These are
unprecedented times, when the entire world is fighting with a common enemy –the
corona virus or COVID 19. The World Health Organisation has declared it to be a
pandemic since this disease has spread throughout the world. Like all other
countries, India a country of 1.35 billion population is faced with a crisis of
huge proportions. The country is facing umpteen challenges in these times –
from creating awareness about the disease, ensuring adequate health
infrastructure to take care of the patients, building the testing
infrastructure to test a large population, providing stimulus packages to cover
income losses of people and also ensuring that stranded Indians from around the
world are brought back to their home country safely.
The challenge is
humungous and it requires all kinds of cooperation from all strata of society.
Under leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has taken
valuable steps to ensure regional cooperation between SAARC nations by taking
initiative to convene meetings amongst them. He also brought together the Chief
Ministers of various states to formulate policies that are agreed upon by all.
Timely action by our Prime Minister whether it was announcement of nationwide lock down on midnight of 24th
March 2020 ,or preparing the people for the lockdown, through the one day Janta
Curfew on 22nd March 2020, or uplifting the morale of the front line
corona warriors has definitely saved India a lot of damage. Though, the cases
of COVID 19 continue to rise, it is for sure that foresightedness of Indian
leaders bought us time to increase our preparedness to fight this pandemic.
The Indian
politicians and representatives of different strata of society have worked with
the belief that India as a country is one and its response to the crisis should
also be joint and collaborative. The logic is simple, in order to succeed in
defeating the disease, it should be controlled in all parts of the country. If
it is delimited in any one part of the country; it is not possible to ease the
restrictions of a lockdown as it would mean spreading the disease again. Hence,
it is imperative that the efforts are joint and concerted.
The Hon. Prime
Minister from time to time through his tweets, messages and programs like ‘Mann
Ki Baat’ appealed to all citizens of the country to come forward and help the
millions of people who have lost livelihoods and have been stranded away from
home due to the lockdowns. It is heartening to note that several non-
governmental organisations started and continue to do laudable work of ensuring
that poor households are able to live through this lockdown in spite of
complete loss of livelihoods. Many organisations like various corporate houses,
NGOs, CSR organisations of big corporates, religious organisations like
Gurudwaras rose up to the challenge and took up the work of ensuring meals for
the homeless and stranded, distributing rations to the needy etc.
One such
organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which has been committed to
carry out welfare work for the people of this country during any calamity,
also, started contributing through its swayam sevaks network and different
sister organisations of RSS. According to a media statement by Shri Dattareya
Hosabale, Joint Gen. Secretary, RSS, since the start of the pandemic, “over
3,42,000 Swayamsevaks are carrying out various Sewa (help and relief)
activities at 67,336 places, and till now, about 50,48,088 families and
individuals have been benefited by these activities. Over 3, 17, 12,767 meals
have been served by Swaymsevaks. They
have also distributed over 44,54,555 masks.” “Swayamsevaks have started 25 types of sewa
activities during the corona crisis from providing helpline numbers to various
categories as per the needs to offering meals, shelter and medical help to
people who are either stranded or coming from other states.”
The
unique thing about this 90 plus year old organisation is that it is connected
to the roots of this country and with time has established many different other
‘sister’ and independent organisations working in several spheres of social,
political and economic life of the citizens. This enables the swayam sewaks to collaborate
with regional people and aid in providing relief work.
The members of
this organisation and its various other bodies are spread in all parts of the
country to carry out awareness creating programs, help the regional
administration in arranging and managing quarantine facilities, distributing
food packets or ration kits, carrying out sanitation and cleaning activities in
COVID affected areas etc.
It is really
appreciable that during these tough times, the topmost leadership of the
country has displayed a spirit of unity and called forth cooperation by various
governments, religious organisations, corporates and NGOs.
The COVID -19 pandemic
has thrown open several types of problems and challenges that needs to be
effectively dealt with not only to survive through this crisis but also be able
to recover fast after the crisis is over.
Firstly, millions of migrant labourers
suddenly have no work because all kinds of construction activities, real
estate, and production in factories came to a standstill after 22nd
March when India entered Lockdown 1.0. These are the people who have no past
savings and rely on their daily incomes to feed their families. Secondly, there was a need to provide insurance
cover and income support to frontline corona warriors, the
agriculturists/farmers and MNREGA workers, had to be provided additional income
support, the MSMEs that would face difficulty in depositing loan instalments
and paying salary to their workers.
Thirdly, in
terms of provision of adequate health infrastructure in form of adequate PPE
kits, digital thermometer scanners, testing kits, medicines etc. was a big
challenge in front of the government as the pandemic had the entire world in
its grips.
On
April 14th when Hon. PM Modi addressed the nation to announce the
second phase of lockdown, he listed seven tasks for the people during the lockdown. These included taking
special care of the elderly as the data has suggested that the virus is
particularly dangerous t elderly people who are already suffering from a host
of other diseases; practicing social
distancing; boosting immunity; downloading the Aarogya Setu application;
looking after the needy; ensuring that people are not fired from their jobs;
and respecting COVID-19 frontline workers.
In order to look after
the needy who have lost their livelihoods and stranded away from their homes –
many individuals and organisations came forward. They are helping such people
from either ensuring that they get nutritious meals at least 3 times a day to
distributing free rations. There were many reports where even the Police came
forward to serve such needy people. The Prime Minister also warned the people
not to lower their guard on social distancing norms while carrying out any kind
of relief work. He also led by example when he asked people who are not sick to
wear homemade masks.
In various parts of
country, we can see fruitful partnerships between NGOs, Trusts, Corporates and
other institutions who collaborated to carry out the relief work. For example,
in the West Delhi area, the ‘Sai Baba Trust’ with support from educationist
Shri R K Tandon, promoter of 'Kamal Educational Institutions' has been doing commendable
work of feeding the needy people from the very beginning of the first lockdown
period. Utilising their school campus areas and following all social distancing
norms, they have been ensuring that the needy people in their area are not left
to fend for themselves.
In times of crisis like
this, we have always seen examples of exemplary dedication and hard work by
people from all walks of life. In fact, it is only during such crisis that
leaders are made who inspire people during tough times.
In a country like India,
where there are massive income –inequalities, where 95 percent of people work
in sectors that has no social security nets, it is impossible that the
government can garner funds overcome the crisis without the social
organisations and corporates coming forward to contribute.
‘When the going gets
tough, the tough get going’ – it is time that each one of us decides to live by
that adage.
***end***
Very true
ReplyDeleteWell explained and really need to have hand holding strategies to overcome and grow collectively
Very interesting and insightful
ReplyDeleteWell said and offcourse need to have hand holding to grow together
ReplyDeleteNice read. Good perspective.
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ReplyDeleteIn such extraordinary times, all of us should get together to contribute. I salute organizations like RSS and people who have come forward to help the poor
DeleteVery deep and insightful details shared and most importantly the highlight will always remain Cooperation and Collaboration
ReplyDeleteNice One
ReplyDeleteVery well written Dr Meenal Sharma, cooperation is the key in this crisis. The self less service by Dr Tandon is commendable. People like him are inspiration for the society
ReplyDeleteI agree with the thought
ReplyDeleteThe simple fact that India's social cohesion , amidst its vast differentiation, has acted in unison as the strong bulwark against covid 19 terminating effect; have been narrated through this article in such a simple and straight milieu that it becomes universalistic it scope!! This simplicity is an arduous skill...👍👍🏆
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTrue and we'll said that cooperation and collaboration is key to fight with anything. GOOD WRITTEN.
ReplyDeleteThankyou friends!!!
ReplyDelete