In fact, in a population of 1.3 billion, at least one billion, almost all from unorganized sector, with irregular employment, manage to just keep alive. Even if they get employed, wage rise, or at least proper working conditions also would be simply distant dream. Meanwhile, with Corona striking at the very life line, and then the lockdown, together they have brought the economy on the verge, as all the productive units are shut down. With restrictions, there is total absence of supply chains, trade and also demand and consumption.

The government has now to shift its stress. It has to revive its work force, the human labour. A responsibility realized at its own peril, which is true not only about India, but about the world. They have to extend help in forms of cash, provide allowances to those unemployed, subsidized care for health, financial support and tax concession, for working class, there has to be hike in public expenditure. The small and medium level enterprises that have faced an extremely rough weather in last several years, many among them even succumbing to the pressure, have to be revived with proper financial support.

Till now, the expressions used are usually deceptive. The connotation of growth has been connected with only production, isolating it from other involved issues, like the hours and intensity of labour, especially in the unorganised sector, which includes agrarian sector too. Here in the agrarian sector, the income of the farmer is not included, which forms a vital aspect of the production. Also, significantly the growth estimation begins from the baseline when there is severe fall in production taking it to bottom level for one or two years.

For example, like in agrarian sector, the growth figures came with a baseline when for two years, there was drought with significantly low output. In the industrial sector too, base could be taken from the days of economic slowdown or any other crisis. It was just a weak attempt to veil the truth in layers, though the Corona crisis has brought all these facts into open.

As issues are getting crystalized, prime among them is to provide food to the starving, and for that they have to resolve the agrarian crisis. Then in public distribution system, that is instrumental in providing ration, Food Corporation of India has a major role. In FCI, there is in its storage 77 million tonnes of grain while usually 42 million ton is sufficient. The government has been urged to open the gates of the FCI, for those hungry, but according to reports, it is hardly six kilograms of grain given for free distribution for each household, though not free, the states are asked to pay for it.

The result of gross indifference towards the growing crisis in economy can be seen in three fold growth in unemployment since March 22, taking it to 23.4 percent, from 8.7 percent, and finally at 30.9 percent by April 5, and in the rural areas 20. 2 percent, taking it to 23.4 percent at all India level, according to the report released by the Centre for Monitoring Economy. In our country wage and salaried workers are in a very small number, 22.1 percent. They are those who get basic remuneration not based on the revenue the unit gets. The rest of 78percent have neither human working condition nor social security. It is these workers who have been walking back to their home states where unemployment and also starvation awaits them, despite the fact that they are the driving force of the society and also the wealth creators. This truth is slowly dawning and the world leaders, though mostly from the right wing, have been made to realise it. (IPA Service)