‘Politics being played on Covid-19 issue as well’

Known as a maverick leader who has been taking on those in power for their improper handling of any issue, Lok Insaf Party (LIP) chief and MLA Atam Nagar Simarjit Singh Bains has been criticising the state government for not addressing the Covid-19 related issue properly. He talks to TOI’s Shariq Majeed on various issues related to the Covid-19 related scenario in Ludhiana and the state as a whole.
Q:How do you see the current scenario?
A: No doubt, Covid-19 is a disease but politics is being played on this issue as well. There are incumbent Prime Ministers and chief ministers from India to the USA who are using the present crisis to return to power. If the opposition leaders here speaks on such an issue, cases are registered against them to silence them. In Punjab, they speak of ensuring social distancing but there is a complete opposite picture in buses, 80% of which are of Badals. Is there no impact of no social distancing there?
Besides, labour in lakhs is stuck in Arab countries. With our efforts, 116 such persons returned to the state recently. But is not my purview and its the state government’s and the CM’s responsibility to bring back lakhs of Punjabis stuck there. He (CM) is under self quarantine. He should appoint a deputy CM to tackle this issue and take the matter with the ministries concerned to bring them home. Elderly person are roaming around and the CM is holding only video conferencing. If those ruling step up action, then the administration will work.
Ludhiana scenario is no different. No one came to listen to the Hazur Sahib pilgrims who returned. We made effort to take care of them.
Q: How do you rate the government’s handling of the Covid scenario?
A: On one side the state government is talking of Mission Fateh and on other hand, the health minister is saying that a lockdown can be imposed again. Since there is no vaccine or medicine for the disease, it is important to have strong immunity. I told Ludhiana DC and special principal secretary Suresh Kumar that why they are not implementing the central government’s ayurvedic scheme, which is free of cost. This speaks of the sincerity of the government. They are giving ration to few, getting pictures clicked and even those ration bags have the chief minister’s picture.
Q: What should be done under the present circumstances?
A: People are being pushed into quarantine centres like chicken. Those returning from Arab countries had to pay four times the cost of the ticket even as they hadn’t got salaries for months. They are paying Rs 500 or more per day in such quarantine centres. They should be home quarantined as I think that they can improve immunity there. So far, as other people are concerned, Punjab government should start that central government free ayurvedic remedy scheme in the state.
Q: What about the migrant workers issue?
A: If people from Punjab are coming from outside, then what is wrong if they (migrants) also wanted to go to their native places to meet their families. Not sending them would have been human rights violation and we cannot make them bonded labourers. Now, industrialists are getting calls from them to bring them back. With the help of employers, they are coming and 50% industrial activity has already been restored. I just want to ask the government where are the orders to waive power bills which they had announced during the curfew/lockdown.
Q: How do you see the government handling of school fee issue?
A: They had announced that no fee will be charged from students but in the Punjab and Haryana high court they gave a weak reply to favour schools and go against parents of the students. They have a nexus with educational institutes and take donation from them. So to protect their interest, they gave a weak reply, which was against the facts.
Q: What is the way ahead to check the spurt of cases?
A: I think testing kits of same company give different results in two different hospitals and even the company making those agrees that those are not 100% accurate. We should follow the guidelines of the ministry of home affairs and ministry of health, so that a lot of such cases can be checked by having powerful immunity. Precautionary measures should be taken like social distancing and masks also should be worn.
Q: How do you rate your role during this whole crisis?
A: I think LIP volunteers and teams were the only ones to rise to the occasion and encouraged those with disease and suspects as well. Our volunteers provided electric kettles, nebulisers, fruits and food, etc. to them. Daily our teams go to see them at the civil hospital, Mother and Child Hospital in Jamalpur, Meritorious School and PAU quarantine centres. We fulfilled our duty towards humanity.