India Lockdown

[Gin96]

I wonder how many people will die in India from starvation from 21 day lockdown, it make my problems insignificant in comparison. We’re so lucky go live in the UK

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52086274

autumnrose I know. They had a flight back mid march that was cancelled then now just had their 6th April flight cancelled. It might be because they have a changeover in the UAE. I'll look on the .Gov website to see what Raab was talking about today.

Oh Noodle, yes, I just heard about him yesterday.

But Indian rellies told me it was European tourists in Rajasthan.

I suppose we’ll never know.

My colleague is in India at the moment, she went over to sort her Grandparents house out before her parent dies and is now stuck. I wonder how long it will be before she manages to get home? She's in the north and staying with relatives so hopefully ok but I'm worried about her

From family I have heard that the shops are only open for an hour each day and the crowds are all pushing to get as much food as they possibly can

Also there is no travel at all because the police beat anyone up that they see on the roads

For all the praise that the India government are getting for controlling the virus, they are treating their poor citizens disgracefully

Fatima is your colleague in the group who will be helped to get home, as per Raab comments at today’s briefing?

I do hope so.

Has anyone tried the Feeding India link? www.feedingindia.org/donate

I wanted to make a donation but kept on getting an error message - not sure if this is because the donation is in I rupees and I'm using a £ bank card.

Or maybe I'm missing something!

How many days ago did they try the 14hours lockdown? That was never going to work.

Wahhh my civil liberties and feelings!!

It's not daft to keep a eye on civil liberties in these times, because of the opportunity a national emergency affords would-be authoritarians. Indeed Viktor Orban is properly going for it in Hungary right now: he's brought in rule by his decree with no time limit.

Coronavirus: Hungary government gets sweeping powers
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52095500

But in the UK I don't think we're near that line yet.

I would argue Modi has ruined the civil liberties of the people walking hundreds of miles to get home, the people struggling for food in a one hour shopping window.

I know of three people who are stuck in India too, they do have a changeover in Dubai so may be part of the reason. Thank you for the feeding India link, I didn't know about it before. Modi has a difficult task at hand, the demographic is so different there, I think piece of Maria summed it up really well. An awful situation for so many.

@AutumnRose1 I completely agree that he has

all those rich people in their high rises have no care for the common man on the ground, they are treated worse than animals

Always a worry when you have elderly relatives and friends there and the world suddenly seems so big and we are helpless

We had an elderly gentleman go to India from our street and he was supposed to be home last week but now he can’t and etihad have grounded all their flights dh is trying everyday to sort some way for him to return and it’s really distressing to hear him because he just wants to come back now

@AutumnRose1 I hope so. She was supposed to be flying back last week but Etihad cancelled all flights for 1 week, flight was rebooked for 1st April but then lockdown was announced. She was meant to be flying via AUH so I dont think that helps matters

“ all those rich people in their high rises have no care for the common man on the ground, they are treated worse than animals ”

I’m embarrassed to say, my cousin might be one of them. He told me about the lockdown so casually and I was saying “4 hours?” in complete disbelief....and he couldn’t see what my concern was! He has had the good grace to admit he was being a bit unthinking now.

He is an utter wanker though. I never used to speak to him but after dad died, he calls mum a lot so I feel obliged to keep in touch as he’s doing a kindness calling her often.

Sorry, that was off topic!

I was reading about this - many people going home for social capital - being in a community with friends and family - and support.

And you can't really blame people for that. Everyone wants to be with family no matter where or who they are - and they want to feel safe

I know someone who is in a relatively rich, rural place near the Himalayas. She says she doesn't want to leave. She's afraid of going on an aeroplane incase she catches it on there. She's not old and quite healthy. I'm worried she'll be taking resources from Indian people. It seems quite selfish to me.

But why should she leave if she lives there? Where will she go that is less of a potential problem than where she is?

And if she’s not old and quite healthy then there’s no reason to think she’ll be taking resources from anyone.

How easy is it to fly out anyway?

Reading pp it’s very difficult so she might not have a choice

Well she doesn't live there she's on a 2 year Visa. She doesn't have a job and is doing well because of savings and a good exchange rate. It's a worry of mine, it might not be all that rational.

Oh I see.

Such a sad situation. I think our government were quite sensible how they brought lockdown in gradually, everyone moaning on here saying it was to late, I think the UK handled very well, It’s reassuring Boris was reluctant to bring it in and not eager to take our freedom away.

Gin atm I feel ok with UK timing too. Govt left it as late as they could with gradual implementation.

I think they are stuck between a rock and a hard place though. Me and DH calculated how many people in India would die if you just let the virus loose, looking at a conservative figure of 2% your talking millions. Don't forget they also have very poor health care, people with poor nutrition will die in higher rates then in the West so the death rate could be higher then this. It does look very grime for them. I think unless we get a vaccine soon, a lot of these developing countries are going to see large death rates. Ventilators are saving at lest 50% of people who need them and that's around 15%-20% of people who get it badly. This technology won't be accessible to them.

I'm also aware they could just be delay the inevitable as until we have a vaccine once they lift the lockdown there is nothing to stop it spreading. It's really grim and in some ways better this pandemic started in China and Europe where we have the health care facilities.

India being discussed on R4 now