COVID-19 Crisis Exposed Loopholes In “Gujarat Model” of Handling Pandemic

For several years, the BJP and PM Narendra Modi have taken pride in the “Gujarat Model” but COVID-19 has highlighted the gaps in the system.

Ahemdabad| In the run-up to 2014 Lok sabha election, when PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat we heard a lot about the Gujarat Model. The Gujarat model of development was projected as the success of Prime minister Modi. For several years since then, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken pride on the Gujarat Model.

But today, when the country fights COVID-19 crisis, which is deepening with every passing day, the questions are being raised on the same Gujarat model. On May 6th, the Gujarat government run by Vijay Rupani, CM of Gujarat requested the Central govt to send in a team of experts to the state to guide them in their battle against coronavirus and the central govt complied. On request of Home Minister Amit Shah, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria and another doctor were sent to Ahmedabad’s SVP hospital.

Soon after, the government took some strict steps and placed two cities in Gujarat-Ahmedabad and Surat under stricter lockdown. A tool curfew was imposed in these two cities. Only the milk parlours and medicines shops were allowed to function. This means even the vegetable vendors were not allowed. This stricter lockdown started from May 7 and will go on till for seven days. All shops including grocery stores, shops selling vegetables, fruits, and other edibles will remain shut for these seven days.

This was followed by calling in paramilitary forces in the cities.

The Union government has sent four companies of Border Security Force and one company of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to be deployed in Ahmedabad. Till now, 38 companies of SRP and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city. In Surat, an additional three companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed, taking the count of companies to six. In Vadodara, two companies have been deployed.

The stricter lockdown was put in place after the shuffle in bureaucracy. The central government was apparently upset with Vijay Rupani’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in the state.

So how bad exactly the situation is in Ahmedabad?

Let us understand it through numbers:

At the time of shooting thing video, the numbers on the website of Gujarat health department show that 8,541 people have tested positive in the state. 1,16,470 have been tested for Coronavirus in the state, 2780 have recovered whereas 513 have died. Now Gujarat is the only state after Maharashtra to have recorded deaths above 500.

If we look at the district-wise distribution of cases then Ahmedabad alone records for 6086 cases. Ahmedabad alone accounts for more than 70% of the state’s total coronavirus cases. It is one of the worst affected cities due to Coronavirus after Mumbai. On the other hand, the death toll in the district is 400. Which is close to 80% of the state’s entire death toll.

Meanwhile, Surat has 914 Coronavirus cases and the death toll is relatively low i.e. 39. But for the spread, this wide, testing still remains very low. Recently, there were reports that Coronavirus Death rate in Ahmedabad was higher than the national average whereas another report pointed out that the recovery rate in the state was lowest in India.

How did it get to this point?

The opposition Congress has alleged that the cases have risen exponentially because of the State government’s negligence and mishandling of the Coronavirus crisis. It says that the state govt spent the entire month of February in preparation for the Namaste Trump event to Welcome US President Donald Trump and then in snatching the extra Rajya Sabha seat from Congress.

Also Read: Clash Broke Out Between Surat Police Personnel And Migrants

The state recorded the first case only in march when the corona count in the country had already gone up to 100. The first death occurred within three days of finding the first positive patient in the state and after that, the curve continuously went up.

Currently, The state has 24 laboratories conducting tests. With pool testing, the state is testing more than 5,500 samples a day.

But the bad situation in Ahmedabad was also noticed by the central government which then rapped up the state government, CM Vijay Rupani and advised to change the entire bureaucracy in the state. The change in bureaucracy made more flutter. With AMC chief Vijay Nehra going into self-quarantine after coming into contact with COVID 19 patient, Rajiv Gupta has been given the charge of the handling of the pandemic in the Ahmedabad city.

The city has also found more than 300 super spreaders, these include people from vegetable, milk vendors to shopkeepers.

On one hand, Ahmedabad saw the outbreak of coronavirus, On the other hand, Surat was dealing with the issues of Migrant workers.

At least three times the migrant workers in Surat staged a massive protest which on some occasion turned violent too. The state BJP also had to face embarrassment because the migrants claimed that they were charged for the Railway ticket when the BJP govt kept reiterating that the travel was free.

In Ahmedabad situation during strict lockdown got so worse that some people even pelted stones at police.

But with the new management at the helm, the state, as well as the central govt, hopes that the situation in Ahmedabad improves. As have been talks in the political corridors of Gujarat, Delhi leadership is particularly concerned because if the situation turns grim, it will make it to national headlines and will raise a question on the state’s poor performance.

Being the home state of PM Modi, that may also raise a question on the Gujarat Model. And thus, the Central govt itself has decided to take the matter in its own hand and fix the situation in Gujarat. But can it succeed?