Coronavirus: In Letter To PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi Seeks Support For Migrants Hit Hard By Lockdown

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the impromptu decision of 21 days lockdown in the country to combat novel coronavirus has created massive panic and chaos.

Photo/PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the impromptu decision of 21-day lockdown in the country to combat novel coronavirus has created massive panic and chaos. Expressing solidarity with the government’s efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic,  Gandhi on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  In the letter, he apprehended that the lockdown may extend and which may lead to the complete economic shutdown in the country. Rahul Gandhi highlighted the plight of the poor and called for steps other than total lockdown announced by some developed nations to tackle the deadly disease. He asked the government to adopt a more "nuanced approach" to deal with this deadly pandemic. He further said that the scenario in India is different from other large countries and hence the measures being practised there can't be replicated here. In his letter, the Congress leader also offered suggestions to deal with the retreat of migrant workers, informal sector and financial institutions as he anticipated a further extension of the lockdown.

Earlier today I wrote a letter to the PM on the Coronavirus crisis. While I’ve offered him my complete support in dealing with this extraordinary situation, I’ve also shared some of my concerns about the ongoing lockdown. My letter is forwarded with this tweet https://t.co/CjxLnFJTM5

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 29, 2020

The number of poor people in India who are dependent on a daily income is simply too large for us to unilaterally shut down all economic activity," Gandhi said, and added that "the consequences of a complete economic shut down will wretchedly hike up the death toll arising from the Covid-19 virus”. In his letter, he feared the complete lockdown will almost certainly ensure that millions of our unemployed youth rush back to the villages increasing the threat of infecting their parents and grand-parents and elderly. This will result in catastrophic loss of life Gandhi wrote.  The laborers have been rendered vulnerable without their daily wages or access to nutrition and basic services. “It is important that we help such sections find shelter and provide them with money directly into their bank accounts to help them tide over the next few months,” he said. Gandhi has also urged the Prime Minister to increase the number of testing to gauge the impact and spread of the virus. Some countries like South Korea and Germany have done that to effectively restrict both the spread and mortality rates.