CoronaVirus: Open Letter to PM

Respected Pradhan Mantri Ji!

First of all really impressed with your address to nation on 19th March, 2020. There is no doubt that your idea of Janta Curfew on 22nd March will prove to be super successful preventive step, GOD willing. Moreover it will bring the whole nation together evidently proving 'Nation First'.

All agree that now utmost priority is to stop spreading of this deadly virus & cure effected persons. As preventive measures lot of establishment giving employments to millions are closed. We have to consider that lot of such people depend upon daily earnings for providing food to their families. For this your good self suggested that employers to be generous for not cutting salaries of employees.

Sir, with due respect I submit that firstly all employers are not generous & secondly if they are, some of them are not financially capable to pay salaries for forced holidays. My humble submission is that world is already facing menace of hunger deaths. 

Statistics say:

- 'Around 9 million people die every year of hunger and hunger-related diseases. This is more than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.'

- 'A child dies from hunger every 10 seconds'

- 'Poor nutrition and hunger is responsible for the death of 3.1 million children a year.'

- 'Globally, 822 million people suffer from undernourishment'.

It is understood that in this stage of epidemic, preventive closure of establishments is must for some weeks to come. It may not happen that in dealing with one devil of coronavirus, society may feed a bigger monster called Hunger. My request is that we including government should offer instant solution for providing food items to affected families.

Hunger knows no Viruses no Seasons no Religions no Boundaries no Enemies no Friends, IT KNOWS ONLY IT'S FEEDERS. Some time back Written a story Hunger Vs Hope at https://www.launchora.com/story/hunger-vs-hope

With limited brain, I feel following instant solution may be useful in dealing with this menace.

Food items like Rice, Wheat Flour, Pulses & Bread should be made available at maximum outlets at block and village levels. First of all this food kit should be started on top priority in affected areas thickly populated by poor & lower middle class.

Government machinery & volunteers from public may be used as forces for deliveries.

Government may create a corpus fund.

Corporates may be more than willing to offer funds and services for these noble cause. They may use their CSR fundings for same.

Individual donors contribution should be made tax free.

For distribution one packet per person should be made for one week required diets of including rice, pulses, wheat flour & bread.

All citizens should be eligible for getting free food items once a week for number of packets prorate to family members.

Distribution centres should be near to the targeted citizens, who are in poverty line.

Well quoted by Dwight D. Eisenhowe "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed"

All beneficiaries should fill their NPR forms at the distribution centres. This would help government in completing datas. So that no body can make false submissions later like the CM of one state recently claiming he is not having any birth certificate.

All beneficiaries should be tried for prelim tests for Coronavirus at distribution centres. If somebody found positive should be immediately treated in isolation centres. This will help in controlling spreading of virus too.

Sir, now a days most of wealthy persons are following the steps of philanthropists Bill Gates, Azim Premji etc. I am sure if planned well, it would not put extra financial burden on government. Government may put extra efforts on distribution centres, getting NPR details, providing testing & medical facilities at centres. 

Best Regards

Pavan Datta

Author & Advisor Launchora

[email protected]