THE PANDEMIC AND THE GANDHIAN PERSPECTIVE

Relevance: G.S paper I: Society and issues

Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the world into a pervasive crisis encompassing every aspect of human life. With the passage of time, the trade-off between saving lives and saving livelihoods has grown starker. This onslaught of circumstances calls for an alternative way of managing human affairs and revisiting Mahatma Gandhi.

• The most fearsome feature of this pandemic is its uncertainty: from the symptoms and their absence, to the possibility of its return with a vengeance, and the serious after-effects on the ‘recovered’ cases.
• It is time to introspect about the wrongs we have committed as ‘civilised’ inhabitants of the earth which makes our ways of living so precarious, inequitable and unsustainable today.
• Beginning with the containment of wants, Gandhian economics, grounded on the premises of non-violence, truth and non-covetousness, is instantly antithetical to mainstream economics.
• Dignity of labour, self-sufficient and strong village economy and the principle of trusteeship emerge as logical corollaries of this system of thought with an inbuilt thread of morality running through it to offer an integrated view of managing economy, polity and society harmoniously. Gandhian thought can provide some critical insights during this exercise in introspection.

• • Squeezing wages and exploiting workers is also equivalent to violence.
  • Unequal landholding is a manifestation of greed, which was sought to be corrected through the Bhoodan movement by Gandhiji’s illustrious disciple, Vinoba Bhave.
  • Creating circumstances that force people to migrate because of poverty might amount to violence at a societal level.
  • Gandhiji wanted to reverse this by making village communities stronger and self-sufficient.
  • Empowering villages through a benevolent Jajmani system was his idea of nurturing the roots of India that lived mostly in villages.
• Gandhiji’s ideas about the choice of technology have been much debated, but the key idea of optimally using the local resources and skills are the basic tenets of any textbook trade theory.
  • Machines are useful. But they should not impact the dignity of labour.
  • He was not against industries.
  • Using profit towards larger social good, which is the crux of Corporate Social Responsibility, can be traced back to Gandhiji’s idea of Trusteeship.
  • The current pandemic has paved the way for the possibility of such experimentation, and there are several grounds to justify this position.

1. a) Changing Consumption Pattern

• The pattern of consumption has changed significantly.
• Studies have noted a substantial reduction in ‘discretionary’ consumption.
• Consumers are less blinded by the ‘brand value’ and are increasingly alert about distinguishing between essential and non-essential consumption.
• Preferences are shifting to natural and herbal remedies and people are learning about their goodness and lasting effects.
• On the one hand, there are studies of higher incidence of substance abuse, alcoholism, anxiety and depression, and on the other, innovative and creative ways are being devised to make home-stay more bearable.

1. b) Changing Patterns of Production

• As the world grapples with the problem of fragmentation of the supply chain, the necessity to restart in whatever manner possible, producers may be forced to relocate their sources of supply.
• An UNCTAD economist, in his study, observes a trend towards the relocation of GVC (Global Value Chain) in favour of greater use of local skills and materials.
• Experts highlight compulsions to turn to green technology.
• Interestingly, investment in green technology can unleash a significant multiplier effect with a high employment potential as noted by ILO.

1. c) Empathy towards the Deprived

• The States & Union governments did arrange Shramik trains to ensure safe return, but the role of individuals, NGOs and religious institutions that extended a helping hand so spontaneously cannot be overemphasised.
• When the existing patterns of socio-economic systems are shaken, they create a space for a paradigm shift.

It is also an opportune time to correct the previous malfunctions of the system. For example:

Reducing Rural-Urban Imbalance:

• Providing more jobs in the non-agriculture sector and more so in manufacturing is the need of the hour.
• Promoting agro-based and related commercial activities such as fisheries and food processing can go a long way in providing more opportunities for gainful employment in the rural sector, which would be a step in the Gandhian direction.

Gender Issue:

• It is well-recorded that there is an increase in violent, abusive, impulsive, compulsive, and controlling behaviour and aggression towards women during the period of economic hardships.
• Studies suggest an astonishing rise in the harassment of women behind closed doors.
• This has justified the term ‘parallel pandemic’ to domestic violence, underlining the dark gender impact of the pandemic, but they have also brought out the issue of gender disparity and the disenfranchisement of women in a manner that can no longer be overlooked.

1. d) Treatment to the Reverse Migrants

• States which have had pressure for accommodating reverse migrants now have an opportunity to deploy their expertise at home.
• These States can use this experienced labour force to work on improving infrastructure, building industrial estates, setting up new MSMEs, etc. to attract more business.
• As for migrants with experience of running tiny or home-based businesses, it is possible to bring them together into clusters to form co-operatives. States can benefit by collaborating with ILO which has a rich experience of hand-holding many such projects across the globe.
• Co-operatives are important because they facilitate decentralisation of the process of growth, which is Gandhian in spirit.

1. e) Urban Development

• Covid-19 has emphasised the need for cleanliness and hygiene like never before.
• It has compelled the urban local bodies to improve and expand their health services.
• Ignoring hygiene or treating it as welfare or a charitable act is not going to help because these are necessary for everyone’s survival now.
• In a way, ensuring decent living conditions, which is implicit in the dignity of labour, is thrust upon us as a need for survival.

1. f) Decent Wages and the Covid Allowance

• States from where the migrant workers have moved out have had to raise wages due to a severe shortage of labour.
• They do echo the need to treat workers with dignity though under duress.

1. g) Environmental Concerns

• Lockdown reportedly reduced air and water pollution substantially.
• It would be up to us to maintain it with as much caution as possible.

Conclusion

Any attempt to engage in greater sustainability is Gandhian in spirit because it can be achieved only by rising above the baser instincts of greed, violence and petty self-importance. Goals can be seen as an integrated vision stemming from the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of human beings with each other, with nature, and other beings supported by nature.

The pandemic has opened up opportunities to tweak our ways of living on this planet in a wiser and more compassionate way. The choices we make now can have long-term effects on our well-being.