Wages&Food in Covid Lock down Period

There is a old woman who sells coconuts outside the temple where i go daily. This old woman is now coming at 6 am with her basket of coconuts and waiting for customers to buy. Her normal customers were those who visited the temple, but now with temple being closed, she is patiently waiting for someone to buy. She must be 70+ yrs old. I asked her once why she was doing it. She said she has to do it to keep herself alive. She has daughter who is married and stays in another town. Govt gives her pension without fail and gives free ration, free healthcare yet she needs money for other expenses. I asked her how much profit does she make by sitting there all day. She said she makes 150 rs ($2 USD= $60 USD/month)/day. Govt gives her pension of 1500 rs($19 USD) & free ration. Due to lockdown, she is hardly able to make 20 rs ($0.25 USD). She is not begging. She is working hard sitting in the sun in Indian summer all day to make $2 USD. Govt distributed 1000 rs ($13 USD). Her current revenue is down from $79 USD to $40 USD with govt support,a 50% decline.

A mason i know makes daily 1500 rs($19 USD) with his wife as helper. He has to idle at home now. Govt gave 1000 rs ($13 USD) support. His income loss is now 45000 rs ($557 USD)/month with government extension. No, he does not file income tax. He already has free house given by govt. He is hale and healthy. He has two daughters who are studying engg (govt gives fee reimbursement). I asked him how is he getting along. He said there is no choice but has savings to tide over, but if extension is again done till May 23rd, he will not be able to sustain it. There is no shortage of food & groceries since govt is taking care of them. So when it comes for the old woman and mason, their primary concern is their dipping savings but not food which government is taking care of.

The $13USD support covered some part of the old woman's income but cannot satisfy the mason who has family responsibilities. Lockdown has different implications for everyone. While it makes marginal difference to the top 1% of society, it makes huge difference for the bottom 80% of pyramid who need daily income/wages to tide over the month.

India does not have professional senior care still in the country. The ones running operations take the pension and other benefits and even houses allotted to the sr.citizens before enrolling them. There are lakhs of sr.citizens who even if asked wouldn't trust a sr.citizens home but stay all alone in rented houses. For them, this lockdown is a first in a lifetime experience. The old lady has seen several diseases in her lifetime, but never seen a lockdown. One really wonders why government blindly opted for it when south korea,japan, taiwan were achieving it without lockdown. I put myself into the PM's place and realized that the PM had no time on his hands. He took the WHO recommended response since the initial figures of millions of deaths which were based on now revised Imperial Neil's study weren't proven false then.

As i said in my earlier report,the cost benefit analysis for this pandemic can at best be a academic exercise only based on which decisions cannot be taken. This virus doesn't have a vaccine nor is much known clearly about this human transmission virus. The leader needs to be congratulated for saving the masons family and the old woman& also feeding them with food. They happily sacrificed for the larger good yet they cannot take lockdown extension beyond May 1st week.

The Prime Minister understands very clearly well that extending beyond May 1st week will lead to huge social unrest which will have disastrous circumstances. Hence he is pushing for economic activity of all agriculture activities& transportation of essential and non essential goods. The prime minister will be activating nearly 35% of the economy excluding the essential workers on April 20th. On May 3rd, nearly 65% of economy will be open. Movie theatres have already asked government that they will remain closed till June since movie exhibitors realize that it will take to make citizens come to the theatres confidently and also social distancing wont be easy.

There will be no exhibitions this summer nor will be schools open till June or maybe even till July 1st week. Government will take decision based on data of no waves after lifting of lockdowns. If the mason does work in rural construction areas, he can earn wages from April 20th only. The old woman might have to wait little longer since temples will not be open till May 15th or May last week to avoid people congregating.