If COVID-19 containment and relief efforts fail, Indian authorities must act quickly to safeguard the country's poorest and most vulnerable citizens, Human Rights Watch warned today. The government declared a three-week countrywide lockdown on March 24, 2020, to stop the spread of coronavirus throughout the country. Because of the loss of livelihood and lack of food, shelter, health, and other fundamental requirements, the lockdown has already disproportionately harmed underprivileged populations. Although the government has a responsibility to protect the population's health and well-being, some of these policies have left tens of thousands of jobless migrant workers stranded due to the lack of train and bus service. Despite the government's obligation to protect the public's health and well-being, some of these actions have left tens of thousands of jobless migrant workers stranded while rail and bus services have been shut down.The widespread shutdown of state borders has affected the supply of essential goods, producing inflation and shortage worries. Thousands of homeless people are in desperate need of help. According to accounts, police actions to punish those who ignore orders have resulted in abuses against people who are in need. "The Indian government has an enormous task in protecting over a billion people living in close quarters, but increased efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in India must include human rights safeguards," said Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch's South Asia director."Authorities should realise that malnutrition and untreated disease can compound difficulties, and they should guarantee that the poorest people are not unfairly burdened by a lack of basic goods." The federal government launched a rescue package of 1.7 trillion rupees (US$22.5 billion) on March 26 to give free food and cash transfers to the poor and vulnerable, as well as health insurance for healthcare personnel.Protective equipment, medical benefits, and timely wages should be provided to those at risk, such as sanitation workers (safai karamcharis), community health workers (ASHA workers), early childhood caregivers (anganwadi workers), and people like midday meal workers – often poorly paid public servants – who are on the front lines during this crisis. With more than 80% of India's workforce working in the informal sector and one-third working as casual workers, it's critical that the government makes the most of its resources to assure service delivery.The government should take immediate action to assist trapped migrant workers. State governments around the country should set up shelters and communal meals for people in need right once, while also ensuring physical separation. Human Rights Watch stated that the government should not employ Aadhaar (identification card)-based biometric authentication for the delivery of free food grains to the needy.Failure of Aadhar has resulted in denial of key services and benefits even under normal conditions. Muslims in Delhi who were uprooted by sectarian violence in February want immediate assistance, compensation, and accommodation. The government should pay all outstanding payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and broaden its reach to include people who have been displaced from their jobs. Because of the lockdown, rural labourers will be unable to work and should be paid during the crisis. During harvest season, farming communities are losing money, and the government has to increase procurement to safeguard agricultural revenue and save the produce.The government should immediately direct the police to enforce the lockdown with discretion. In various regions, images and videos show cops assaulting people who are attempting to obtain basic necessities. A 32-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by police in West Bengal after stepping out of his home to obtain milk. In a video from Uttar Pradesh, police humiliate migrant labourers who were attempting to walk home by forcing them to bounce on the roadway.Homeless individuals were allegedly beaten by police in Maharashtra in order to expel them off the streets. Daily wage labourers, such as vegetable and fruit vendors, milk sellers, auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, and others who supply basic items, have been targeted by police. Doctors and health care professionals have also been allegedly harassed by police. Individual stigmatisation and vigilante violence are becoming increasingly concerning to Human Rights Watch. People have been unfairly punished or publicly shamed by police in numerous states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, who have forced them to display posters proclaiming "I am an enemy of society because I would not stay at home." ”Health workers and airline employees in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu suffered harassment from their neighbours, and landlords threatened to remove them because they were suspected of carrying COVID-19. Quarantined individuals have also been vilified and threatened with eviction. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics face societal prejudice, according to the national health minister. Despite escalating mob violence in India, the state governments of Rajasthan and Karnataka made the names and addresses of COVID-19 victims public, exposing them to attack. Officials identified residences where individuals were under quarantine in Delhi, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, with their names displayed in certain cases. The Election Commission approved the use of indelible ink to stamp persons for home quarantine, and the Maharashtra government announced that all those ordered to home quarantine will have their left hand stamped, increasing their risk of abuse. These steps, according to Jan Swasthya Abhiyan of the Individuals's Health Movement, are "arbitrary and reactive" and would "instead generate fear, isolation, and stigmatisation," preventing people from seeking tests.It requested the government to cease these actions and preserve the privacy and confidentiality of persons impacted by COVID-19 in a letter to the national minister of health. "Indian authorities should take all necessary efforts to guarantee that everyone has access to food and medical treatment, and that the poor and underprivileged are not abused or ostracised," added Ganguly. "The Indian government's obligation to safeguard its people from the epidemic should not be accompanied by human rights breaches."
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