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8 INTERNATIONAL
Socialist Worker 1 April 2020

Millions fear

starvation

after India

shutdown

THE INDIAN government’s Ram Nivas Yadav, an auto-rick-
attempts to lock down over a bil- shaw driver in Delhi, told report-
lion people are collapsing after ers, “My landlord wants the rent at
only a few days. the beginning of every month, with-
Prime minister Narendra Modi out fail.
last week ordered the country be “He will simply throw me out if
shutdown for 21 days in a bid to I don’t pay,”
stop the spread of the coronavirus. He added, “I used to earn 400-
The hard right prime minister 500 rupees (£4-£5) per day, but
suggested that people “take inspi- now I can’t earn anything because
ration from frontline soldiers” and of the lockdown.
show resolve in tough times. “I won’t be able to eat anything
But by last Saturday hundreds of after three to four days.”
thousands of workers in the main A large government disaster fund
cities were trying to return to their has been set up.
villages across the country fearing But the hollowing out of the state
they would starve during the quar- under successive right and centre
antine period. right governments means there are
Most of those fleeing are day few ways of ensuring people are fed
labourers, living a hand to mouth in a time of crisis. DESERTED STREETS in Bangalore
existence. That’s why Modi has also
With the economy shut down demanded that state governments party won most seats in this year’s labourers are now stranded at a than a thousand cases and 25
and little or no welfare provision in use physical force to stop the election, a police officer caused checkpoint, unable to return home deaths.
place, many had decided to try to movement of people. outrage when she attacked a flee- to tend the red chili harvest. Some medical professionals pre-
make it home. Heavily armed troops have ing worker. With no food or water, they are dict a large rise in cases that could
Bus stations were swamped by placed roadblocks on all the main Pinning him to the floor, she left in limbo with the desolate city devastate the country.
thousands of people who upon exits from the cities. wrote “I’ve violated lockdown, stay behind them, while their families But widespread distrust of politi-
finding there were no buses decided This is becoming a new source away from me” on his forehead. wait desperately for them to return. cians and the state means that many
to try and walk home—even if of tension. In the central state of And, in the southern state of India currently has a relatively millions of people fear starvation
home is hundreds of miles away. Madhya Pradesh, where Modi’s BJP Andhra Pradesh several thousand low level of infections, with less more than the coronavirus.
Strikes and repression spread across the African continent

ZIMBABWE showing police gleefully assaulting said it is looking to “depopulate”
29 large informal settlements
members of the public in other
NURSES AND doctors in parts of the country.” where tens of thousands of people
Zimbabwe in southern Africa The tear gas caused hundreds live.
began a strike last week to protest of people trying to reach a ferry in The department of human
against the shortage of personal the port city of Mombasa ahead of settlements says it is moving
protective equipment (PPE). the overnight curfew to touch their people to areas where they will
Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors faces as they vomited, spat and have better facilities.
Association spokesperson Tapiwa wiped away tears. This increases But shack dwellers movement
Zvakada said doctors won’t the chance of the virus’s spread, Abahlali baseMjondolo says that
resume work until the government the rights groups said. brutal evictions are being carried
provides them proper protective out without any concern for the
gear they need while treating residents.
patients. People in Kenya run from the police SOUTH AFRICA “The government tells us
“There is a difference between POLICE ASSAULTED homeless that we must all stay inside our
heroism and committing suicide,” regard all nurses are withdrawing KENYA people in Johannesburg and hit homes during this health crisis
said Zvakada. “Let PPEs be their services with immediate POLICE FIRED tear gas at a crowd some with batons minutes after a and yet, at the same time, they
available first and then we will be effect until there is genuine action of Kenyan ferry commuters as the three-week lockdown began last are demolishing the homes of
able to offer our services and help taken by the employer.” country’s first days of a coronavirus Friday. They also fired rubber impoverished people” said the
our patients.” The present emergency has curfew began last week. bullets at shoppers queuing outside group.
Nurses in the public hospitals accelerated longer term issues. Amnesty International Kenya a supermarket. “We are left with no choice but
who have also joined the strike Five months ago, during a and 19 other human rights groups On Saturday the military raided to continue to resist oppression
said the health ministry have not previous strike, senior doctors said they were “horrified by a large workers’ hostel in Alexandra during this crisis.
responded to previous requests for described the situation at the excessive use of police force” ahead township near Johannesburg “We will organise our resistance
PPE. country’s hospitals as a “silent of the curfew that began last Friday for alleged failure to apply the in the safest possible way, but we
The Zimbabwe Professional genocide.” night. lockdown.At least 55 people across will resist. People whose homes
Nurses Union said in a statement, They said doctors are forced “We continue to receive the country were arrested. have been destroyed now have no
“It seems our concern is not getting to work without basics such as testimonies from victims, In a move that could have huge other choice than to reoccupy and
the urgency it deserves. So in that bandages, gloves, and syringes. eyewitnesses and video footage consequences, the government has to rebuild.”