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- Experts worry about impact of lockdown on economically marginalized people
NEW DELHI: Hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days on Tuesday night, the southern state of Telangana sent a stronger warning saying authorities would issue 鈥渟hoot on sight鈥� orders if the curfew was not observed.
Telangana Chief Minister K C Rao鈥檚 statement came in the wake of several people defying the lockdown by venturing out onto the streets.
鈥淧lease don鈥檛 let it come to this. The administration cannot stop everyone, and I will have to call in the army or issue 鈥榮hoot on sight鈥� orders,鈥� Rao said in a press briefing late on Tuesday night, hours after Modi鈥檚 address to the nation where he decreed a three-week lockdown for 1.3 billion people.
He further requested people to 鈥渟tay at home鈥� as, otherwise 鈥渢he entire society will get hurt. Nobody should step out of their homes strictly after 7 a.m.
鈥淚f they need something, they can dial 100 and the police will help them. If need be, we will also shut down petrol pumps,鈥� Rao said.
Political analysts said that the shoot order reflected 鈥渢he frustration of the government at a time when an unmanageable crisis鈥� was unfolding.
鈥淭he government has woken up late to the escalating coronavirus crisis. It now wants to control it somehow. But you cannot stop people from stepping out on the street who survive on daily wages,鈥� Prof. Venkat Narayan of Telangana-based Warangal University told Arab News.
By Wednesday, Telangana had reported 36 positive cases compared to the all-India figure of 562 鈥� a jump of 19 cases since Tuesday.
Close on its heels was another southern state, Tamil Nadu, which also registered its first death due to the virus, taking the total toll across India to 11.
Meanwhile, many places across India witnessed panic buying after Tuesday鈥檚 announcement of a nationwide lockdown.
鈥淲e were already preparing ourselves for a tough time ahead, but the sudden announcement of the nationwide lockdown on Tuesday night has taken us by surprise. On top of that the government鈥檚 harsh measures to control mobility on the street has compelled us to stock rations,鈥� Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Mokama in the eastern state of Bihar, told Arab News.
The government, however, assured people that essential services would be maintained and that there was no need to panic.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 need to worry about essential services. The government will ensure a supply of essential items,鈥� Modi said in his address to the nation.
Some experts said they were worried about the impact of the lockdown on economically marginalized people.
鈥淲e cannot allow a virus safety protocol only for the middle-class who have homes and secure jobs and force the poor to stay hungry, walk hundreds of kilometers to their villages, with the police beating them. The government must find ways to save us all, rich and poor together,鈥� Delhi-based social activist Harsh Mander said.
Prashant Kishore, a Patna-based political activist,said: 鈥淲e are paying the price for being behind the curve. The decision to lockdown India may be right, but 21 days might be a bit too long.
鈥淏ut then this is the price one pays for being behind the curve. With the shaky preparedness to deal with the Covid 19 crisis and very little to safeguard the poor, we could be staring at some tough days ahead,鈥� he said.