Issue Of Class And Covid

As a response to the widespread outbreak of Covid-19, the country could not help but go into complete lockdown. Though one may complain about being quarantined at home, this decision was hoped to be effective in the long run. Midst all that chaos and rampant fearmongering, one witnessed hasty decision making and an often-selfish mentality which was reflected both in government policy as well as in the behaviour of the people.

Coming back from the grocery store with excessive amounts of supplies which were drowned in half a bottle of ‘Clorox’ before they are brought into the house had become a familiar sight; ‘stocking up’ and ‘taking extra precaution’ without realising that we were leaving the shelves empty for the next person who might have needed to purchase those supplies. We saw a blatant lack of organisation on a national level as well, wherein the upper-middle class sat in the comfort of their homes while majority of the population was scrambling to organise the next meal for their families. Due to faulty planning, the nationwide lockdown which was initiated on the 24th of March had widespread repercussions on economically weaker members of society.

Nearly half of India’s workforce of 467 million is self-employed, whilst 36 percent are casual wage workers and only 17 percent earn regular incomes. Two-thirds of them work in the absence of contracts, and over 90 percent lack any form of social security or health benefits. Street vendors, auto-rickshaw drivers, masons, painters, and cleaners had all been left clueless as to how they were supposed to cope with this nationwide lockdown. With no targeted announcement giving assurance to these people, the government essentially took away their livelihoods without any prior or guaranteed compensation.

While their employers thrived upon their savings, the labourers were left starving and awaiting their next meal. It is important to bear in mind that the people that once helped in all capacities of our daily lives, were completely unable to withstand a 40-day lockdown. While H.D Kumaraswamy, the Ex-Chief Minister of Karnataka had a 70 people wedding for his son, and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath participated in pre-dawn religious ceremonies in Ayodhya (during the lockdown), poor families from around the country were having fewer meals and withstanding the threat of police brutality to go out and earn any form of minimum income. The ill effects of this hypocrisy and explicit misuse of power adversely impactednthe weakest sections of society.

The United Nations’ Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI 2019), which measures poverty based on deprivation of nutrition, schooling, health indicators, sanitation and access to essential amenities estimated the extent of poverty in India to be over 369 million. As the Economic Times put it, ‘Social distancing is a luxury that workers on Rs 152 a day can’t afford’. The Dharavi Slums of Mumbai, with over 1,000,000 people ,is one of the most crowded areas in the world. With lack of running water, no provisions for sanitation, and over 9 people living in a single room, Dharavi was the most vulnerable area in the country to Covid-19. While we stayed protected in the comfort and safety of our homes, the poor sections of society were most exposed to what had originated, as said by Chinmay Tumbe, author of ‘India Moving: a History of Migration’ in his JLF talk as the ‘Ameeri ki bimari’ (Virus of the Rich).

This article wasn’t to make one aware of the supposed dangers of covid-19, it was to bring about a sense of mindfulness and compassion. Also to show the existing levels of hypocrisy in our country which caused extreme amount of discomfort to the less privilaged. The policy makers who are supposed to draft certain policies to help uplift the standard of living of others were seen being completly negligent to their cause.