While lockdowns have been enforced around the world to break the corona chain, millions of people in India have been forced to go to bed hungry. As the trains ceased to operate, tens of thousands of hawkers were forced to remain jobless. Roadside dhabas are open but empty since IT parks encourage employees to work from home. It has been a year since the nationwide lockdown was imposed, but as the second wave of Covid hit India, the majority of the people are urging for another lockdown, but there is a group of people, much neglected, asking Is lockdown the only option?
Last year’s abrupt lockdown rendered about 15 crore people in India jobless, the majority of whom worked in the informal sector. The unplanned lockdown impacted a significant section of India’s poor class, ranging from daily wage laborers to low wage workers. Migrant employees and others without other sources of income are forced to walk back to their homes along the railroad tracks.On their way home, many people were killed, and those who survived had to work to help their families. The death of migrant workers while they were sleeping on the track, as well as a viral video of a child trying to wake up his mother’s dead body, demonstrate how horrible the Lockdown was. Several people in the organized sector have lost their jobs or had their salaries slashed. During my visit to Chennai earlier this year, I discovered one of the restaurant owners had died. He committed suicide because he was drowning in debt. I used to go to his restaurant with my friends every weekend. The restaurant is now managed by his 23-year-old son.
“My father was a courageous man, but the unplanned lockdown made him a weak victim.”
And in the organizations, there are a large number of families. Even in the organized market, a
significant number of families record lower income levels. Consider those who work in the unofficial economy. Several economists have urged the government to provide financial assistance to the needy. Giving them free grains will undoubtedly assist them, but giving them money will assist them in securing their future. The situation is rapidly deteriorating as the second wave hits India. Rumors of national lockdowns have circulated. Lockdowns have been implemented in some s ates as well. This will cause suffering for some families; children will once again go to bed hungry, and people will once again commit suicide. A wizard is needed in this field. People are fearful because they are mindful of the challenges they have encountered in the past.
People are scared because they remember the problems, they had last year. That’s why they’re asking “Is Lockdown the only option? “Yes, lockout and vaccination are the only ways to eliminate the virus. When the vaccine is no longer safe, lockdown is the only option. It is critical to stop the virus from spreading, but it is much more critical to ensure that no one dies from hunger. Proper planning and helping hands are needed to help those who are in need.
