Night curfew and restrictions on shops will derail recovery in Cachar but it is "Necessary Evil"

The Corona pandemic last year had sent several countries around the world into the dark cave of lockdown including India. Even after somehow ‘surviving’ through the worst phase of 2020, its successor didn’t seem to differ much in terms of the effects of the Corona scare. With many states already having partial or full-scale lockdowns going on, the Assam Government has also decided to put partial restrictions on businesses and mobilisation.

While the order of April 20 put restrictions on all kinds of shops, malls, and market places from 6 pm to 6 am, another order from the Government yesterday put further restrictions like night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am which restricts any kind of movement except for particular emergencies.

According to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, around 60 lakh white-collar workers in India lost their jobs between May and August last year. The losses incurred by various businesses, especially the small-scale ones, is of such magnitude that it’s yet to recover. Especially, the small-scale vendors and merchants have almost hit rock bottom as it has become hard for them to make ends meet amid these restricted hours of business.

In the Cachar district, most of the local vendors believe that if the administration had been a bit more vigilant and strict in regulating and exercising the Covid protocols and imposing them on the citizens a bit earlier, this current scenario of lockdown could’ve been avoided. At the same time, if the general public was also equally irresponsible which resulted in this mayhem.

Rohit Gurung, a momo vendor from the Jhalupara neighbourhood of Silchar, is one such small-scale vendor who had to face the brunt of the economic impact of this lockdown. Just like most street food stalls of the city, the momo shops at Jhalupara usually start their day around the evening. “Momo vendors like us in Jhalupara start their business hours at around 5 pm and stay open until 9/9:30 pm, depending on how long a day’s stock lasts. The first blow came on April 20, when restrictions on shops, malls, and other business places were announced. The 6 pm restriction meant that we could only provide takeaway service of momos, even though we are following Covid protocols like mandatory use of masks and sanitiser at the entrance,” said Gurung.

“We are yet to recover from last year’s huge loss, and now this 8 pm night curfew is going to put another blow on our livelihood. This imposition of curfew means that vendors like us get barely 3 hours to operate our business and earn our entire day’s worth. And this isn’t just exclusive to my shop, but all the other shops as well in the entire Jhalupara region as well as other food stall owners just like us,” added the momo vendor who also wished that the common people take some initiative on their own to safeguard themselves and maintain the necessary Covid protocols.

On the other hand, the President of the South Assam Chapter, Chamber of Commerce, Vivek Podder is of the opinion that this imposed restriction on mobilisation and business hours is a necessary evil for the immediate need of the hour. Emphasising the immediate need for the partial lockdown, he said, “The lockdown of last year had affected all of us, starting from big businessmen to small-time vendors. But it is also true that to slow down the Covid spread and break the chain of infection, this partial lockdown is necessary. If this short-term lockdown helps us get over this phase of high infection rate, I think it should be welcomed and followed by all. The government alone can’t beat this pandemic, we all have to come united and do our own individual part in overcoming this dark phase.”

But Podder also agreed that such lockdowns affect the small-time vendors and merchants more than anybody else. Last year, the Chamber of Commerce, South Assam Chapter had strongly opposed the weekend curfew imposed by the Cachar District Administration. “It’s true that whenever such restriction is imposed, the small-scale vendors are always the first ones to get affected, mostly the ones who operate after evening time. And yes, lockdown can never be the ultimate solution to beat this virus, rather it’s merely a precautionary measure to stop its spread. To survive this pandemic, all of us should come forward and be responsible enough to follow the Covid protocols religiously as it’s the people only who can stop this spread of the virus through their responsible actions”, said Vivek Podder on the economic impact of this lockdown.

Mulchand Baid, President of the Food Grains Merchant Association, aired similar sentiments as well. He said, “It’s true that this partial lockdown is necessary to stop the spread of the virus. People from other states are arriving in this district, be it by air or road or train, but not all are going through the Covid screening after arriving here. This puts our city at huge risk of further Covid spread, as we already know that if our state ends up like the other states which have high infection rate in the coming days, we won’t be able to survive that scenario. Hence, this lockdown is essential keeping in mind the current circumstances. But the lockdown cannot be the ultimate weapon to beat this pandemic. The small-time vendors and merchants, mostly belonging from the middle-class, are yet to recover from last year’s financial losses. They can’t afford to go through another lockdown, hence following Covid protocols seriously has to be maintained at any cost, if we ever stand any chance of going back to the usual normalcy.”

It is worth mentioning that Vivek Podder has also said that in case of a full lockdown if the District Administration allows, the Chamber of Commerce, South Assam would be glad to come out with a list of merchants, especially the small-scale ones, to aid them if they face any hurdle. All in all, the entire district of Cachar is in a state of constant anxiety about any further lockdown which is surely going to affect us all if we don’t save ourselves in time by adhering to the Covid protocols.