Gabfest: And Thereby Hangs A Tail

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Cimorene, Jan 9, 2017.

  1. Novalis

    Novalis Gold IL'ite

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    The retelling genre has been making waves on Indian literary shore for a while now. Mythologies are ripe for insights because of the story-telling charm. Recently, these mythologies are reorganised in soft-eyed and warm-hearted interpretations, mostly told from a resurfaced woman's point of view.

    While the earlier works followed the prophetic conventionality of the story, the recent adaptations are voiced in possibilities, imagined in varying styles.

    Both are fine reads with elegant prose.
     
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  2. Kohvachn

    Kohvachn Gold IL'ite

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    MGNREGA: India's social security program. On the headlines again, so I tried to understand what it is all about.

    A job creation welfare policy with a goal to find guaranteed wage employments for every household that has registered in the program, volunteering to do unskilled manual works. A state has to allocate work within 15 days of registration or pay the worker a fraction of the wage as compensation, I gather. 14yrs in implementation in many states has had a fair share of successes. Designed to be a credible safety net for the rural communities to lean on during unemployment times and economic distresses (like the present situation).
    Unique to this pandemic lockdown though, unfortunately, businesses are closed mostly and no jobs whatsoever. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are the major employers of the large migrant and informal worker population, are also the majorly hit sectors- both in terms of resources and finances. Besides...weddings, temple festivals, big (political, social, trade) event cancellations have affected many direct and indirect contractors involved. Such a scale of sudden shutdowns in the unorganized sectors has cost job opportunities for the millions of daily wage laborers pan India.

    The government is already planning to lift the lockdown gradually. India has a huge domestic market to cater any day, servicing its own population, enough to self-sustain until full recovery (that's my understanding). So once businesses recover, demands have come back and functioning is normal, there is distant hope that migrant and informal workers will find jobs again. Puts into context the
    The Continuing Relevance of MGNREGA scheme for rural laborers and extend the same to urban areas as well, considering the current burden of the shutdown and slowdown on the vulnerable, low wage incomers.

    Meanwhile for the short term security...

    In the relief package of 1.7 trillion rupees announced, Govt has increased the wages to Rs.200 for MGNREGS laborers, which is an additional Rs 2,000 to every worker, for three months. The package also includes provisions for free rations (rice/wheat and pulses) and free cooking gas cylinders as a food security support system for all the low-income families. Testing and treatment of COVID-19 are also available free/subsidized in public healthcare facilities. (After much backslashes) stranded migrants are now offered free food, shelters, and counsellings by govt and nonprofits.

    Some State govts have announced additional cash transfers and income support schemes, even arrangements for free meals to the poor. (Notable: TN's Amma Canteen Scheme).

    Regional and National relief funds are set up for donations and charities. Corporates and individuals are chipping in however they can. Funds are to come from the World Bank (and loans from Asian Development Bank).

    Sufficient much? feels otherwise, yes, but the arguments are mind tiring and discussed to death on SM and MSM, I had better skip it here. This is what India can afford at the moment with bearable strain on budgets and GDP. Maybe the govt will be able to expand the relief amounts and it's scope in the coming months, depending on the economy and CV-19 statuses.

    Media does raise a few valid concerns regarding the distribution of the benefits:

    If it will reach the migrants, farmers, uncategorized sector workers appropriately? They are a huge demographic group that has often limited awareness about govt schemes available to them. True.

    Though, the Indian banking system is well prepared to handle the billions of direct cash transfers by Govt. and private sectors, few glitches at last leg is unavoidable (ATM refilings, etc.), causing a delay in delivery and more inconveniences to bear? Possible.

    Are the measures put in - to control overcrowding in ration and food distribution centers, while enforcing social distancing effective enough? Disappointing news visuals here. :hmmm:

    Also, there is the possibility of negative impacts due to usual bureaucracies, inadequate staff, and infrastructures, slow govt process, etc. So yes, govt has to streamline the relief measure distribution, considering the urgency of the situation and the reliable actions it calls for. I agree (but what do I know! :lol::facepalm:). Just sharing my thoughts as an interested observer. :wink1:
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
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  3. Kohvachn

    Kohvachn Gold IL'ite

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    The case of international migrant workers...

    Desert lands have a similar lockdown and migrant situations, relevant to the discussion. The sudden disruption of businesses and service industries here - means the same thing, loss of livelihoods for unskilled, migrant laborers from developing countries (underpaid, possibly living and working in unfavorable conditions). Going back home is the one foolproof safety net for any migrant, only here that option is unavailable, you know why...fill in the blanks! They are probably right now stuck in their camps, with zero income, inadequate medical facilities, and minimal or little savings for daily expenses. They had come here to make extra money which has unexpectedly turned negative. :frown: State-sponsored news has no reports on their situation, of course. Neither anything in detail about the infected cases in general, just some ballpark figures every day. No assurances about any pandemic financial assistance or job guarantee either. To sum up, they had come all the way for nothing really? Just like that, poof. Everything is ruined! Makes you wonder about a lot of things we may otherwise complain about. :hmmm:

    Lockdown is essential to containing the virus. FWIW, this pandemic and the lockdown has exposed the "haves and have not" disparities to a greater extent. The able will make it through with no significant differences in life but for millions, it has become a double existential crisis, of health and livelihoods. Not to miss the water crisis, drought and heatwaves that may follow soon with the onset of summer in India. I don't know what to say here...! :confundio1:

    Note to self: Lockdown is such a privilege, don't ya bemoan! :smash2: :oops:
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
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  4. Kohvachn

    Kohvachn Gold IL'ite

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    Btw...the much-dreaded future of AI and Automation not far away? High costs maybe but no labor union demands, wage issues, safety net or labor health concerns next time a pandemic or any sort of apocalypse may hit the capitalists! :greedy: I'm not even joking here. I was skeptical about the robot overlords future but hey! "28 days later" is becoming a real scenario now, so why not! :hollering:
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
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  5. Kohvachn

    Kohvachn Gold IL'ite

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    While on the topic of #TheCostsOfLockdown...

    Mumbai’s slum challenge:

    mbi.PNG

    That's super packed houses! And, limited (schedule based) access to drinking water and shared toilets mean they may have to step out often to get water from public taps or to use the toilets: a case for any slums in any Indian city. Under these circumstances, enforcing social distancing and other lockdown measures, testing and handling of cv-19 cases, the surge of the same given the population density etc...nightmarish to imagine the magnitude of the problem from an (urban) design perspective! :eek:
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2020
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  6. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    That's why they call it the white collar lockdown. Some of us are baking and bingeing on Netflix while others don't know where rent will come from. This is where the unfettered rise of the corporatocracy has brought us. A handful of people have more than half the planet put together and they shame you and me into digging deeper into our pockets to support a struggling planet. This pandemic has given us a looking glass into the future that is not that far away. It is a sneak peak into a world where we failed to act on climate change, if it isn't too late already. The only difference is that these disparities will be starker and the suffering beyond contemplation. For now food stocks are ample and supply chains largely intact. Right now you have countries hoarding medical supplies, canceling exports, and seizing shipments at ports. Now imagine a world where crops are failing and there isn't enough to go around. You will see the same scenario but with food. The rich and mighty will stockpile everything they can on their private islands while the rest of plebs fight for scraps in the streets. It is unthinkable, but so was everything that we have seen happen around us in the last month alone.
     
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Rajinikanth fans all over in TN are organising cooking to serve locals and other migrated workers stranded without work . TN govt declared yesterday it is legal and offence.
    A fan has filed a case against government.
    Thanks and Regards.
     
  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    This is to correct an incorrect statement in above .
    TN Govt declared yesterday it is ILLEGAL & an offence.

    As of today, it is announced by TN Govt that private parties desires of helping the affected due to lock out shall seek within 24 hrs permission before for such distribution of food and other essentials to the needy.
    Thanks and Regards.
     
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  9. radv

    radv Gold IL'ite

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    Rihana - how I wish there was a provision to give multiple likes. I can use it for your above post.
     
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  10. Novalis

    Novalis Gold IL'ite

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    I fancy plain-sighted gifts, like mugs, tumblers, pens and key chains than locked up memorabilia which, though worthy and cherished in their own way, are retreated in memory. Unless you open the cupboard, and sight those well-wished objects, you are mostly unseeing about their linger in your life. Though widely purposed gifts like key chains lose their 'giver' charm with time, a key chain or a mug still has that spark to evoke that story of our life during the torpor of a lazy day when that thing curled in our fingers, on attending to it, reminds us of that affinity we shared with the giver who believed that we made a difference in their lives to capture that feeling with a tokenized gift.

    This gift with the slogan "Believing is everything" explicits it further.

    Celebrating the makings of one's life, it is exactly these near-sighted and small-valued, yet handpicked, gifts which trap the escaping flutter in the resin of our life.
     

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