In a second open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19, actor politician Kamal Haasan has yet again urged the government to 'not lose sight' of the plight of  the most downtrodden and underprivileged people of our society. The Makkal Needhi Maiyam leader has penned how the people with lesser means of making an everyday living have been left to fate with a sudden lock-down and no immediate relief in sight. 

The actor has said that while the 'psycho therapy' address of the nation is welcomed, he fears that if left unsupervised Hunger, Exhaustion and Deprivation (HED) of the poor will become a more deadly virus than COVID-19. Excerpts from his letter:

"You must have noticed that even your naysayers clapped and cheered when you gave the call to do so in order to appreciate the countless health-workers working selflessly and tirelessly for the masses..My biggest fear is that the same mistake of demonetization is being repeated albeit at a much bigger scale..While your world lit up oil diyas in their balconies, the poor are struggling to gather enough oil to bake their next roti. Your last two addresses to the nation had you trying to calm the people which is necessary in these trying times but there is something more urgent as well as important than that.

 

What about those who don't even have a roof on their heads?..As millions of daily wage labourers, house-helps, street-cart vendors, auto-rickshaw & taxi drivers and helpless migrant workers struggle to see light at the end of the tunnel, we seem to be securing only an already well-built middle-class fortress. Don't get me wrong sir, I am not suggesting we ignore the middle-class or any one segment. In fact, I am suggesting the exact opposite. I would like to see you doing more to secure everybody's fortress and ensure that nobody goes to bed hungry. 

 

Covid-19 will continue to find more victims but we are creating a fertile playground for Hunger(H), Exhaustion(E) and Deprivation(D) of the poor. HED '20 is a malady that is smaller in profile but far deadlier compared to Could-19. It's impact will be felt long after Covid-19 has vanished.

India's first case was reported on 30'h of January..When we eventually woke out of our slumber, you ordered an entire nation of 1.4 bn people to shut down within 4 hours. A mere 4 hour notice period for the people when you had a 4 month notice period! Visionary leaders are ones who work on solutions long before problems become big. I am sorry to say that sir, this time your vision failed.

 

I dare anyone to call me an ant-national this time. The common populace cannot be blamed for being ill-prepared for a crisis of this magnitude but you can be and shall be blamed for this..India's biggest potential is its human potential and we have tided over bigger crises in the past. We will overcome this too but it must be done in a way that brings everyone together and doesn't become yet another reason to choose sides.We are angry but we are still on your side.

Jai Hind!