Letters to the Editor dated April 15, 2020

The various actions by the human race throughout the course of time ignored the importance of preserving nature and its precious resources. The health hazards of the coronavirus pandemic forced countries to impose rigid measures to protect the health and lives of the people, at the cost of the economic growth and social development. As a consequence, however, the human race is leading a disciplined life by refraining from the excessive use of natural resources and is thus contributing to their preservation.

But in order to face the challenges of the worsening economic scenario, the government needs to lift the restrictions on selective economic activities. Farming activities, village industries and small businesses need to be relieved from restrictions. The availability of the institutional credit facilities to farmers and others in the rural areas at a very nominal rate and other inputs for cultivation need to be strengthened. The return flow of the people who have migrated to other centres is imperative to meet the scarcity of farm workers. Greater emphasis on marketing agriculture produce from the farmers directly to the consumers is vital to ensure that the former get a profitable price. While continuing the economic activities are essential for the survival and revival of the economy the government and the people must strictly ensure that the healthcare system in force prevails over.

Kottayam

Apropos ‘Lockdown and its effects’ (April 15). This nation had the fortuitous advantage of observing the Wuhan crisis for insights into Covid-19 transmission. We took the prescription of isolation to flatten the curve, but there is more to come.

It is the right time to split into two broad task forces — one exclusively for care and prevention of the affliction and the other for planning extended sustenance of vulnerable citizen class and cocooning the macro economy. Senior ministers must share the uneven burden on the PM ,whose sole remit should be the calibrated return to eventual normalcy.

One challenge is to bring the States, people, business and trade on the same page on a periodic basis. The primary need now is to quickly establish a nationwide synergy, as material resources and governance architecture stay largely intact.

Mumbai

Apropos ‘Emerging from shadows of a lockdown’ (April 15). The author advocates the dire need of following the precautions on Covid-19 even after the lockdown is lifted, since there is no guaranteed exit measures from the pandemic . Wuhan has opened its vital industries with the full strength of labour force, but with strict rules for social distancing. Other severely coronovirus-affected countries, too, are moving for a staggered exit from the lockdown but with strict adherence of measures for social distancing.

Hence, India, a thickly populated sub-continent, must continue testing, isolating, medicating and distancing even after the lockdown. Nevertheless, augmenting public health and pandemic eradication resources are vital and the government must give a big slice in its budgetory provisions in the future for augmenting health provisions.

Sivakasi

This refers to ‘Lockdown guidelines: Inter-state, inter-district movement of people prohibited till May 3’ ( www.thehindubusinessline.com ). While the Home Ministry’s latest guidelines specify various do’s and don’ts in respect of the extended lockdown, there is still some confusion regarding the operational permissibility or otherwise in the nation’s manufacturing sector.

Further, while it clearly mandates that bars across the country will remain closed till May 3, there is no mention of banning of the liquor sold in amrkets.

The Haryana government is understood to have allowed the preparation of beer in the State. But could such a move reasonably be justified, more so when the whole lot of small businessmen and other retail traders are visibly impacted by the extended nationwide lockdown? How will such traders be able to make their ends meet till the D-day?

New Delhi

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