Even as the countdown to May 3 has begun, Naavu Bharateeyaru, a social welfare coalition of civil society organisations, has demanded an end to the COVID-19 lockdown in a manner that “minimises economic and social distress, while being based on sound public health guidelines without violating human rights”.
It has also demanded that the government hold wide-ranging consultations with all marginalised groups to secure their livelihood and ensure food security.
In a statement released on Monday, the coalition termed the lockdown “authoritarian” and argued that given how the poor live in cramped spaces in the country, the lockdown has been beneficial to the rich, who can socially isolate themselves, while leading to intra-community spread of COVID-19 among the poor and the marginalised.
One of the objectives of the lockdown has been to augment the public health infrastructure. “The government must answer [questions] about what has been achieved with the lockdown, about how much our health system’s preparation has improved,” the coalition said. “In this pandemic, efforts by the government have to factor in the needs of all, rather than a select few. Assuming that community spread has occurred, the strategies have to look at mitigation rather than lockdown. Containment and quarantine should not be done in a punitive or authoritarian manner.”
The coalition also demanded a relief package of ₹9,600 per family to tide over the crisis, 10 kg of grains and other essentials per person every month till September, among other things.