Covid-19 has resulted in a flurry of government notifications leaving the citizen non-plussed. On a daily basis there are at least three notifications, some lacking clarity and left to the interpretation of individuals. Agreed that there is no easy way of managing the Lockdown and now ensuring that the Unlocking does not result in chaos, but the fact remains that citizens have now reached a point of Lockdown anxiety. The anxiety is visible. Citizens don’t want further restrictions on the pursuit of their livelihoods. Government may have tried to help people with free rations but it would be naive to believe that all the poor and destitute have access to such rations. There is always a gap between the needy and the public distribution system. There are numerous poor people in Meghalaya that do not have ration cards. Sometimes it’s not easy to provide the necessary documents unless the Dorbar Shnong plays a proactive role and negotiates on behalf of the residents in their respective Shnong.
Speaking about notifications, the one pertaining to playing of odd and even numbered vehicles is most confusing. If a person has a curfew pass does he/she have to follow the odd-even rule? Why are private vehicles restricted from plying when people need to do their grocery shopping and choose to do so from the new suburban markets that have sprung up beyond Shillong? Who will the farmers and vendors sell their products to if people are restricted from visiting the markets? Naturally, many apply for curfew passes on false pretexts! Sooner than later the State has to open up because any further shutting down of small and medium businesses will have a very deleterious effect on the livelihoods and incomes of people. For how long can the owners of shopping establishments exempt rent from their tenants? They too rely on the rentals for their livelihoods.
There is rage and anxiety that is building up but which is still kept under check. It is important for those in Government who craft daily notifications to also feel the pulse of the people. When some shops are allowed to open and others are not, it is not a fair deal. Not especially in a place like Police Bazar where only stand-alone shops have been allowed to open while shopping complexes such as Reliance Trends et al are still closed. Shop owners inside those complexes also pay the heaviest rent. How are the shop owners and the building owners negotiating their terms?
Then there are drivers of commercial vehicles whose earnings have come to an abrupt halt. The drivers have not been paid since the lockdown because the vehicles owners claim they too have no income. These are real life situations that need to be taken into account by Government before it comes up with the next and the next notification.