “seek public counsel on the measures particularly as related to restrictions.”
In her column for The Indian Express, Tavleen Singh proffers a grim reminder that “an ugly summer lies ahead because there are other battles to fight.”
Laying down the spectrum of attendant challenges that need to be addressed once the novel coronavirus is slightly under control, Singh, in a sharp critique of the machinations that have left India bitterly divided, warns that “the battles that lie ahead will not be won if we are distracted by violence, hatred and communal tensions.”
In his weekly column for The Hindustan Times, Chanakya chooses to explore a pertinent aspect of governance during a crisis: the role of the opposition.
Describing the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across the political spectrum as “a spirit of cooperation that is unprecedented in recent times”, the author argues that constructive opposition has to begin with the premise that the government’s intent is noble. “But this does not mean it has to support each measure; instead it should remain vigilant and provide constant feedback,” he cautions.
Julio Ribeiro, former police commissioner of Mumbai and DG of Punjab Police, writing for The Tribune, argues that while Prime Minister Modi has chosen “life over livelihood”, “unfortunately, half of our people live on the margins of existence.”
Offering a novel suggestion to the mass migrant crisis that appears to be spiraling out of control, Ribeiro suggests that a calendar for reunion with families can still be drawn. “Can the laws be tweaked to dock every party with 75% of electoral bond money and use it to fly migrant labour home?” he asks.
Writing for The Indian Express, Amitava Chakraborty contextualises the history of hydroxychloroquine in India through a key but forgotten figure of the country’s freedom struggle - Prafulla Chandra Ray.
A scientist and freedom fighter who was “conscious of the impact the setting up of a factory would have on India’s knowledge reserve,” Ray had established Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd in 1892 which produced chloroquine during the days of the Raj and is today poised to make hydroxychloroquine - seen across the globe as a ray of hope against the novel coronavirus.
Expending no time in getting to the crux of his hypothesis, Swaminathan Iyer begins his Sunday column for The Times of India with - “Forget caution, India should rapidly ease the Covid shutdown to revive the economy.”
Contesting the effectiveness of a stringent lockdown as opposed to adopting other measures of enforcing social distancing, Iyer strongly cautions against a “gradual easing” of the lockdown, warning that doing so “may give India the worst of both worlds” - health wise and economically.
Patrick Heller, professor of sociology and international Affairs at Brown University, undertakes a critical assessment of Kerala’s strategic response to the COVID-19 crisis in his essay for The Hindu.
Explaining that the onus of containing the spread lies in the efforts of the states, he analyses how Kerala went about flattening the curve, implementing measures in slowing the spread and addressing welfare consequences. Heller’s primary insights indicate that Kerala has managed the crisis by building on legacies of egalitarianism, social rights and public trust.
Writing for The Tribune, Ira Pande recalls her growing up years in Nainital, admitting that the current pandemic has enabled her to better appreciate the financial sacrifices of her parents and in-laws towards fostering compassion and camaraderie in their respective communities.
Looking at how the current crisis has shaped up and the humanitarian cries for help it has raised, Pande “applauds” the Sikh community for “not bothering to ensure whether they have Aadhaar cards or wear a turban, they have fed thousands of poor and homeless people in the spirit of sewa that is their central tenet of belief.”
In his column for The Times of India, Indrajit Hazra offers a passionate defense of the benefits of working from home. He argues, albeit cheekily, that what started as a knee-jerk reaction by companies to the COVID-19 pandemic actually makes sense economically for organisations and is technologically a bridge that has long been crossed.
Hazra supplements his arguments with a Standford University study from 2015, which found that workers of a Chinese company “utilise worktime far better, are far less distracted, take shorter breaks, and take less time off.”
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