Covid-19 tests positive for nation’s unity, growth

The Covid-19 pandemic has bruised every aspect of socio-economic living across communities. It has left people perplexed and worried due to the uncertainty over the past two months. But the government and civil society have stood up to the challenge, realising the vagaries of this unknown virus.

The response of the central government by declaring a countrywide lockdown was unprecedented. Even the economic stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore, which may not be sufficient, reflects that the system is fully alive to the prevalent situation.

Without undermining the devastation caused by Covid-19, the invisible positive aspects of the pandemic are no less emphatic. The most important being the unique political unity in action that people expected in this hour of crisis. The collective responsibility of the nation to fight this pandemic was realised without caring for any cultural, caste, class or even political differences.

Besides timely action, the ruling political formations have also been alive to the concerns expressed by those in the opposition. Leaving aside few instances of avoidable politics, the larger part of the opposition’s counter narrative was devoid of any obstructionist endeavour.

The Covid crisis has further cemented political unity, democratic fraternity and economic sovereignty despite multifarious diversities. Politicians, civil society, police and civil administration all came out of their silos and worked for the common cause to contain and manage Covid-19. Panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies enforced Covid precautions, regulation and even maintained public order in their respective communities.

PROMPT DECISIONS

There has also been appreciable rapid decision making in the country. The nation has shown resilience, dynamism and collective strength that has surprised the world. All states were able to initiate timely action to organise systems that not only interacted with stakeholders but also fixed public policies and programmes in a manner that people expected from policymakers. Decision making was inadequate with regard to a few aspects such as migrant workers but this happened in the absence of complete information and amid the uncertainty of coronavirus.

FOCUS ON MIGRANTS

Food systems and supply chains in the country were re-energised and food demands of all segments have been largely met. The country has enough buffers to allow the distribution of free food to those who lost their livelihood. The problems of migrant workers had never occupied such a prime space in the country’s policy debate as it has during the pandemic. There have been cases of nutrition deficiency, though calorie demands were met. The crisis also gave impetus to the need for nutrition security and the push for policy change has become more pronounced. The claims of the amelioration of poverty have also been falsified in some areas by exposés of the Covid-19 pandemic.

FOOD SUSTAINABILITY

The crisis emerging out of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of sustainability of food policies and systems. Mitigation of accelerated impact of climate change is now observed to be sine-qua-non to achieve durable and sustainable agricultural operations. The preference for plant-based food seems to have increased as compared to animal food.

OUTSTANDING HEALTH RESPONSE

The response of state health systems has been outstanding. State interventions in health, education, agriculture, food and disaster management are now considered more legitimate and essential than ever before. Even redundancy in the systems was legitimised in some ways but moderation of government action through judicial scrutiny remains necessary, else there are apprehensions that some such actions can affect fundamental rights and civil liberties of the common man as was seen at some places with respect to the rights of migrant workers.

CLEAN, HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Covid-19 has changed the basic premise of regulatory systems. Instead of prohibiting or limiting something that should not be done, the need of a regulatory regime that prescribes affirmative and positive action to achieve common good is felt. Regulation that does good is the new mantra of development. Most regulations framed in the form of advisories and standard operating protocols (SOPs) to contain the pandemic, are aimed at behavioral changes for healthy living. Social distancing, sanitisation, wearing masks, and hand hygiene are all steps that lead to clean and healthy lifestyles. Behavioural change, for the first time, has become a goal of the regulatory processes that emerged during the last two months.

PROGRESSIVE TECH USE

Increased dependence on technology for education, health, financial and judicial services has fueled greater learning and understanding of technology in provisioning of services, which remained elusive for too long. Online education, telemedicine, video-conferencing and even the culture of work-from-home are all signals towards more progressive and vibrant work ecosystems.

SHIFT IN GROWTH PARADIGM

Covid-19 has changed the growth paradigm with the focus shifting more to save lives and secure livelihoods. The political narrative for job creation has become a genuine outcry of the common man. Reorientation of state programmes to create more jobs is now more mellifluous than ever before. Increase in financial allocation of MGNREGA by Rs 40,000 crore is just one instance of efforts to provide for the loss of jobs in rural areas. The urban job market, however, remains deplorable with insufficient policy response.

Apart from the need for greater systemic transparency and proper data management to create an ecosystem that enables effective decision making, the removal of hunger and sickness; food and nutrition security that maintains biodiversity, crop diversity; and climate resilience are pre-requisites of growth that the pandemic has catapulted.

THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS HAS FURTHER CEMENTED POLITICAL UNITY, DEMOCRATIC FRATERNITY AND ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY DESPITE MULTIFARIOUS DIVERSITIES

The writer is chief principal secretary to Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Views expressed are personal