MyVoice: Views of our readers 16th May 2020

Job security to industrial workers need of the hour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently stressed on 'self-reliance'. Although several newspaper editorials and articles have warned against returning to self-reliance, and that too at a time when the world needs to quickly move into a trajectory of high growth, I think what the PM said is exactly what the country needs. Not only making villages self-reliant, where agriculture becomes the pivot for rebooting the Indian economy, the policy imperative has to swing to create adequate farm, public health and education infrastructure, thereby revitalising the rural economy. This has to be accompanied by a renewed emphasis on 'Make in India' programme — especially by revitalising the MSME sector — given that too much dependence on global value chains is now coming on the radar. The principle of self-reliance is based on according dignity to labour and living in harmony with nature. These two underlying principles for economic well-being come in direct conflict with traditional economics which continues to harp on productivity and growth, pushing for more aggressive market reforms. The bumpy road ahead, however, will need a clear-cut change in policy direction, where first providing a generous social security net for the unskilled as well as skilled industrial workers becomes an immediate necessity.

Vikram M V, Hyderabad

No need of unduly panic

There is no need to unduly panic at the current spike in cases. With one lakh tests, we should expect 4,000 new cases per day (4 per cent) till we inch towards herd immunity in urban centres. The Covid-19 graph for India will start flattening only when the number of new cases is less than the cured cases in a day. India must also not read too much in the percentage of recovered cases which stand currently at 31 per cent. With 5-7 per cent mortality the world over, we have to ultimately reach a recovery of 93-95 per cent. It is a matter of time.

So far, in India, 1.67 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out as against 9.44 million in the US. At the current capacity, it will take 3-4 months to cover a mere one per cent of the population, mostly in metros and large urban conglomerates with access to healthcare facilities. Let there be no illusion that our testing capacity and health infrastructure can match the size of our population. Covid-19 will, meanwhile, spread through the length and breadth of the country. The immune system of the populace and the virulence of Covid-19 will come into play. There will be infections, mild or severe, curing without hospitalisation and occasional mortality of the aged or those with health pre-conditions. We have to take these damages in our stride with sensitivity, compassion and preparedness by hugely empowering the district administration throughout the country. The district administration should now play a pivotal role with the State and Union governments defining a broad outline for the lockdown exit.

Dr Neelima Pinnamaneni, Vijayawada

The exit should be graded

India is reeling under acute economic stress due to the three phases of lockdown imposed since March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Factories are closed. Shops are shut. Business is doomed. Revenues have dried for the government. Governments at the Centre and the State level are now looking to exit from the lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic is such a menacing beast that it prompted an instant lockdown but cannot allow sudden lifting of it. The exit can only be graded. With the Centre hinting at greater role of states in deciding how to restart India's economic engine, some of them have introduced subtle changes in implementation of labour laws. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and also Goa have changed their labour laws by amending provisions or suspending some others. The changes go against the interest of labourers working in industrial units. For example, the changes in labour laws have allowed the industries to increase working hours by up to 50 per cent without paying any overtime due.

Vijay Prasad P, Hyderabad