Police brutality is not the solution to all the problems.
The world is reeling through a very difficult time. No one would have imagined that the new decade with start with a global disaster in the name of Corona Virus. The Virus has destroyed many businesses and economies across the globe. The governments across the globe are busy churning out economic packages for their businesses and citizens but things won’t seem to return to normalcy for a long long time. While In India it is a different case altogether. India has to deal with the migrant crisis during the lockdown period.
The migrant class is not privileged enough to stay home during lockdown because most of the migrants hail from the Northern states of UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Orrisa. The workers migrate to Mumbai and other major cities for their livelihood. If they had to stay back in their current city of residence, then they have to pay their rent, electricity bills, water bills, etc. Likewise, if they don’t have a job then how will they fend for themselves and their families. It will be a difficult phase for them.
Though the government has promised to give them all the facilities, but not sure how it is going to implement it. With the migrants travelling through the states, it would be cumbersome for the government to keep a track of it. We can’t blame the migrant workers entirely because everyone is in a state of panic at the moment because of the COVID-19.
While PM Modi had the time and again urged the Indians to stay at home and maintain discipline during the lockdown, no one seems to be listening. With India sailing past 80000 cases, it will be difficult to manage. The Vande Mataram Mission is helping to transport the stranded Indian citizens from abroad, but there is a strong possibility that many of those inbound might have the virus. Most of the corona cases have been imported cases. I just hope that this subsides soon if not, it is going to be a hazardous situation.
Another Topic I would like to discuss here is the police brutality. I understand that imposing a lockdown is a tough challenge for the government and police intervention is inevitable. But that doesn’t mean that police brutally thrash the people without humanity. They have been beating the migrant workers mercilessly. The Mumbai Police are polite and matured enough to handle the situations creatively. Their creative approach has gained praise across the country and even globally.
The UP Police is notorious for the manhandling the people for not following the lockdown rules. This morning I saw a video doing rounds where two Bairely policemen had mercilessly thrashed a 12-year-old young boy who stood at the fruit stall until his father came back from the shower. It is said that they abused the little boy and beat him hard to such an extent that his hand was swollen. What could have the 12-year-old done to deserve the police animosity? That video will break your heart just like it broke mine! Sensitization of the Indian police force is essential at this point in time.
Stick and stones may break your bones but this is not the time to let your stick and stones talk. People are going through a difficult phase and this needs to tackled maturely. Our country has several issues that no other country faces. No media is ready to show the actual happenings. The mainstream media is busy beating the bushes. Last month 16 migrant workers who rested at a railway track were crushed by a goods train.
It’s high time we need to take the Coronavirus seriously. Not even a single biotechnology company is ready with a vaccine and I don’t envision a vaccine coming before December 2020. At this point in time, we need to follow the government orders and not loiter around randomly. And lastly, Police should be sensitive towards its citizens. You can’t be brutal to your citizens.
