First, it is the Covid-19 pandemic followed by nationwide lockdown
First, it is the Covid-19 pandemic followed by nationwide lockdown
It is rightly said, ‘Life is not a bed of roses’; in fact it sometimes seems that the bed of life is only filled with thorns. The current scenario of the world in general and our country in particular is not only utterly depressing, but also one that most of us had never imagined even in our dreams. The only word that comes to the mind at a time like this is – mayhem.
Being the prefect of a class, and the little that I understand about leadership, I know the kind of responsibility a leader has to take in times of difficulty. You are held responsible/accountable not only for your own activities, but for every person you are the leader of. This was the exact plight of our Prime Minister during these hard times. It is very easy to point fingers at others saying that they are not doing enough, but to chair the leading position, is totally a different state of affairs. Hence, for once I want to step into the shoes of this extremely important and responsible role of the leader of our nation - the Prime Minister (PM).
While imagining myself to be in the prestigious position, and being faced first by the pandemic Covid-19, my first efforts would surely be to spread the awareness of the seriousness of the matter. Accordingly I would perhaps have stricter measures introduced when putting into force the nationwide lockdown. Understanding the difficulty of the people in procuring daily household items, I would deploy teams to make sure that food and everyday essentials reach every household.
About Covid-19, I would further put some effort into getting more tests done. Just like we have volunteers going from door to door to gather data for the census, I would immediately procure the test kits from the manufacturers and use them correctly with the help of appropriately skilled individuals. This would prevent people from going out and further spreading the disease. For the migrant workers, I would have used the stadiums/stadia and other available large places to station them, so that they too could be attended to and tested as soon as possible. I would make use of relief funds for the food and essentials of these people, for their service to the nation are most significant. From my knowledge of similar past pandemic situations (SARS), I would make it a point to have centres of emergency medical support ready for the citizens. In this way, I would not have to get frantic at the time of a crisis like this.
When India was already battling the Covid-19 pandemic, it had to prepare for another challenge in the form of the two devastating incoming cyclones – the Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan and the Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga. Since the majority of my workforce would be engaged in dealing with the pandemic, I would ensure that I have all the remaining hands on board. Evacuation of people as a safety measure after receiving the cyclone warnings from the weather forecast department would be on my priority list. As the PM, I would urge the Chief Ministers of the States that are likely to be affected by the cyclones Amphan and Nisarga to stay alert and act effectively. Sending financial aid to arrange all the necessary basic needs is what I would do next.
I would definitely include the special requirements of the women on my priority list and make arrangements for them accordingly. I would give instructions to the leaders of the States to make temporary toilets and washrooms, along with basic toiletries for women in particular.
Definitely it is impossible to have unlimited funds to mobilize during such pressing times, so I would seek help from the privileged lot. I presume setting up drop boxes in locally important areas or direct mailing / whatsapp to the PM or open forums for particularly two things would be helpful. One would be to inform the PM of the problems one is facing so that at least I am aware of what is going on and help solve those on a priority basis. The other would be where people could come forward to offer their services – in cash or in kind.
First the pandemic, then the two devastating cyclones and now India has to face another challenge - the locust attack. Large and aggressive swarms from the neighbouring country invaded the Indian States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in the month of April. The large swarms of locust posed fresh problem for the farmers of these States amid the ongoing pandemic situation. As a responsible PM, I would provide financial help in the form of interest free loans to the farmers who had lost their crops or plants owing to this locust invasion. I would provide pesticides for the affected areas free of cost. Additionally, information on how to deal with these pests would be circulated through the media. I would also advise the farmers to gather as much of the harvest they could from whatever is left and make use of it locally.
The sign of a good leader is not just to delegate work to others but need to keep track and follow up as well. And that is exactly what I would do. Keep track of every State and assist them in every way possible. At a time like this, as the leader of the nation, I would keep politics at bay. Being the Prime Minister comes later but being human and understanding the needs of my fellow countrymen is my foremost duty.
© Arked
It is rightly said, ‘Life is not a bed of roses’; in fact it sometimes seems that the bed of life is only filled with thorns. The current scenario of the world in general and our country in particular is not only utterly depressing, but also one that most of us had never imagined even in our dreams. The only word that comes to the mind at a time like this is – mayhem.
Being the prefect of a class, and the little that I understand about leadership, I know the kind of responsibility a leader has to take in times of difficulty. You are held responsible/accountable not only for your own activities, but for every person you are the leader of. This was the exact plight of our Prime Minister during these hard times. It is very easy to point fingers at others saying that they are not doing enough, but to chair the leading position, is totally a different state of affairs. Hence, for once I want to step into the shoes of this extremely important and responsible role of the leader of our nation - the Prime Minister (PM).
While imagining myself to be in the prestigious position, and being faced first by the pandemic Covid-19, my first efforts would surely be to spread the awareness of the seriousness of the matter. Accordingly I would perhaps have stricter measures introduced when putting into force the nationwide lockdown. Understanding the difficulty of the people in procuring daily household items, I would deploy teams to make sure that food and everyday essentials reach every household.
About Covid-19, I would further put some effort into getting more tests done. Just like we have volunteers going from door to door to gather data for the census, I would immediately procure the test kits from the manufacturers and use them correctly with the help of appropriately skilled individuals. This would prevent people from going out and further spreading the disease. For the migrant workers, I would have used the stadiums/stadia and other available large places to station them, so that they too could be attended to and tested as soon as possible. I would make use of relief funds for the food and essentials of these people, for their service to the nation are most significant. From my knowledge of similar past pandemic situations (SARS), I would make it a point to have centres of emergency medical support ready for the citizens. In this way, I would not have to get frantic at the time of a crisis like this.
When India was already battling the Covid-19 pandemic, it had to prepare for another challenge in the form of the two devastating incoming cyclones – the Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan and the Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga. Since the majority of my workforce would be engaged in dealing with the pandemic, I would ensure that I have all the remaining hands on board. Evacuation of people as a safety measure after receiving the cyclone warnings from the weather forecast department would be on my priority list. As the PM, I would urge the Chief Ministers of the States that are likely to be affected by the cyclones Amphan and Nisarga to stay alert and act effectively. Sending financial aid to arrange all the necessary basic needs is what I would do next.
I would definitely include the special requirements of the women on my priority list and make arrangements for them accordingly. I would give instructions to the leaders of the States to make temporary toilets and washrooms, along with basic toiletries for women in particular.
Definitely it is impossible to have unlimited funds to mobilize during such pressing times, so I would seek help from the privileged lot. I presume setting up drop boxes in locally important areas or direct mailing / whatsapp to the PM or open forums for particularly two things would be helpful. One would be to inform the PM of the problems one is facing so that at least I am aware of what is going on and help solve those on a priority basis. The other would be where people could come forward to offer their services – in cash or in kind.
First the pandemic, then the two devastating cyclones and now India has to face another challenge - the locust attack. Large and aggressive swarms from the neighbouring country invaded the Indian States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in the month of April. The large swarms of locust posed fresh problem for the farmers of these States amid the ongoing pandemic situation. As a responsible PM, I would provide financial help in the form of interest free loans to the farmers who had lost their crops or plants owing to this locust invasion. I would provide pesticides for the affected areas free of cost. Additionally, information on how to deal with these pests would be circulated through the media. I would also advise the farmers to gather as much of the harvest they could from whatever is left and make use of it locally.
The sign of a good leader is not just to delegate work to others but need to keep track and follow up as well. And that is exactly what I would do. Keep track of every State and assist them in every way possible. At a time like this, as the leader of the nation, I would keep politics at bay. Being the Prime Minister comes later but being human and understanding the needs of my fellow countrymen is my foremost duty.
© Arked