The Right Approach To Covid-19 Management

 “Your true capabilities are put to test in the hardest of times.” A few years ago, if I told you that we`d be cursed with more than 4.7 million deaths in the future, your first thought would be a full-scale war caused due to a territorial dispute between two or more nations. Well, the figures mentioned speak for the total death toll worldwide, caused by the pandemic. And the disturbing part is, the numbers are still rising. Covid-19, two words that have not only shaken up the entire world but also left some of them in a crippled state. No one expected the country that is home to the great wall, to give birth to a disease that would instead confine us behind the walls of our own homes (yes China, I`m looking at you). Now whether or not it was intentional, is not something that I qualify to answer. Unless I was a secret service agent that was deployed in the land of dragons and emperors? But what I do qualify to answer, is the importance of good governance in these crucial times. How come, you ask? 

India is a democratic country, and as quoted by Abraham Lincoln, democracy is “for the people, of the people, by the people.” I am one of those people, and so are you. We as the common people need to realize that the government is supposed to sweat for us, and that should grant us complete authority to be critical of the way they function. And before I`m awarded the dishonorable tag of being ‘leftist’ let me also mention that being critical does not always equate to criticizing. Rather acknowledging both merits and demerits, which need not always be in a balanced proportion. Just like most countries, India was not safe from this deadly disease. To make things worse, we happen to share a border with the country where the virus had originated. And one thing that could shield us, or at least minimize the impact, is good leadership. So what is the best approach to governance in these stressful times? 

The utmost priority must be given to communication. When you are governing a country with a massive population of 1.3 billion, each person within your national border, and even those beyond the border who share the same nationality, become your responsibility. Everyone is vulnerable and unsafe. Lots of questions are bound to invade a common man`s mind, and the stress levels would skyrocket at the thought of losing your source of daily bread. A good leader must constantly address his audience, and emphasis must be given to 3 things. Firstly, the audience deserves to be updated about every decision that you as the governing body are planning to take. Secondly, you must be frank in your explanation to back those particular decisions. And lastly, you also need to convince your countrymen of how those particular decisions would be beneficial to them. If these 3 things are executed to perfection by the spokesperson of the concerned party, then the first objective would be accomplished. And that is to calm the audience down and win their support in battling this problem together, by evoking a sense of unity in them. 

And before one could arrive at any decision, it is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis on the problem at hand. The best method for a systematic analysis is breaking down the problem into different segments by asking the following questions. What is the problem? How is it caused? How can it be dealt with effectively, so that its impact on the population is minimized if not eliminated entirely? We know what the problem is, and we also know the cause behind it. There`s a reason why ‘social distancing’ has been the tagline of this pandemic. And while the most effective way to practice it is by locking the population behind the walls and closed doors, the government also needs to examine to what extent that would be practical. If jobs are shut down, not only would there be a financial depression in your average family, but also would it lead to a critical situation that escalates to starvation. Besides, if convenience stores and grocery shops aren`t allowed to operate, the absence of basic supplements that are in daily use would make survival extremely challenging and frustrating. Can you imagine waking up one fine morning, and realizing that you`re out of toothpaste to brush your teeth? You rush downstairs to your nearest shop, and what separates you and your heavenly toothpaste is a pulled-down shutter, indicating that the shop is closed. Don`t lose heart, chewing on herbs is always an option! Or you may use one of those chew sticks to experience the Native American lifestyle. 

There needs to be a dividing line between necessities and luxuries. The former needs to be made available at all costs, having restrictions imposed with regard to their operating hours. This not only is very helpful for consumers but also the employees who work at such places as they aren`t losing out on their paychecks. What about the luxuries? It`s best to bring their availability to a halt, this includes places of comfort such as bars and restaurants. Get a tungsten bulb and fix it in your room to create a restaurant-like ambiance, it`s not the best alternative but hey, you can`t be picky in these times, can you? Now making such a sensitive decision is easier said than done, given that there are various factors that play a deciding role, such as the extent to which the concerned area is affected and the cooperation of the occupants of that region. One such example is the reopening of liquor shops in Maharashtra, which immediately spawned protests from the opposing regional party, wherein the demand was to reopen temples as well. According to the protestors of the rival party, “Alcohol was being given more prestige and importance than the religious sentiments of the people.” Similar events like the backlash received from farmers over the recent declaration of Farm Bills, and rallies in Bengal resulted in tremendous public gatherings. Although they were fueled by a specific purpose, what is to note is that the very principle of social distancing was violated due to these large-scale protests. 

What is expected under these circumstances, is for the opposing party to put aside their differences and align with the ruling party! Now, this might sound unrealistic at the first glance, but it has happened before. Remember the Kargil conflict that happened in 1999, one where India hammered Pakistan all the way back behind the Line of Control? What a pleasant trip down the nostalgia lane, right? The reason why we were successful in winning the battle and reclaiming our territory, is because both the opposing and ruling parties acknowledged it as an emergency situation, thus working hand in hand for the safety of the nation. By the end of the war, we had 527 martyrs. Comparing the scenario to the modern-day pandemic, India has seen nearly 4,50,000 deaths. Isn`t the extent of this crisis critical enough for it to be acknowledged as an emergency, and to motivate both the left and right-winged parties to co-operate with each other? It is important that we as a country put aside our differences and unite, it`s an initiative that not just the citizens but also the different governing bodies must undertake.

 The resources will be limited, and so they must be distributed and utilized through thoughtful and intricate planning. Priority should obviously be given to the health sector, as the pandemic is directly tied to it. People working in that sector must be under surveillance, to detect any malpractices intended to deceive the common man or government, as it is very easy to misuse the situation for personal benefits. Not too long ago, a nurse was spotted giving an empty jab to a man in Uttar Pradesh. Poor gentleman`s hopes of getting vaccinated sunk in a similar fashion as the Titanic did. 

Citizens must be constantly made aware of the seriousness of the situation, and they need to be educated about the preventive measures that can be undertaken to assure not just theirs but everyone else`s safety around them. These include the use of masks, sanitization of their hands, maintaining a good amount of distance and minimizing physical contact, etc. But what if they refuse to comply? The answer is simple, fine them. But is a ‘fine’ always fine? Perhaps that sounded eccentric, let me elaborate. What if a person who earns a mere 300 rupees per day, is fined 2,000 rupees for his failure to wear a mask? Arranging three meals a day for a family of 5 people itself would be a challenging task for such a person. Besides, the rising prices due to inflation would make it difficult to afford a mask. Therefore, a more pragmatic approach would be to assign a fine based on the violator's ability to pay. This would make the conditions fair for everyone. 

There might be a certain fraction of the population that refuses to get vaccinated, these are usually those who are financially handicapped and unprepared to pay the vaccination fee. For them, the government could provide free vaccines. It`s a lot more convenient than them getting infected, and passing on the virus to ten other people, as there has already been a massive shortage of beds and oxygen in the hospitals. Speaking of hospitals, instead of having a certain segment of a hospital dedicated to treating infected patients, segregate certain hospitals and label them as Covid-19 centers. This way, any interaction between infected and non-infected patients is also non-existent. Public transport must also be monitored, and alternate seats must be left vacant if the vehicle isn`t too overcrowded so that a safe distance is maintained between passengers. That`s a blessing in disguise, as you won`t be forced to sniff a smelly armpit when you travel in a bus…unless it’s your own. As for the immigrants who have traveled from other states into your own, the state government should only accept their entry on the grounds of an RT-PCR test, followed by a negative report. 

As it goes for education, it is recommended for the online mode to be continued until the pandemic is nearly out of existence. Isn`t the idea of attending a lecture while you`re munching on mom`s Maggi just fascinating? If you`re a student, you`re secretly wishing for the pandemic to last longer, just so that you could attend your lectures from the comfort of your couch. And no one`s going to find out if you`re truly paying attention, right? Wrong. It is during these times that you must stay true to yourself and be honest. Dreams can be chased from home too, as long as you are motivated. Yes, there are plenty of barriers that come along with online education but none of them should be overcome at the cost of our youth falling prey to the virus and losing their lives. Don`t get me wrong, every life is equally important and must be prioritized. However, it is the youth that decides the future of the country. We had already taken for granted the lives of our youth in the World Wars, what were the results? Thousands of potential doctors, engineers, scientists, and even influential figures are being wiped off history. We must not allow history to repeat itself again. The scenario is different but the result could be the same. 

One more thing that is expected from a good governance, is cordial international relations. No country can sustain itself on its own for long, and as the government of a particular country, your wisest choice is to acknowledge that it`s a battle that can`t be won alone. Therefore, international help must be accepted. And for that to happen, relationships with countries that are beneficial to us should be sustained. The entire globe is affected by the pandemic, and hence it is expected that we put aside our political diplomacy and work towards eradicating the problem together. 

"When everything`s wrong and nothing seems right, 

Let the fire inside of you ignite. 

All it takes to win the fight,

Is for each one of us to unite.” 

But no matter how good the governance is, at the end of the day the deciding factor is how well we as common people have played our role as responsible citizens. It is very easy to blame any governing body for the slightest of failures, but what needs to be remembered is that it takes 2 hands to clap. Before you open your mouth to hurl abuses at any person who is affiliated with a political party, ask yourself this one question. Have you truly followed the guidelines that you were asked to, even when there was no one to fine you? Did you sanitize your hands each time you arrived home from an exhausting day at work? Did the idea of postponing a family wedding strike you, and did you call off Uncle John`s invitation to Jamaica? If you haven`t, then now`s the time to change and contribute. Each person makes up the massive population of 1.3 billion, you and I are one of them. And this is our fight to the finish.