Shekhar Gupta: Situation normal, but all locked up

India needed to get back to work in stages. But by not getting the country out of the induced coma of the lockdown, Modi govt has risked incapacitating it

Just how successful has the lockdown been? Just how bad would the situation have been if it wasn’t this total?

How can you take a chance in a country of 1.38 billion, mostly poor, people? Didn’t the prime minister say “jaan hai to jahan hai”? Jaan toh hai. We have the lowest per million fatality rate from coronavirus for any major country. Therefore, thank your chosen God, so far, so good. And get back indoors. Really?

We are managing to stay alive, but our livelihoods are in deep freeze. For far too many fellow Indians these won’t return any time