The effect of extension of the lockdown period is becoming unbearable. The PM is aware of the boiling cauldron. He personally would like to relax things to bearable levels as early as possible .He is restless and is in constant consultations with ‘Experts’ – the issue being medical and not political. Experts want extension to continue pointing to the increase in affected cases all over the world of which India is a part. The PM simply cannot ignore the “expert advice”! But he has to think of something!
The PM decides to interview a cross section of lockdown affected people to find some way out to ease the crisis situation and offer some relief to the people.
Industrialist: All factories and manufacturing facilities are closed. Stocks will not last long. Unless we start production again soon, not only there will be job loss, there will be nothing to consume for anyone! And then what about the purchasing power? We need to put money in the hands of the consumer sooner or later. But who will do it – and how? Who will bell the cat?
MSME sector person: Unless we reopen, lakhs of workers, especially the cheap migrant workforce who actually ensure our profitability despite the steep govt. taxes, will lose jobs and either find alternative jobs or simply starve. To save the Medium and Small Scale sector we need to reopen fast. We have already exhausted our reserves and cannot feed our employees anymore and will go bankrupt. Banks are waiting to pounce on us. It’s going to be a cat and mouse game you know.
Small Businessman/Shop owner: Since no local boys are available to work for us, we are entirely dependant on the migrant labour who not only work hard but also at half the rate. Without them our backbone will be broken sir. We are doomed if they find alternate ways to survive. So, must lift the lockdown before such a calamity happens. We shouldn’t let the cat out of the bag!
Farmer: My full grown crop is rotting due to lack of manpower to harvest and transport and market! And you keep all the manpower locked up! If you don’t release them soon, they too will rot like my crops. If you let my crops rot, I too will rot and my big bank cat will make a mouse out of me. Without a strong agricultural base in place, how do we achieve a respectable GDP level sir? Take it from me sir. Tough times are here- not now. They are going to come post Corona! Tell Nirmalaji to work on it . The earlier, the better. I agree with the industrialist. Some one has to bell the cat!
Non migrant daily wage worker: Our ‘home’ where you are asking us to stay, as you know, is an urban slum with mostly tin sheets for walls with entire families confined to a single room. With whatever little savings we had, we managed to survive thus far. If you don’t reopen, not Corona but starvation will get us. Either way our fate is sealed .By the way, Since every one here is referring to a cat, I am confused. I don’t have a cat. Even if I go for one, I certainly don’t intend to bell it. Why should I spoil mine and my family’s sleep and have an issue with my neighbours? Not only that, the NGO ‘ Cruelty against Animals ‘ is not going to sit quiet. So I suggest we leave the cat and get on with lock down relief sir. I doubt this is deliberate attempt by the industrial lobby to divert attention from the main issue! Since the first four speakers spoke in English I didn’t understand much of what they said. But certainly ‘ cheap’ and ‘half the rate’ will soon be history. Just remember that, you English speakers.
Migrant daily wage worker: Our condition is even worse sir. Homeless, jobless and incomeless, how long can we survive? Can’t go back to our native villages in the absence of any kind of transport. The food packets you are providing are inadequate and some of your bureaucrats and middlemen have ensured that most of us will not get it, by asking for ration cards etc before delivery. They know how to thwart many of your well intended schemes by creating impediments rather than facilitating its smooth implementation. We are surviving mostly due to the NGOs and some kind individuals and local charitable organizations. But for them, our country would have had more starvation deaths than Corona deaths by now. When the govt. announced lockdown, we, for the first time, realised we are nowhere in the picture or in the scheme of things of this country! So, we will let you know what we think about it in the next elections. But don’t worry sir. You are safe as of now due to the TINA factor. Even if Pappu changes his mind and leads his party, it will not matter. But our earnest request to you: Please control not only the loud mouths in your party, but more importantly the ‘still in the British era’ bureaucracy. They are the ones singlehandedly ensuring the failure at ground levels of many of your well meaning schemes like demonitisation and GST by creating as much procedural impediments as possible in its implementation. It will take more than a public flogging for them to change their British-era mind set. Over to you sir.
Middleclass Familyman: It is a misconception we are staying home in our large luxurious houses. That may be true in case of a minuscule minority. My small dingy flat has me, my wife, two kids and my aged parents. In many cases, either a sick relative or an unmarried brother or sister may be there in addition. Can you imagine how excruciatingly painful it is to spend the whole day at home doing nothing in particular? I don’t own a car. In the absence of autos or home delivery, the back-breaking daily shopping for my fairly large family is taking a toll on my already deteriorating health. I can’t even afford the monthly premium for an insurance policy. I am…
To cut the man from getting too sentimental, the PM looks around and sees lawyers, chartered accountants, engineers, IT professionals, scientists ,professors, managers and many more white and blue collars in the group. Realising that the last speaker covered most of this group, he looks beyond and sees a depressed looking large crowd eagerly waving to him to draw his attention. He asks his secretary who they are, and learns that they are the petty thieves, small time extortionists, quotation gangs, bike-borne chain snatchers, LGBT community, prostitutes, gigolos and also some junior members of the underworld. He walks towards them and waves back in acknowledgement.
The next moment there is a sudden noise explosion - the result of the entire lot bursting into loud crying, heart-thumping, sobbing and wailing their heart out. The entire hall shook, like in an earth quake! Many of them so weak, they fainted and fell down crying loud all through. His eyes caught the sight of a frail , handicapped old beggar waving currency notes with one hand and tapping his stomach with the other, indicating closing even the vada-pav stalls was far too much! He also saw a wayside fortune teller trying to control his tears. He realized the poor chap has to think of something else to survive as, post Corona, fortune tellers all over the world are going to be jobless!
The PM, having realized there is another marginalized section of society needing special attention in addition to the huge migrant worker population, took deep breath and went into deeper thoughts. He indicated to the secretary it is time to conclude the session and started moving to the exit. Too many eyes followed him wondering what kind of relief package he may have in his mind for the 4th May! ***** OVERHEARD The venue was PMO, the beehive of activity these days and the abode of the best brains of the country. Everyone is competing with the other to catch the PM’s attention to pass on the gem of an idea that he or she has, and wants to share with the boss directly so that nobody else can take credit for it later. But there are also other selfless types who are hell bent on reducing the overburdened PM’s work pressure: the professional, selfless advisor types. Two of them are in conversation. Said selfless genuine advisor to the selfless true advisor. “ You know, I told Boss it’s unwise to import more and more Kovid testing kits into the country!” “Why?” asked the STA to the SGA. “ Simple logic. More tests will mean more results. What’s the need to upset the smug comfort levels the smaller numbers are giving us these days?” The STA enviously but admiringly thought why the SGA remains the PM’s pet!
POSTSCRIPT Two brief points about the previous episode. First, a comment if we can make fun of God. Why not? Even God will enjoy a hearty laugh. He knows cartoonists don’t spare even God and He is ok with it (He created cartoonists in the first place!) – Only earthlings have a problem due to the overdose of religion they are being relentlessly fed by the vested interests, in His name! Second issue I noted was of iconoclasm. A cartoonist is entitled to demolition of idols unless the idol proves beyond doubt it’s worthy of the worship. Perceptions may differ – will differ - in a healthy democracy. But equating the right to differ with nationalism is absolutely ridiculous and will be fought tooth and nail. Many rulers in history tried it and bit the dust. Let the history not be repeated here in India, is all I say. The day we cease to enjoy a hearty laugh on ourselves, we will only exist – but cease to live! I promise to continue the iconoclasm even irreverently if need be. But I also promise not to hit below the belt! Bye!
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sarcasm at its best!!