Opinion

Lives Vs. Livelihood

People in five states of India witnessed an election (assembly poll) battle in times of pandemic. It is a mandatory rule of a people's democracy. The pandemic is no more tolerable, even after a second wave of a new strain of the deadly coronavirus. A second wave of coronavirus new strain has been spreading rapidly. How it would behave in the coming days is a valuable question. How people would be protected from hunger and how they would be saved from the virus? These are not serious matters to the responsible authority as well as the government(s).  On the other hand, pandemic affected already at the worst in the economy and the livelihood of the majority of the country. Unemployment rates (about 23.6%, as per recent data) increase remarkably. A significant portion in unorganised and informal sectors has lost their livelihood.

 An election is always a priority in a people’s democracy. All political parties contesting the election, publish its manifestos with varieties of plans and promises. For instance, in West Bengal one political party is targeted to make “Sonar Bangla”. Another political party publicized to make “Joy Bangla”. But why it has failed to make a prosperous “Bangla” during the last 10 years of the rule.   Everyone demands to provide a good life to the people, if it forms the government with the majority of power. The people of this democracy may dream for better and prosperous life. But any manifesto does not hint a clear strategic planning and policy to generate employment.  All political parties use to use absolutely the youth power. They are provoked for hooliganism and so forth. They are being hypnotized with new and fresh hope that they would get a job after the election. But is it really so?  Youth of all sections, irrespective of their education is in danger, so far their livelihood is concerned.

In times of pandemic second wave, the state governments of different states take different strategies to restrict the movement of people aiming to curb the spread of the infection. The governments are only regulating the life of people, while it has failed to arrange basic hospital care with supply of oxygen, hospital beds and so forth. Unfortunately, vaccination is also unsatisfactory. Free vaccination is also no more an agenda to the government. Actually, the government of India does not like to save the poor. Vaccine politics is to enrich the corporate.  Is it a responsible government and its responsibility to protect the common? In times of second wave of the virus, no government, either central or state, has declared any relief measure to feed the population at the bottom of the pyramid.

Labours from unorganised and informal sectors have again lost suddenly their jobs due to the second wave. Migrant workers have not taken any risk. The majority of them are trying to back to their home. Female domestic helps and other female labours engaged in different informal sectors (daily wage earners) are losing their jobs at a large. The educated unemployed youth who posses a university degree are in as uncertain condition. No job advertisement from public sectors and other. Those who are university last year students have left their hopes and altogether they are in mental agony. India is almost in lockdown. The Indian economy has been sandwiched. All of the sections are looking for a new neo new normal condition. But what would be the lives and livelihood of the bottom of the pyramid and what would the future of the youth, particularly educated section?

Government(s) have no clear strategic planning and policy so far. Is it trying to push them into the hell?

02-Oct-2021

More by :  Dr. Harasankar Adhikari

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