In hundred days of spreading virus, it caught 32 million in its grip and toll mounting to more than a million. Yet in hundred days scientists could not come up with cure. Everyone was kept busy attending to contain its spread with closure of external activities to minimize human contacts. Yet the measure could not achieve the intended objective due to irrational human minds. Many defied the prohibitive directives to their movements that made them cowards to hide in their homes. Battles cannot be fought like it.

The first to issue prohibitive to public movements through the lock down was the American President Donald Trump who is faced with uncertainty over the next presidential election in November, only eight months away when he clamped all activities and movement of humans. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed him though incidence of corona pandemic in India then was the least in comparison to the extent in America or most European countries. He was in great hurry but why in such a panic is a question not easy to answer without indulging in unfounded speculations. The total number of infected in India in 45 days of the lock down has not climbed even to half a lakh. The prolonged lock down extended twice to last 54 days did not contain its spread but he certainly pushed the Indian economy to the brinks of collapse. It will not be easy to recover the lost grounds for a long time though Indians have capacity to deliver miracles.

His fan club encouraged by his bureaucratic supporters hailed his decision of imposing the clamp of lock down on all activities as wise one to preempt the possible damage given the huge numbers in and density of living human. Has the government set the Indian scientist community to find an early solution? Existence of poisonous germs of corona disease was not new or unknown to the Indian medical science community. Text books written five decades ago do mention. It is obvious that Indian scientists would have known medicines for treatment also.

The American President was desperate and had to fight his electoral politics. He could blame China to nurturing the virus germs in order to ensure his defeat in the next election as he is determined to seek the second term. A fake video was also circulated to claim a notorious scientist of the Boston University with vested interest in defeat of Trump had conspired with China to develop the harmful bacteria at the root of the pandemic. Trump had to find an enemy with vested interests in his defeat and found China to be easy target as China was at the root of the American crisis by opening its doors for cheap labour and services to entice the American capital fleeing to find new pastures. Donald Trump’s win four years ago was a suspect. He got more votes only in states that had lost major industrial units and left behind massive unemployment and long trail of miseries. He could afford the lock down as 80 per cent of Americans have comfortable reserves to fall back on in hard times and twenty per cent can and do depend on doles.

The Indian social and economic structure varies vastly with 60 per cent population depending on daily earnings for the daily food of the family with no reserves to fall back on. 30 per cent can afford the lock up inside their homes with earnings through their vocations or economic activities. The vast structural difference demands suitable strategies and not blind imitation of others. The major measure to fight the pandemic does not reflect the comprehensive understanding of its consequences but mere attempt to please Trump, the man with mercurial temperament and without full comprehension of humanity. The administration attempted to overcome the lacks in the lock down directive.

The lack of serious thought is evident in silence of the union government over open violations by the state chief minister of a major state. He claimed to have been moved by the plights of half a million poor walking through his state as bus services were frozen by the lock down order. As a humanitarian response he organized bus services for them. The overcrowded bus with many exposed to close human contacts was against the intent and spirits of the original order. The central government did not intervene or comment

The lack of cohesion in functioning of various arms was glaring. The state governments allowed essential services to operate by the police insisted for observance of curfew orders. The Delhi police insisted on issue of curfew passes at the Police head quarters without a thought how would pass seekers reach the headquarters or would it not lead to overcrowding by pass seekers in violation of the intent of curbing public contacts?

Several states allowed liquor sale to boost their sagging revenue. The result was consequent overcrowding with huge numbers congregating in front of small areas. The Haryana government used the lock down directive not to allow trucks carrying vegetables and fruits from Himachal to Delhi without caring for the consequence that growers would be losers with fall in sale prices and Delhi consumers would suffer high prices due to unexpected shortages.

The lock down affected revenues of the union government as well as states though states are not concerned with the run of the national economy. They would suffer revenue loss in the state excise on liquor and fuel sales. The net consequence is that the upper crust will now be penalized for make good the revenue losses. First indication was in steep increase in prices of fuel and steep increases in liquor. Next in the list will be tobacco.

The lock down has not achieved the objective of containing the spread. It pushed the economy further down to the brink of disaster and citizens will now be made to pay for follies of their rules. The blind imitation is always dangerous.