Lockdown Extension Inevitable?
Odisha and Punjab have extended the lockdown beyond the planned date of April 14. Most political parties (80%) have said that whenever the lockdown is lifted, it should be done slowly and in phases. That individual states may still choose to prevent inter-state movement etc. Modi too has been giving indications that the lockdown will be extended… All the signs are pointing in one direction. The new cases per day have certainly increased over the last 7-10 days: But the problem of getting supplies continues. In Wuhan, China ensured that food packets would be dropped at everyone’s door during the lockdown. No other country has been able to ensure such a delivery system, which is why everyone else’s attempts at lockdowns are anywhere between non-existent and far less stringent. Plus, a “hard lockdown” is constitutionally illegal in many countries. Plus, as Chidambaram rightly says , all governments needs to ensure money transfer to the poor happens regularly. Much harde