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The fight against the Covid-19pandemic in India requires a big effort by the states as they have to bear the main expenditure and mobilise the human resources to combat the disease and its economic and social effects. The states have had to scale up health-care facilities, provide free foodgrains and essential supplies and give income support to working people and other sections of society as the lockdown enters its fourth week.

Though the nation, and the world, are still in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic and the global recession it’s produced, five progressive leaders, marshalled by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind-Vt., are thinking ahead on to how to build a new economy that works for workers, not the rich, out of the ruins.

The ILO’s COVID monitor describes the present times as the “most severe crisis since the Second World War” with employment losses rising rapidly throughout the world. However, in India “with a share of almost 90% of people working in the informal economy, about 400 million workers in the informal economy are at risk of falling deeper into poverty during the crisis.

LUCKNOW: Hate campaign in social media and communal reporting in various news channels are responsible for the shameful incident that happened in Moradabad, where doctors and para-medical staff were attacked. The medical team including doctors was attacked by the local mob in Nagfani area in Moradabad on April 15.

Few days back, an English daily published from Mysore carried an editorial which without mincing words called upon the people to commit Muslim genocide. Though it published an apology next day, the fact remains the purpose has been served. A few days later, a TV news channel blatantly related the massive convergence of migrant labourers at Bandra railway station as a machination by the Muslims to spread coronavirus.

Lockdown has been further extended till May 3, explained as only possible way out. No one can question the logic behind the move. While announcing the extension the Prime Minister minced no words on the sufferings of the people. Eloquently he went on to congratulate them. His address was not accompanied by any plan of action to support the poor. It is easy for a vocal leader like Narendra Modi to elaborate on the necessity of lockdown and social distancing. Physical distancing and social protection should have been the correct approach. But the government preaches only for social distancing. For the poor of the country to obey the stringent norms of the lockdown is not an easy task. Their primary concern is hunger.

In my childhood in the Taluka town of Berar, erstwhile Nizam ruled region, I had often heard a maxim by several women – “lene gai thi put aur kho baithi khasam” (she had gone to get a son but lost her husband). I could not fully comprehend the significance of the maxim in my childhood but the clamp of lockdown for 40 days adopted by the union government to fight the fear of the corona pandemic and the disastrous impact for the economy explains it fully.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while admitting that “jaan” (saving lives) is important has chosen to extend the lockdown until 3 May, 2020. Although social distancing is important, however, lockdown also means livelihood of millions getting affected, and the possibility of many people dying of hunger.

Vietnam has sent 450,000 protective suits to the US as part of the country’s support in the “global effort” to contain the coronavirus package, the government said.

The COVID-19 pandemic will change the way to live and work once the crisis has passed. Most importantly, it will make us question our modes of consumption and question the market forces that drive peoples choices. But as the author points out, the choice is a class issue, for the millions’, there is no choice, living on the margins of existence. It compels us to look at the post corona world as a better world to live in.