Netas in corona land

Netas in corona land

Epidemic demands a new contract, stripped of double standards, between state and citizen.

Parliament has finally adjourned more than a week after the coronavirus alarm was sounded. It’s been an unconscionable delay. Last week, as the Covid-19 outbreak gathered pace and orders were issued barring more than 50 people from gathering, Parliament functioned as normal. MPs crowded around the two Houses comprising together almost 700 people, far in excess of the 50 prescribed for citizens.

The opposition alleged the government’s refusal to defer Parliament earlier was because it had its eye on political developments in Madhya Pradesh. Had Parliament been deferred, the Supreme Court may have deferred the state assembly too, and the Kamal Nath government could not have been pushed towards collapse as rapidly as it was.

Apart from MPs, chief ministers like BS Yediyurappa were spotted at crowded weddings, other politicians attended VVIP bashes in Lucknow. In Bhopal MLAs busily staged road shows, hugged each other, held hands aloft and paraded group numbers.

Citizens have invariably imbibed the politicians’ foolhardy moves. Londonreturned singer Kanika Kapoor allegedly disregarded suggestions of home quarantine and attended a crowded party. On Janata Curfew day some people took out processions, congregated in markets beating thalis. In an Ahmedabad locality people even performed garba on the streets. Images from some cities like Patna and Chennai suggest it’s business as usual, there are no signs of a lockdown.

Yet our frail and only defences against the swiftly moving virus are social distancing, quarantines and isolation. Governments around the world are encouraging responsible behaviour – such as not gathering in large numbers, not sneezing or coughing in public, regular washing of hands and maintaining public hygiene. These require not only obedience to rules and regulations but a new civic movement generally unknown in India: social discipline.

But if politicians themselves embody indiscipline and irresponsibly flout rules, how can they hope to encourage social discipline in the public, particularly among gregarious and sociable Indians?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said fighting coronavirus depends on the citizen. But citizens will not act responsibly if “leaders” are going on their merry way attending Parliament and toppling governments. India’s politicians are seemingly inhabiting a disconnected world of privilege and refusing to get real about the looming crisis.

Politicians who encourage irresponsible and lawless behaviour such as encouraging chants of “shoot the traitors”, politicians playing unscrupulous means to obtain the kursi, politicians who patronise unrestrained religious gatherings are hardly examples of social discipline and restraint. When you empower and draw support from faith-driven religious congregations, religious groups are unlikely to meekly call off their rituals and festivities because of a government order. It’s only after much procrastination that CM Yogi Adityanath finally cancelled the Ram Navmi Mela. Trust deficits play their part. When you demonise protesters at Shaheen Bagh and then suddenly, when coronavirus hits, order them to get off the streets, will they immediately obey you?

The political class is doing nothing to suggest that it’s focussed squarely on fighting Covid-19. In the Rajya Sabha last week, a bizarrely disconnected discussion was held on whether “socialism” should remain in the Preamble. Why didn’t Parliament instead dedicate the session to evolving a common strategy on coronavirus? The PM did not speak on coronavirus in Parliament, nor has an all party meeting been called. The PM’s video conference with chief ministers frankly should have taken place weeks ago.

Totalitarian China has clamped down on citizens’ freedoms in an all-out offensive against coronavirus. But democratic and diverse India cannot do that because it is democracy which holds up our society and also enables our free, mutually interdependent, informal sector dominated economy to function.

An excess of policing and forcibly shutting down all free trade and exchange will destroy the economy, already teetering, as experts tell us, on the brink of catastrophe. The intelligent option is thus not coercive state power or forcibly stamping out personal liberties, but persuasion and promoting awareness and self-help. Two progressive CMs, Pinarayi Vijayan and Arvind Kejriwal, have done this by holding dozens of press meets in the last weeks.

Thousands obeyed PM Modi’s call to applaud health workers on Janata Curfew day. But citizens must be kept informed about how government is partnering with them to deal with the crisis on a daily basis. An example of positive political leadership in times of Covid-19 is New York governor Andrew Cuomo, meticulously spelling out his government’s plans every day.

Covid-19 is a time to reset the relationship between state and citizen. Gandhi lived by his own example. Millions followed him because he lived – and was seen to live – the life of nonviolence and personal morality in his everyday life. Millions of Indians now have to be convinced to follow certain norms and rules which they haven’t before. This won’t happen if netas remain in demagogue mode, move in a world of VIP privileges and then sermonise or use coercive state power to force obedience. Citizens will only obey rules when they are made aware at all levels that it’s in their best interest to do so.

Covid-19 is a gigantic reality check. The behavioural and moral change that is urgently required among the people at large needs to begin at the top. People will not make behavioural changes if politicians keep politicking with crowds or keep attending weddings or are seen ensconced in 5-star resorts. When corona stalks the land, politicians can’t afford to live in la la land.