Like all Indians, I have endured 51 days of lockdown. I say ‘endured’ because I obviously did not enjoy it one bit. Yes, there have been some positives but these too will be useless if we do not learn the right lessons from them. After all, in a free country, which one of us likes his or her freedoms curtailed in this manner? By 17 May 20, we would have had 54 days to sort ourselves out before resuming our daily lives and livelihoods. I will not labour on the handling of the pandemic situation within the country because our successes and failures are slowly becoming apparent. As a citizen, I expect absolute normalcy to return at the earliest. I want to see my colleagues at work, I want my haircut, I want my jaunts to the market and I want to rediscover my social life. I also know this has certain risks and therefore it may not happen all together. However, the basic enablers must be activated without which any lift of lockdown will remain unsatisfactory.
I also wish that this word ‘Lockdown’ is discarded from the Indian citizen’s lexicon. This word has become synonymous with confinement, loss of liberties and deep anguish at the deprivation in our daily lives. Alas, a Lockdown 4.0 has already been announced, however, different it may be from the first three versions. How I wish it was called ‘Restoration 1.0’! It changes the perspective entirely, replacing despondency with hope. It indicates an intention to revert to normalcy. Lockdown indicates an intent to continue curbs and quarantines. This is the power of language and we must incorporate such emotional aspects into our strategic communication. And while on the subject, I would prefer the term ‘physical distancing’ with a strong emotional connect rather than ‘social distancing’ which has already acquired pandemic proportions with the proliferation of smart devices.
Economic revival has suddenly become the flavour of the times. Figures, statistics and future growth paths are being rattled off by experts to the great wonder of many laypersons like me. This was preceded by figures, statistics and future trends of the pandemic. This will continue for many weeks to come. These are measurable, prone to manipulation and can be used in hundreds of ways to justify or denigrate actions taken by authorities, depending on which side of the divide we sit. These are also for the consumption of the educated few who may understand some of it. The large majority of the population could not care less about economic details at this stage when they are preoccupied with daily survival and reclaiming their lives. Economic lectures and proposals could have been made at some CII/FICCI kind of forum and national TV could have been spared.
While we are enamoured by the measurable, let me attract the reader’s attention to some immeasurable issues, that have devastated lives over the past 51 days. The severe stresses of confinement that all of us have withstood, the apathy and hardship that hordes of migrant labour have endured, the deep sense of grief that families have suffered at not being able to attend last rites of kith and kin, the long and hard separations that families continue to endure, the helplessness of students and employees stuck at places outside their home or duty stations, the frustration of patients who have been denied normal healthcare and the plight of millions of daily wage earners who just cannot sustain any more are but a few examples of things that matter more to the man on the street than complex economic packages.
It is time to shift gear from ‘Lockdown’ to ‘Restore’. We need to open up liberally, starting with public transportation, freedom of public movement within states and across the country and full restoration of all kinds of work. People should be enabled to return to normalcy while taking all ‘practicable’ precautions. Spikes in infections will have to be managed till we find an answer to the virus. We would have failed miserably as a country if we have not achieved this confidence over 54 days of national inconvenience.
My next vote depends on what happens after 17 May 20.
14 May 20
Nice piece. I have a little different take on this and for that I shall take you all back by a 100 years. Wright brothers had just about got airborne, and aviation was in its nascent stage. Jet setting was still a pipe dream. Telephones were the sole preserve of an exclusive club. No television, no inetrnet and no social media. Fast food and eating out were all alien concepts. Life revolved around simple existence with small pleasures to boot. Did we ever feel cheated during those times? I do not think so. Simply because a so called better option just wasn’t available. Life was still good. Switch to now. We have been so used to the worldly comforts, that just the thought of having to live without them is stressful. The term ‘Lockdown’ doesn’t help. The need of the times is to switch to existential mode. To begin with let’s adapt and scale down our requirements commensurate with the existing circumstances. Let’s focus on the basics. Food and shelter for starters. Take care of the poor and needy who most need our help in this time of crisis. Battening down is not a bad idea. The economists and the capitalists will profess impending doom. It serves their cause. There is still enough in the world for everyone’s need. So let’s not foolishly let go of a job that has collectively been well begun. While we need to be calibrated in the way we open up in the key sectors, it’s fine to err on the side of caution. A down and out economy could still be revived over a few years, but I cannot say the same for the countless dead and buried. … and should we succumb to our impatience and folly, we will forever be remembered as a generation whose greed for material comforts prevailed over our responsibility for self preservation.
Your take on 51st day of lockdown has the roller coaster of emotions most went through. You’ve nicely coined a term “Restoration 1.0” but the fact is that wouldn’t make sense to many as lives have got scarred beyond restoration or even redemption for few. I doubt there can be be #New Normal or #No Normal will be the New. Having said that I echo the feeling of “Enough is Enough” the likes of Spain, Germany, Italy have embraced the loss and are opening up while we are now comfortably numb. Need Newton of modern era to break this monotony. While you saw a silver lining in 17th, for us the financial capital now touted as the Covid epicenter #MumbaiMeriJaan is breathing heavy.Hope it survives…!!
Very nicely worded article. Restoration certainly is a more apt term. Exudes positivity. I too subscribe to the view of moving out of confinement and returning back to normalcy. If Corona is here to stay, then we need to find ways of living with it. Life has to move on albeit with certain lifestyle changes.
Agree. The essentials of the economy have to move with haste such that the country can sustain itself, else poverty,hunger, lawlessness and crime would lead to an another pandemic of sorts. The masks , protection equipment and sanitizers are here to stay. The workers will need to follow decontamination protocols during transportation and entry to workplaces or on re entry to homes .
Man being a gregarious animal cannot be held in captivity for long. The path for him has been defined and he should be able to fend for himself within the safety regimes laid out..We do need to protect our children (and seniors) though and the government has facilitated this through e learning portals, classes and exams. The seniors simply stretch out at homes (lol) and restrict their movements being more susceptible to the virus.The rest should be dealt with as the enemy (covid) strikes. We have been preparing ourselves to buy time and equip ourselves. Its time to go into harms way!
As the author has brought out the lockdown is becoming too frustrating now. Where as some of us did stick to the rules despite inconvenience, many did not and some could not and we have not been able to reduce the spread of the virus to a significant level. So, what you have suggested is absolutely right. As you said the ‘Restoration’ phase needs to start. A full fledged restoration may not be feasible though. The risk of increase in the spread always exists when the public transportation is fully opened up. Specifically, in the Red Zones. However, some calculated risks are the need of the hour. The Government has to take those decisions. And you have very rightly worded “Physical Distancing” instead of “Social Distancing”.
An excellent write up!
No doubt that we need to move on and overcome the despondency. At the same time, we would have failed miserably if we didn’t utilise the opportunity thrown up by the crisis to improve the way we work. Real and sustainable improvement! Whether it is efficiency at work or working with technological tools or greater internal synergy or for that matter minimising infructuous work for economy of effort. I guess that was the message after Jaan Bhi, Jahaan Bhi…
Emotions coupled with frustration of a common man has been expressed in most suitable words. The fear of unknown and having our our fate in someone else’s hand can be very frustrating. But, “Woh Subah kabhi toh aayegi”, and it would certainly be promising.
2. Keep posting. God bless
Completely agree. Another problem is the multiplicity of orders to an extent that one doesn’t know which all are applicable – when and where! The case in point is lifting of restrictions on sale of alcohol in Mumbai. At one time there were three different orders – State Govt, BMC and Mumbai Upnagar. The media had yet another story to tell. No wonder confusion prevailed, till the time a blanket ban was re-imposed.
If we don’t have a good exit policy, the pain of lockdown will get multiplied.
Thanks for posting this.
I like your point about renaming the lock down 4.0 to Restoration 1.0. Very positive way to move forward in restoring the economy, in restoring the normal way of life.
We know that the both aspects will not be restored to what was before COVID19. We can’t move around or live freely until the medicine and vaccine to counter this is found. In the meantime, we need to function cautiously in this world. Hopefully our fellow citizens won’t burden our government by acting in irresponsible manner.
Stay safe
Restoration, as a terminology certainly exudes a lot more confidence in us but going by indications of how these measures will translate to actions on ground leave us despondent.
Hope I am being a pessimist.
Very well said…I totally agree with the stated fact that it is high time we move on.
Your demand to restore is justified. The matter of discussion is merely ‘What sectors, How much and how soon’ Having said that, I wish to adopt a more spiritual approach to the issue of lockdown. The conditioning of mind will determine that what is going to give me peace. This is undeniably an extraordinary situation. The situation demands to isolate and distance and ‘Do Nothing’. Give up some earthly comforts for sometime. I draw solace that I have contributed by making this sacrifice. and I still have a reserve of energy to stretch some more. I sense the demand is abstinence, denial and sacrifice of creature comforts. Our culture is replete with examples of self denial and sacrifices to achieve higher goals. Let me play my little role if that is demanded of me. This is my Tapasaya let me do it with joy. Undoubtedly there are many who have suffered. My hope is that the society gets sensitised to the pain and perils of migrants who lived amongst us but we were blissfully ignorant. The politics and economics will keep playing out and hindsight wisdom will be rampantly quoted. Soon this will also be gone out of our memories as we age and confront new challenges of life.
More than agree with the points raised. The article also stimulates or alters the thinking cap, wherein one should have a positive disposition in negative circumstances- use restoration instead of lockdown, physical distancing as against social distancing etc. The apt usage of words do work in controlling the psyche is one strong potential a leader must have. The author in any case is class apart!
Very apt. The feelings of a common man.
Hope restoration happens sooner.
Very well narrated the facts we ought to face. I am of the same opinion.