Daily wagers including the migrant workers constitute more than 50 percent of the workforce in the country. They are the people who came to distant cities in search of work. They are the people who construct the shopping malls and convention centres. Again, they are the people who are forced to live in the ghettos. All along their life they remain deprived and neglected. When lockdown was declared and extended, their miserable life conditions were not taken into consideration. Corona came to the country not because of the poor. It was through those who could afford foreign travel brought the virus came to India. Even though there were warnings from agencies like WHO, the government was reluctant to take it seriously. The claim of the Prime Minister that our country is the first nation awakened to fight against Corona is unfounded. Reality is that the government waited till the Madhya Pradesh political operations became successful. By the time the virus had already conquered many parts of the country. Our health system was totally unprepared to fight a menace of such a magnitude. Even today those who fight the battle from the front, the health workers like doctors, nurses, paramedical workers, sanitary workers, ASHA volunteers etc. are paying the price for the callousness.

The package of 1.17 lakh crores was the only relief measure proclaimed by the government so far. Even though the ruling circles boast it as most magnanimous it is far from truth. The fact that this amount is only one percent of the GDP tells about the government's concern for the poor. Urgent necessity is to make a meaningful support mechanism for the poor people who are the hard-hitting sufferers. Apart from migrant labourers they include domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, cleaners and a lot more. Rs 500 which the government offered has already evaporated. The free ration did not reach the millions due to silly technical hurdles. Technicality of any nature should not have come on the way of food. Urgent steps are needed to ensure the availability of necessary quantity of food for people. Otherwise India may have to witness starvation deaths.

MGNREGA was the only support system that India built in 72 years of independence for the unprivileged sections. Their wages as well as number of working days need to be increased. Considering the pathetic situation of the people, Rs.2000 each should be transferred to the Jan Dhan accounts. Those who are not enlisted in the Jan Dhan scheme should also get the support. It is necessary to save their lives that have become more miserable in the scorching summer heat. It is equally crucial for the economy to withstand the crisis. If the people have money in their hands it will automatically activate economy. In Indian condition, the money reaching the poor is a major factor in mobilizing the market. That aspect was never highlighted by the government and their planners. The gender divide and its vicious practices have doubled during lockdown days. Growing domestic violence add to the sufferings of the women. The prime minister speaks a lot about united fight against the corona pandemic but in many parts of the country Indians are discriminated on religious grounds. Those sections swearing the name of ideology are working overtime to spread the virus of Islamophobia in many places. Shops run by Muslim vendors are not allowed to function. Government has the constitutional duty to prevent such kind of deplorable and shameful incidents. As it happens all over the world the difference between two streams of political thought has come to the fore in India too. The left democratic front government in Kerala with its committed role has shown the difference of Kerala model to the rest of the country. The people of India would take note of this lessons not only in fighting the pandemic but also in taking care for the masses. India can win the battle only through united actions. Any word or deed that weaken the people's unity is nothing but anti-national. (IPA Service)