There goes! The lockdown is extended yet again – albeit with some concessions this time. Few days ago I had a nightmare that I am living in a period of perpetual lockdown extensions! I will share with you what I could recollect of what I saw:
It is CIRCA 2040 AD. Prime Minister Modi has still not signed the order lifting the national lockdown despite many attempts by him. Reason? Expert advice not to! One case of suspected Kovid-19 is reported from Timbucktoo and also because the total number of deaths in the country has crossed 2000 – never mind, in twenty years! Experts and CMs of mainly BJP ruled states and few others and Uddhav Thackeray the CM of the hotch-potch coalition in Maharashtra ( he still remains CM because due to continuous lockdown extensions, no general elections could be held to form a new govt.) want the lockdown to continue as they find it the easiest way out instead of working sincerely to support the Central govt.’s efforts. Most CMs remain CMs in 2040 for the same reason. Experts insist on enforcing strict lockdown conditions though lately they have allowed few relaxations like, while cycling, one family member is allowed to sit on the back seat. The pillion rider only need to carry a simple document - (a notarized affidavit ) signed by a Gazetted Officer of the rank of only an Under Secretary, proving the relationship with the cyclist. The general situation in the country briefly, is as follows: Starting with Maharashtra, where I live.
Having realized it was better being party chief than a chief minister that too of an unlikeminded group of parties, specially during a virus pandemic, he wants to quit but the Governor is not ready to accept his resignation since no one is interested to replace him for the post - the most unattractive job in Maharashtra today! He is therefore forced to continue. He glances sadly over the heap of accumulated IOUs he has been receiving in place of salary, as all revenue sources like shops, establishments, industrial units etc etc are all closed. With everyone turning to agriculture for survival, and with exemptions for the farm sector, no income tax or other taxes are available. He cursed his stars for making him snatch the post from that lucky Fadnavis guy – despite his party not having the numbers! The category of daily wage worker is extinct. Workers are now available only on regular monthly employment basis and that too on pay roll. Either take it or leave it. They are now wiser from the lockdown experience when they were left in the lurch en masse – abandoned, by all! Not any more!
All main roads including the beautiful marine drive is demolished and made into wheat and rice farms. They also grow vegetables. All residents of the posh buildings work in the farms. Otherwise they will all starve to death as nothing is working and hence nothing is available. Every individual, every family, is on its own. So societies are formed by residents who do collective farming in all available open spaces including demolished office buildings, stadia etc. The Pawars have converted the famous Wankhede Cricket stadium into a successful sugarcane field.
Entire Malabar Hill is demolished and flattened like Nariman Point. In place of tall buildings with flats, there are now only flat grounds with cultivation of all varieties of agricultural crops. In the absence of daily wagers or migrant labour, everyone including ministers have to work in the farms or they simply will have nothing to eat - with all the money safely lying in bank accounts.
ATMs go defunct as there are no cash transactions anywhere. Even doctor’s fee is paid in kilos of wheat, rice or vegetables and fruits. The old barter system is back. A potato cultivator exchanges his produce with that of a wheat or rice or maize farmer. Oil magnates are no more the Shaikhs from the Gulf countries, but our own farmers who grow groundnut and other edible oil seeds and flood the world market!
With 650 staff not reporting to work, Antilia the Ambani mansion on Malabar Hill ( all efforts to demolish it failed because of the entirely foreign technology and foreign material used in its construction) has all the Ambanis struggling to maintain the mammoth structure. Mukesh, Nita and all the kids and the in laws are on the job. They just about manage to clean one entire floor per day.( The climate control floors are giving them a tough time, although Mukesh has weathered tougher industrial and political climates in the past. ) It takes a full month to clean the 27 story building ( constructed to accommodate all six members of the family) including three or four days required to do the garages,100 plus cars and few helicopters and the private jets parked at the airport. With Mukesh concentrating more on the upkeep of his residence, the market is already jittery over Reliance shares. In the past, the shares did crash once when he sneezed hard at a meeting! So, the market has every right to be jittery!
Knowing no other jobs to survive except acting, all film stars are now ready to work as daily wage earners but there are no takers knowing their fitness levels to do hard work. Everyone knows,’ make belief’ can not make the farmer believe they can actually work. Same fate awaits bureaucrats, top professionals and company executives - unfit even as construction labour, not to speak of farm hands! So in most cases their wives work as maids and manage to feed the family.
Bachelor or Master of Agriculture is the most sought after professional degree in colleges and universities. All MBAs, now jobless, have registered with local employment exchanges for posts such as farm labour – the only types of openings they have a chance to be considered for.
All politicians, whose forte is delivering long speeches, with no one interested to listen to any more, are migrating to all over the country to survive, even ready to work as migrant daily wagers – getting a taste of their own medicine. Retribution? Perhaps - for ignoring the daily wage migrant labours during the initial lockdown!
Since there are complaints about the govt. not doing enough to bring back the stranded Indians ( not necessarily NRIs ) in foreign countries, and also not helping reach home those citizens stuck in other states, Govt. allows international and domestic airlines to operate. This means not only the passengers who are suspected Corona cases, but even non suspects will have to be quarantined for varying periods and at varying locations – indeed a cumbersome and huge logistical issue! But the Indian think tank should never be underestimated. Result: All the international and domestic flights remain airborne all the time with permission given for landing only for refueling and catering replenishments. This way Govt. killed two birds with one shot: All passengers are happy they are being brought back as per their request. Airlines are happy all their flights are full and all aircrafts are flying. Oil companies, caterers too are happy. No burden on medical infrastructure too! The govt. is now thinking to introduce the same concept to the Railways and all Interstate bus services. All trains and buses will keep travelling to and fro without anybody disembarking anywhere needing quarantine or isolation arrangements.
This way nobody actually returns to their country or state but will be under the illusion they are. So, all are happy – the citizen, Govt. ,Airlines, Railways, the transport network! All stranded people awaiting their turn either abroad or in India will be told to wait for their turn as all flights , trains etc are full. And with no one saying no, and with hope of going home, they will all gladly await their turn in anticipation. This will continue till the virus threat eases out eventually. As I already said: Never underestimate the formidable Indian Think Tank! What I also saw is, the farmer is the king and India is the granary of the world, taking its rightful place as the agricultural superpower who is now feeding all the High-Tech superpowers who became so, at the cost of agriculture in their respective countries. And, it’s no more the Tatas and Birlas and Ambanis and Adanis who feature in the Fortune 500 list. It is our home grown super farmers who were hitherto outsmarted and outshined by the Tech giants. – till a little known virus flattened the uneven level playing field.
I saw that India is rebuilding itself from the scratch and will soon take its rightful place in the world as an Agricultural Superpower on whom the entire world now depends for its food imports. An India where all its citizens are well fed and well taken care of and are leading decent lives in a clean and hygienic environment. Thanks to Swatch Bharat Abhiyan and a not so Swatch Corona . When the Present, in time, will become History, a dangerous virus willy- nilly would have left its footprints on our country with the following attributes: a) The value of personal hygiene and a clean environment b) social distancing. Let us be fair. Credit should be given were it is due : even to a Virus!
I woke up with a start! Perhaps the thought of giving credit to a virus did it. But it brought relief and a wry smile to my face on the realization that it was only a dream – a nightmare rather! I earnestly wished and prayed for it to remain so. ******* OVERHEARD When Donald Trump agreed to use face mask at last, most of the Republicans sighed in relief. At last the loud mouth could be contained to some extent!. This was just after the insecticide injection plan. But they were in for disappointment. He threw the mask away the moment the triple extra large size fitted his face perfectly. He was furious how the manufacturer got his exact face size – for a mask made in China! He wanted to immediately fire the person responsible, but calmed down when told hardly any are left in his team , to fire!
He is now convinced that the Chinese are out to get him and thinks enough is enough. He has decided that it is he who will get the Chinese first, through the ‘first strike’ strategy and has already started preparations in that direction when last heard. He gratefully remembered the inspiring ancient proverb, the essence of which was used successfully by all American Presidents to deal with those who refuse to tow the American line - ‘ When you want to hang a dog, give it a bad name first’! Beware! – China! - You better have proof that it's not a man-made virus from a Wuhan Lab aimed at US economy!
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