MyVoice: Views of our readers 08th April 2020

The virus will stay if we aren't serious about lockdown

With regards to novel coronavirus threat, we are reacting in a kneejerk manner and to the detriment of a vast majority of people. We are attempting to be God. No one who matters today is saying that it can be stopped anytime soon.

The lockdown is an attempt however to keep the number of coronavirus victims below the number of available hospital beds and ventilators. The virus, in my opinion, will be with us at least for another year and every single person will be exposed to this coronavirus at some point of time.

This is of course a vaccine is not available. To repeat, we will all be exposed. The effect it has on us depends on each of our body's reactions.

The extremely poor countries should not have a lockdown so that the torture that this virus brings passes quickly. In poor countries, the lockdown has a devastating effect on the survivors specially the poor.

Without any controls, I personally feel that the death toll will be about 5 per 1,000, and 90 percent of those who die will be above the age of 70 (well, people like me, we should not be afraid of dying) or with existing medical issues. Life has to go on with as much care as is possible.

People will only realise the true effects of this lockdown in a month or two. Any way who is dying? It is not the immediate next or the next generation that is dying, it is past generation, like me.

Why are we scared to go? Let us have the grace to sacrifice ourselves. So far in Europe the youngest one to die is a boy aged 13 in England and a girl aged 12 in Belgium. The average age of the victims in Italy is 78 years.

Erabelli Rammohan Rao, Hyderabad

What about students?

Almost six to seven months ago due to the TSRTC strike and now coronavirus holidays, students have been suffering because of lack of classes. The government has been repeatedly cautioning us about the need to contain coronavirus, but it is not saying anything about schools and academics.

For classes, 1 to 9, are there any exams or are you directly promoting us to the next class? When will the schools be reopened? In this month, or direct in June? Someone was telling that the next year syllabus will be changed.

So, what about books, when they have to be printed, when they will come in bookstores, when we have to buy, and when we have to read them? What about studies?

The Telangana government says that the lockdown will be extended for one or two weeks. In some schools, the management has not given homework for these holidays. And the students are idle. Kindly look into the matter and do the needful.

T V S Suchitra, Khammam

We shall overcome

The 21-day 'stay-at-home' orders effected by the government on account of Covid-19 has produced good results all over the country. Coronavirus can be contained to a large extent if we quarantine ourselves to save our lives.

The lockdown has been causing hardships to the people who live from hand to mouth, for over a fortnight. The economy of our country is getting destabilised day by day. There are matters which are of grave concern.

They require our immediate attention. The loss of human life should be avoided at all costs. The government mechanism should take necessary measures to mitigate the woes of Covid-19 affected people.

We should rise above all petty considerations to extend our help to the families of the victims of Covid-19. The daily increase of Covid-19 positive cases causes alarm to the administration.

We should consider this matter in its seriousness and act accordingly to end the pandemic with proper health care. I am certain that we will come out successful in our fight against the deadly virus.

Manthena Damodara Chary, Hyderabad

Salary cut of lawmakers, a welcome move

The Central Cabinet meeting which was held through video conference for the first time on Monday, took a good decision to combat the catastrophe arising out of Covid-19.

It approved an ordinance to amend the Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to cut salaries of MPs by 30% for one year during 2020-21 and it also decided to suspend the MP Local Area Development Funds for two years 2020-21 and 2021- 22.

It is very important as government lost its revenue sources owning to country wide lockdown, moreover it has to spend huge amounts to contain the virus.

According to one estimation, India needs 1.5 crore PPE (hazmat suits) 2.7 crore N95 masks ,16 lakh diagnostic kits and 50,000 ventilators in the next two months besides extending doles to the poor and migrant labourers who have been stranded across the country.

Even the President and Governors of States also announced their volition to take a 30% salary cut. So, all the amount saved would go to the Consolidated Fund of India. Further the amount saved from the MPLADS would be Rs 7,900 crore.

Moreover, some of the MPs have already decided to donate their fund either to CMRF or to PMRF. Here my point is even State governments are also spending heavily in spite of their precarious financial position to contain the virus.

So, the Central government should allow the MPs to use their salary cut savings and MPLADS funds in the States from which they were elected or nominated. Even Governors can do the same so as to support the State finance.

Pratapa Reddy Yaramala, Tiruvuru, Krishna dist, AP