Thread by @lonelyredcurl

Samyukta Kisan Morcha has decided that farmers unions in Punjab will oppose state-wide lockdown starting today. Media will no doubt begin demonizing farmers again. So before that:

Here's why complete lockdowns are only KILLING the poor and working class in India. A Thread.👇1/n

Every single move of the Modi Government post the imposition of the nation-wide lockdown last year has not been in controlling any pandemic, but in impoverishing and killing off the vast majority.

The billionaire class knows this is to their benefit. Let's see why.👇 2/n

More than a year ago when the lockdown was first announced, there was no preparation at all, no increase in health budget, no release of food grains

States weren't even allowed to dip into disaster funds to feed the people. Even GST dues were unpaid. 3/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1242469877044002817

The world's strictest lockdown was enforced from above without ANY consultation with government departments and experts, resulting in the biggest forced migration since partition.

Workers had to literally WALK hundreds of miles back to their homes. 4/n
bbc.com/news/world-asi…

Millions were pushed out of the workforce or pushed into casual labour. Workers were not paid pending wages even in projects run by the government itself.

With no money or food, they were sent home in trains in which they died of dehydration. 5/n
thehindu.com/news/cities/ch…

If in the cities they wouldn't get ration because their ration cards weren't accepted, in the villages they went back to they found it difficult because AADHAAR wouldn't work.

With no savings, no work and no universal PDS, they went hungry. 6/n
daijiworld.com/news/newsDispl…

Health services were disrupted resulting in reduced maternal care, child immunization, hiv/aids treatment, cancer referalls, emergency hospitalizations, the list goes on

And what of pregnancies & abortions because of lack of access to contraceptives? 7/n
livemint.com/news/india/how…

It will take us years to figure out the true extent of devastation of human life that happened because of the extended nationwide lockdown, but various estimates give us a peek into the horror. This is just one example. 8/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1337249506786623488

The effects of inability to access healthcare and widespread hunger during this period may not just have long-term effects, but also have contributed to an alarming number of NON-COVID deaths last year.

Who bore the brunt of it? 9/n
thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-bank…

Studies estimate that an ADDITIONAL 230 Million Indians fell into abject poverty because of these policies. Debt increased manifold. Wages have not risen back even now.

If the poor have less immunity and are more vulnerable now, what is the cause? 10/n
thewire.in/economy/additi…

What did the government do when millions were pushed into misery? It decided that workers and peasants should be punished even more.

Capitalists, economists and media backed 'reforms' (read means of appropriation of wealth for the ruling class). 11/n
ndtv.com/business/2020-…

Diluting labour laws, going back on minimum wages, increasing the work day, pushing through farm laws to ensure corporate takeover were all aimed at this and planned from the beginning.

Workers were being looted when they could least resist. 12/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1260232436589330432

So no food, no work, more debt and more misery for the workers. And the billionaires? They grew wealthier than ever before.

Meanwhile was there any improvement in health infrastructure? Or nationalization of essential services? 13/n
thehindu.com/news/national/…

Even now, thousands are dying not due to a mysterious second wave or new variant, but due to lack of ventilators and even when that is available, OXYGEN. Who is to blame?

What happened to the PM CARES fund that was collected from everyone? 14/n

https://twitter.com/aditipriya_0301/status/1389977835096453124

And the concern that is being showcased suddenly is limited to certain areas that hit home. Health care has totally collapsed and will do so even more with another lockdown.

The concern for the vast majority was non-existent then, and it is so now. 15/n

https://twitter.com/ambedkarperiyar/status/1387026726719524868

What happens when complete lockdowns are imposed without any of these needs taken care of? The vast majority lose their jobs and go hungry and get no health care.

So convenient when those who can WFH teach civic sense to those who are struggling to exist. 16/n

For you to sit at home, frontline healthcare and sanitation workers have to work round the clock, sometimes WITHOUT being paid

And after burning your bodies and cleaning your biomedical waste without safety gear, if they dare step out, this happens. 17/n

https://twitter.com/krishna0302/status/1387722319368392704

Is there any safety for the workers who handle the thousands of used masks and gloves that are discarded EVERYDAY? Beyond the claps and bangs, what's in it for them?

Would it be far-fetched to say this is a new form of untouchability? This protest was just yesterday. 18/n

How can someone without access to private vehicles reach a hospital on time, even if they are open, when public transport is totally stopped?

There are reports of police thrashing and arresting people who stepped out to donate blood. Who is giving the police this power? 19/n

The fact is the vast majority don't have the means or the wherewithal to even access the help being provided through social media, or buy oxygen cylinders for ₹1 lakh privately.

Even when they do, there is no surety it won't be snatched away. 20/n

https://twitter.com/HasibaAmin/status/1387432700819038211

The situation is such that even the courts are taking whatever hospital beds and oxygen concentrators they can find and keeping them for themselves.

What is for the poor when justice is fencing off healthcare? 21/n

https://twitter.com/JatinPaul/status/1390230282993770497

Fact is the workers and peasants know that 'WE ARE NOT IN THIS TOGETHER'. The magic wand of vaccines won't do the trick either because of the extent of breakthrough infections.

Already there is talk of 3rd wave and booster doses. Lockdown till when? 22/n
economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internati…

The government of course is least concerned about all this. What they are concerned about is minting more money for vaccine billionaires and gathering data for the private health care industry.

Hence the AADHAAR and facial recognition linkages. 23/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1384201051142692875

Workers are already being asked to produce test certificates to work even while they are not being paid. Add to this vaccine passports for work and travel.

This will squeeze out the last rupee from them and THEN ensure surveillance wherever they go. 24/n
thewire.in/rights/covid-1…

Meanwhile the government is again hiking fuel prices and also making it impossible for workers to fight for their interests.

Blame is shifted onto Muslims/Farmers/Workers. And any dissent is crushed. 25/n
newsclick.in/IR-Code-COVID-…

The government is only concerned about perception management and the literati about the right words to use to describe the genocidal rulers.

But the working class is even worse off than they were a year ago. They have no room for patience. 26/n
hindustantimes.com/india-news/mig…

They need ration, advance wages, moratorium on rents, and nationalization of health care. Not telemedicine or cover for devilish corporates to go back to killing people under the name of producing oxygen.

If not, NO LOCKDOWNS. 27/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1386354093522702339

Class solidarity is not just being witnessed in the concern that is being showcased, but in the solutions that are put forward.

All power to the farmers unions who are leading this fight against all odds! ✊ n/n

https://twitter.com/OmairTAhmad/status/1390634791742046219