Life on Lockdown

 Politics will continue in the name of the safety of the common people like the mystic democracy where servants ( netas) live like kings and the Masters( the public) serves their servants

By Mukesh Sharma

 

No doubt, the most dreaded and deadly virus on the earth so-called Corona has taught the priggish and proud man to behave like a man, not like a ‘Superman’, ‘Superpower’, President, PM or any self-certified eulogizing word - man must know his place and predicaments. Never in the short history of man on the earth, it has happened that right from East  to West across the world human life has been put on lockdown.

The lexical meaning of the word ‘lockdown’  is “ a state of isolation or restricted access instituted as a security measure.” Yet another meaning given in dictionary says: “ the confining of prisoners to their cells typically after an escape or to regain control”. The lockdown is also paraphrased as ‘containment’, ‘quarantine’, ‘confinement’, and ‘curfew’. These oft-repeated and read words have become the part of common man vocabulary nowadays. However, the word ‘lockdown’ has different meanings for different class of people, particularly, in India.

 

Life on lockdown

To political class, lockdown is an opportune time to make great show of concern for the well- being of common man as always: ‘ lockdown of the people by the people and for the people’. Netas are shrewd enough to make the best of the bad time. Had these netas been worried about the welfare of the common people, there wouldn’t have been so much miseries  -  hunger, disease, poverty, illiteracy and rampant corruption even after 72 years of independence, in India; yearly death toll due to these ills is much higher than the death tally of Corona. There are over 6000 elected netas to central government and state governments altogether. After election, these netas live a king size life. Just within a short span of five years, they make their heap not only for themselves but also for their many generations. A mound can’t be made without digging the hole. If these netas want, they can feed the populace for years. The most of national level political parties have their coffer full to the brim. They spend money like water in elections. It's open secret, how they amass the wealth. If they want, they can change the face of the country. But here words speak louder than action.

 To Indian media   - TV channels and newspapers,  Lockdown is just a global burning topic; it too acts like wily netas; it is more interested in commentative news than the dissemination of news for the reasons best known to it. Though the media pretends to be the surrogate of public opinion, it is common knowledge that it is a mouthpiece of netas only. The commoners contend that Indian media is privy to netas in creating the false perception to fool and rule the unsuspecting masses that buys the opinion from TV channels and morning newspapers.  G.B.Shaws rightly says: “all professions are conspiracies against the laity.”   The common man is a victim of a well-planned concoction and conspiracy. Truth triumphs in reel life only not real life.

 To people who are in government services, lockdown is a home-party-time - no responsibility, no work and full salary barring people engaged in essential services. There is no dearth of black sheeps in each government departments.

To MNC and big businessmen, Lockdown is global crisis. They are busy in working out the ‘losses’ to press for stimulus from government in a desperate 'bid' to save the economy and the country.

To millions of smalltime businessmen who were already struggling to survive on day-to-day basis even in pre-corona period, lockdown is an unnerving lurking fear for the post corona period  -  how to meet the recurring expenses that can be evaded for the time being not avoided  - EMIs, salaries of employees, rents and many other dues. Post corona period shall be worse than pre-corona period. There is widespread apprehension that thousands would vanish and perish without trace. Even WHO has predicted the worst ever famine in many countries  as a fall out of corona.

 To a great number of people working with private companies/ shops/ un-organsied sectors/ daily wage earners where they work even without any appointment letter, lockdown is a time of utter despondence. They fear both internal as well as  external tragedy. Who cares for them? Forced by hunger when these rootless people move out of their humble dwellings, always ready danda wielding men in uniform are quick to cane them like animals in the name of lockdown. There are many reports of police excesses. Police is synonymous with trerror for a common man.On other hand, these( police) custodians of law and order provide  full security with all servile gesture to the marriage ceremony of a son of an Ex CM that too during lockdown. What is more, Indian media is quick to rate these poor people as violators who are out to defeat the very purpose of lockdown  -  enemy of the country. . .  Truth is netas are responsible for the sorry plight of these socalled migrant workers; to netas, except on the day of voting, these people are just a scrap. In fact, these workers have no trust on government, govt. announcements and  on government servants. And they have the valid reasons for their distrust  - government remains busy in creating a favourable perception in collusion with select media, government servants have enough leeways to harass the common man on trifles, medical services are abysmally  wanting  -  there was a report about a govt.  hospital in Maharashtra where dead bodies and patients were put up in the same 'ward' . It is known to all that medical facilities are best for the mighty and the worst for the meek and the weak in India.

 Needless to say if no effective vaccine is made for a long time, the poor people will have to learn to live with corona as the poor have learnt to live with hunger and other disease and die in the want of treatment. In a hushed tone, netas maintain that after taking toll of a few millions, corona will come to its end naturally; history wears witness to many such  pandemic and scourge. Post corona period will divide the society into two categories: have and the have-not or in other words rulers and the ruled with clear demarcation. The former would live and enjoy the normal life and keep the ruled at arm's length. -   except a few exceptions, no neta, abhineta or any  rich has reportedly been infected by the corona so far, and the latter resigned to their fate, would continue to work for the rich, get infected and die a 'natural' death. True to its meaning, Lockdown has helped to cordon off the 'ruled', and once it is lifted, the 'rulers' would make sure that they keep the the ruled at bay. Life will go on and on, the ruled would continue to work, get infected and die. Politics will continue in the name of the safety of the common people like the mystic democracy where servants( netas) live like kings and the master (the public) serve their servants.