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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The look of concern is back on the faces of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders. The reason for their worry is the sudden spike in the Covid positive cases in the wake of the return of Indians stranded in foreign countries.

South Indian superstar Rajinikanth is known for his punch dialogues. His fiery one-liner “When I say something once, it is like saying it a hundred times” in his chart-buster Baasha movie has almost become part of the regional folklore. But even Rajnikanth cannot beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose oratorical skills can move many times more masses than the South Indian superstar can ever hope to do. If Modi has one thing to say, he can make a hundred things out of it.

The second stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone beyond expectations. His address to the nation on May 12 will perhaps mark the day when India embarked on the path of converting a global crisis into an opportunity to accelerate its economic transition and build on the solid foundations laid in the first term of this government. This will involve eliminating poverty, improving equity, and raising the living standards of the population in line with their aspirations. It promises to be historical.

When is science not actually scientific? One answer is that research which cherry-picks and manipulates facts to support a preconceived hypothesis is not truly scientific.

The pandemic corona virus brought Indians to live through a different kind of slavery from the slavery of the alien rulers for seven centuries. In the name of combat with the deadly pandemic, the government deprived Indians of their freedom to move, continue with their social life and relationships and having freedom for choice of their means of livelihood. The lock down of 68 days in four stretches forced them to cease all their external choices and remain locked up in their homes. No other term can best describe their conditions except slavery in the name of fight with the unidentified enemy. The middle class did not even realize that their fundamental rights stood suspended as they were forced to give up their most activities. Nor realisation dawned that the lock down was merely invitation to a greater disaster in collapse of the economy.

“There have been as many plagues as wars in history, yet plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”

– Albert Camus, “The Plague”

President Donald Trump sacked his vaccine chief Rick Bright weeks ago over hydroxychloroquine differences. Bright has now told the US House health sub-committee that Trump’s claim that a coronavirus vaccine will be ready within 18 months is pure hogwash. He spoke of Trump cutting out several critical steps in the making of a vaccine and that could impact the vaccine’s safety.

The pandemic has led to the closure of courts unless it is ‘urgent matter’. A final argument in a criminal appeal or delivering a reserved judgment in such appeals would hardly qualify as ‘emergency’. What does this mean for a person in jail? He or she can continue in jail, as the case is not ‘urgent’?

In view of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and declared a package of 20 lakh crores as stimulus package. How this package is going to be distributed is a million dollar question. Several people are claiming that they have not received any help from government either in kind or cash. Migrant workers are 40 percent of the total workforce. He did not utter a single sentence about them, which is very painful.

The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified and reinforced the authoritarian set-up which had been ushered in by the Modi government. The authoritarian trend had begun with the Modi government being installed in office in May 2014. It got consolidated with its return to power in May 2019. Now one year hence, the extraordinary situation created by the Covid pandemic has been fully utilised to strengthen the authoritarian regime.