We have put enough hours between 9:00 a.m. and now, and I had my breakfast and caffeine fix just to make sure that I am not hyperventilating out of hunger or caffeine withdrawal, so let me put this out there –
My biggest problem with these 09:00 a.m./08:00 p.m. tamashas is the audacity with which the government and the PM treats all of us citizens like a bunch of imbeciles! They don’t think we deserve transparency about data and preparedness, they don’t think we need to be told about economic plans, about labour and industry situation, about centre-state interactions. They go ahead and treat us like monkeys in a circus!
Let’s take a look at broad headlines of what happened since the last 08:00 p.m. lockdown announcement:
1. Number of cases rises above 2500 and 72 deaths in the country.
2. Shortage of PPE reported by medical community, amidst rising cases of infection amongst doctors and nurses, including reported death.
3. India increases testing. Announces economic package. Reaches out to neighbouring countries.
4. Massive labour exodus, poor and homeless stuck on highways without food and shelter, and 22+ hunger deaths.
4. Economic growth rate revised to 2.1, expected to fare worse.
5. Industry, agriculture and supply chains havee to deal with economic slowdown and affect of labour exodus.
Amidst all this, the only thing the PM decides to speak about is to urge India’s 1.3 billion citizens to switch off the lights at their homes, stand at their doorsteps, and light candles and diyas at 9 pm on Sunday for nine minutes, in a symbolic attempt to dispel the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic and give hope, especially to the poor, who are the most impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown.
What is this if not a cruel joke played on the poor?
What is it if not a smokescreen and an attempt to dumb down an entire country’s intelligence and sensibility?
What is it if not another attempt at fanning superstitions and unscientific information about the disease?
And if you missed it, while the man asked you hold a lamp to your own stupidity, he also asked state CMs ‘not to compete in announcing relief packages’. Compete. Is the word.
Now go find candles and plunge yourself into a darkness you voted in.
