The Emergence of The Covid 19 situation: The effect On the Backward Society (Namasudras) Of Bengal Kanu Halder, Calcutta University, Kolkata, India Abstract: The onset of the COVID19 pandemic has led to immense hardship among the economically lower class and marginalized section of the Bengal society, On the one side, the terror of rampant transmission of the virus lay deep roots. While, on the other, emerged, lack of employment opportunities and subsequent fear of dying out of hunger. The situation worsened with the majority of the Indian population involved in the non-organized sector. In other words, the majority being contractual laborers. Especially, the people engaged in agricultural activities, wage laborers, migrant workers, and the people entirely dependent on area-specific jobs. Thus, survival turned out to be a tough challenge for these sections of the population. Meanwhile, social initiatives of relief work by individuals and NGOs provided some help. But, such initiatives were not uniformly beneficial across the mass. More effective methods of combating such epidemics stood necessary at that time. In contrast to it, everyone was clueless. Well, the public and private role in growing awareness of hygiene and sanitation cannot be denied. It was significant in execution. Alas! The economy was stagnant. Thus, the majority was left with only two choices. Either they have to choose hard immunity as a weapon to fight against the Corona Virus or revive and stick to religious faith and sentiments. As a consequence, superstitions spread to every corner of the population. Corollary to this, myriad unscientific activities were taken up as an alternative solution. The impact of such actions was evident among the lower section of all strata in Bengal. The economic instability, the lack of education, the social position within the caste hierarchy, the lack of representation in the political and practical sphere of development, precisely administration, are the factors responsible for the deterioration of the living conditions of the backward strata. Introduction: In India, there are myriad examples of an epidemic. Each of these consequently had widespread effects on society and its politics and economy. Historians of different schools interpreted the causes and corollary effects of epidemics from different perspectives, which certainly include the subaltern historians. It majorly affects the mass in general. Researches have also established links between an epidemic situation and the changes of culture, ideology, economy, and politics of India in the aftermath of it. Now the question is how these issues became significant during the present Covid-19 pandemic. Famines and epidemics were prevalent in India during British rule. Therefore, Nationalist Historians of India tend to blame the mismanagement and maladministration of the British for this. Subaltern historian David Arnold in his essays, Touching The Body: Perspective on the Indian Plague, 1896-1900 (1987) and Smallpox and Colonial Medicine in the Nineteenth - Century India (1988), extensively discussed the issues of Public Health, economic compatibility, education, and administration, and the role played by the government in preventing those epidemics and the efficiency of them in that matter. Another eminent historian Dipesh Chakraborty, in his essay Community, State, and The Body: Epidemics and Popular Culture in Colonial India (1999), analyzed the role of the British Government in controlling the epidemics. The colonial government lacked sufficient willingness to prevent epidemics or resist them. Perhaps, that was the reason behind their failure. Their primary concern was to fill their pocket by making a profit from the industries. Simultaneously, they used military force to maintain peace and order. Furthermore, protecting the interests of the powerful.1 However, they are the ones who gave birth to the idea of the Modern State System in India. The people of the subcontinent were never ready to adopt modern ideas about public health. When scientists from all around the world started publishing their researches on pathogens, the British started to prioritize hygiene and sanitation. They became aware of unhealthy environments, habits, pollution, social distancing, etc. Keeping the matter of cleanliness in mind, Higher Government Officials started to maintain distance with ordinary masses. As a preventative measure, the use of bamboo fences and temporary toilets in the places of fairs and social gatherings were made compulsory, which is still existing to this day. In 1867, there were 61 European Medical Clinics. By the 1900s, the number of such clinics increased to 500.2 Slowly, people adapted to the idea of cleanliness. In 1891, the advertisements of Hardsons Soap encouraged people concerning cleanliness. The ad made them understand the importance of soap as a germicide and disinfectant.3 They also preached the awareness of germs, bacteria, or viruses not discriminating against race, religion, class, or caste, and can be prevented only by maintaining proper hygiene. This idea of hygiene and cleanliness as a preventative measure rose to prominence again during this Covid-19 pandemic. According to Dipesh Chakraborty, as a result of this, the studies of Epidemics in the nineteenth century were directly or indirectly criticisms of British rule.4 Besides, rumors, folklore, and ancients faiths have always been a concern for India while trying to control epidemic conditions. And, the wide diversity of religion and culture has rather fuelled the situations since the colonial period.5 21st century the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic is still full of adversities because of the three basic reasons being Poverty, Superstitions, and Lack of inter-faith in the State. Pandemic and marginalized economy: In the post-independence period, apart from the improvement of public education and public health, these ideas have changed drastically. But, this change isn't strongly omnipresent. It is because the religion and culture of India have their own pace and co-existence. Naturally, backward people have to deal with it to move ahead. However, the Indian Constitution is secular and believes in inequality. Dipesh Chakraborty, Partha Chatterjee, Ranjit Guha have discussed these in detail in their writings on the course of Indian history and its lower-class characters. Chakraborty, Dipesh.(2012). Community, state and the body: epidemics and popular culture in colonial India, Medical Marginality in South Asia Situating Subaltern Therapeutics, Edited by Hardiman, David Mukharji,Projit Routledge, London,p.24-25 2 Porter,Dorothy. (2005). Health, Civilization and the State A history of public health from ancient to modern times, Routledge,London, p.86-88 3 Andrews, B. (1996). Colonizing the Body. State Medicine and Epidemic Disease in NineteenthCentury India. By David Arnold University of California Press, 1993. - Public Health in British India. Anglo-Indian Preventive Medicine 1850–1914. By Mark Harrison Cambridge History of Medicine Series, Cambridge University Press, 1994. Modern Asian Studies, 56-57 4 Chakraborty, Dipesh.(2012).opcit 5 Mushtaq M. U. (2009). Public health in british India: a brief account of the history of medical services and disease prevention in colonial India. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine,p.17 1 In 2019, the magnitude and severity of the covid-19 pandemic were extensively felt in India. Naturally, West Bengal was no exception. Certain necessary warnings were issued by the government. Only what was lacking was the alignment with the needs. Geographical location, religious affiliation, politics, ethnic position in the society with the parallel unequal distribution of the economy among people were the main challenges for the government. Therefore, to imply lockdown, the entire country was needed to come up with all the ideas and create feelings of consonance. Undoubtedly, the upper-class exploits the socioeconomically backward section of the society in the modern social structure, given that there is no representation of such sections in the state administration. Without any forecast or preparation, the lockdown started on the 26th of March, in Bengal. The initial government plans fell heavily upon the economically backward and socially marginalized people of Bengal. One does not need to be economists to understand it. Sudden loss of employment and loss of cash flow led to an inability of purchasing basic food required for sustaining. The economy of the Namasudra society of Bengal was largely dependent on agriculture. There are three parts to their affiliation with agricultural life. Some people cultivate their land, while the other sharecroppers get to cultivate from the landowner through crops or annual salary in return. The third sections are those who neither owe any land nor the sharecroppers, they only work on other people's land. The 'Namasudras' of this segment did not have any difficulty in getting food from the land-owning group. But the food crisis was followed by those who worked on other people's lands. On the other hand, there are workers from various factories and different organizations or unorganized small businesses. A part of this working-class is the migrant workers. They work in different parts of India. In the lockdown situation, their condition was the most deplorable. On the first note, they were unemployed. Secondly, they became disoriented. Moreover, they were terrified because of their supply running out. In particular, they faced difficulties such as nutrition, health, living areas, and cleanliness. Migrant workers: According to the Royal Geographical Society, the lion's share of migrant workers belong to the Dalit and Indigenous communities. 6 The number of migrant workers in West Bengal alone is over 1.6 million. Despite having more than one crore migrant workers across India, the government did not formulate any specific policy concerning them before the lockdown started. As a result, after the announcement of the lockdown, all these people lost their way, eventually arising an unexpected situation. To deal with the situation, the central government issued a directive on March 26, 2019. The directive states that migrant workers should stay wherever they are during the lockdown.7 A survey published in “The Hindu” in April-May showed that 77% of migrants were ready to leave and return home.8 On May 1, the Government of India first launched the workers' Special Train.9 6.70 lakh people have returned to Bengal by this train. The National ‘Indian Migrant worker during covid 19 pandemic’, Wikipedia, URLHttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_migrant_workers_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic % 20another% 20six% 20months. 7 ‘4 crore migrant workers in India; 75 lakh return home so far’ PTI, The tribune,23rd May 2020,7:26pm 8 Manjula, R. Rajasekhar,D. ‘77% of migrants plan to return to work in cities’,The Hindu, Karnataka,17-18 May 2020,IST 12:58 9 ‘56% of Coronavirus Patients in West Bengal are Migrant Workers’, News 18, 17th june2020, IST 16:51 6 Disaster Management Authority of the Government of India launched the National Migration System on the 17th of May to understand the number and locations of migrant workers.10 From the very beginning, there was a rift between the two governments of this federal structure in association with migrant workers. West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "Some people are spreading canards against my government that we are not willing to bring back migrant laborers. This is false! So far, we have brought back 8.5 lakh migrants and by June 10, a total of around 10.5 lakh of them will be back to the state..."11 She added, “If we did not allow migrants to return, then how come only by train 2.4 lakh people have returned so far. Another 1.5 lakh will return within June 10, and around 6.5 lakh have returned by road. If we are not allowing migrants to return, then how come 10.5 lakh will have entered Bengal by June 10?”12 At the same time, she made an allegation stating, “What we had told the Centre was that if you had arranged for the return of the migrant workers before declaring the lockdown, then they would not have had to suffer so much for the last three months. Our second point was that those migrant workers who have been languishing [in different States] were not given proper food or treatment. No help was extended to them. Our third point was that train fares were taken from the migrant workers. Only the West Bengal government paid for the train fares [for those returning to Bengal]...” 13 According to the West Bengal government, they have spent 25 crores on migrants' fares. 4,58 lakh migrant workers have been aided with Rs. 1000 per head. A cost of Rs. 16 crore has been spent for 1,72,708 unorganized migrant workers. According to an official of the health department, 56% of the migrant workers tested positive in the Covid test, 10 out of 100 people tested positive. 14 Migrant workers returning to West Bengal crossed the state boundaries in three main ways. First by private bus or other means of transport, and 2ndly by government-sponsored trains. Thirdly With the financial support of different organizations or individuals. A 14-day quarantine was mandatory after entering the house. Here, the important thing is that the government created quarantine centers based on specific areas. In this case, government buildings, especially schools, were designated as quarantine areas. Migrant workers lived here. However, it was not compulsory to stay in these centers. It was an embarrassing scenario because, in some places, the local people opposed their formations and formulations.15 Due to lack of a Tiwary, Deeptiman. To streamline the movement of migrants, Center launches portal , The Indian Express, 17 May 2020, Retrieved 25 May 2020. 11 ‘8.5 lakh migrant workers brought back to Bengal so far’, PTI, New Indian Express, 3rd June 2020 12 Sing,Saday Shiv. ‘Over a million migrants workers have returned to Bengal’, The Hindu, 4 th june 2020 10 13 ibid,The Hindu Opcit,News 18 15 Chakraborty,Sanjib. ‘West Bengal: Protest over quarantine centres’ Times of India,31st may 2020,IST 10:21 14 place to stay, they had to spend day and night in the name of quarantine by pulling polythene paper or triple on the tree or in the empty field. 16 The number of jobs in the organized field among the Namasudras is negligible. For them, the lockdown was a matter of vacation. But for unorganized workers, it was a struggle for survival. Since a large number of the backward communities of Bengal are involved in agriculture, the number of people who lost their jobs in the ensuing lockdown situation may seem small, but that is not the case. The demand for labor on agricultural land decreased compared to the past because of several reasons for this. First, the landowner was reluctant to invest cash in the land. Even he needed cash flow for the benefit of his family at that particular time. The second is the uncertainty about the crop produced. Thirdly, contraction. Landowners and family members were themselves joining the work field as much as possible. Then, people who lost their previous work in the lockdown situation wanted to join agriculture in the hope of creating a new working day. Naturally, the number of workers increased compared to the otherwise working days. Thus, the number of working days reduced for those already involved in agriculture. The food crisis was the first problem that these marginalized people faced in the initial lockdown situation for Covid 19 since most people did not have the necessary supply. So the question is, how did they deal with these problems? First, cooperation amongst themselves. In other words, the neighbors helped who did not have the necessary food grains in the family cooperated. Second, borrowing cash, this type of loan they got through three, one, borrowing from a known person. They also turned to borrow from a group of retail lenders or a usurious moneylender. The interest payable on this loan ranges from 1 percent to 10 percent. Otherwise, they took the rest from any grocery store. One of the benefits received was definitely from different relief works like personal relief, relief payable from the club or group, or relief provided by NGOs. Initially, the introduction of the rationing system by the government was encountered with difficulties. A section of this lower-class Namasudra community was deprived of rations due to a lack of official identity cards. However, later, the government brought these people under the management facility of ration. But in practical application, there are also allegations of nepotism and corruption. Such an instance is attributed to the gap in the distribution process carried out by the area-based elected representatives through the panchayat since the government had no information on such refugees. As a result, it was much easier to commit corruption while having the advantage of getting their loyal people. But even those who have official documents cannot say that they received government-fixed rations everywhere. At that time, every leading daily newspaper in Bengal was reporting on ration corruption. Many ration-dealers were arrested.17 The effect of this reflects on the marginalized people in society. The government introduced the ration system more than a month after the announcement of the lockdown. During this time, people already spend their accumulated money. ‘West Bengal migrant labourers who returned to village quarantine themselves on tree branches’, The new Indian Express,28th march 2020,Kolkata, IST 2:02pm 17 ‘Bengal Govt Cracks Down on Nearly 300 Ration Dealers for Corruption, Retrieves Stolen Food Items’, news18.com,Kolkata, 4th 2020, IST 15:03 16 All about rumors: India has its own culturally rooted and domestically-driven misinformation and misconceptions that concern the government at this point. Unfortunately, some of this misinformation is being spread by public figures and government agencies, advanced in part by cultural and religious underpinnings that increase the traction of such misinformation. The history of epidemics in India gives us instances that whenever such incidents took place, the citizens get indulged in superstitions and religious orthodoxy. The reasons that juxtapose in this regard are the economic position of the individual, education, and social position. Under imperialist rule, a series of protests, mob attacks, and riots were carried out by people against western medicines and anti-plague measures when the army tried to forcefully admit an infected person to hospital during the Bombay fever of 1896. Mass hysteria and panic took place while the British administration started mandatory vaccination. People attempted to run away or escape government measures like quarantine and segregation camps and displayed a usual disregard of lockdown restrictions. In 1897, plague commissioner W C Rand was assassinated for his attempt to control the spread of the Plague in Pune.18 When General Hasting's Army was infected with Cholera, the rumor spread out that they were suffering from the curse of a Brahmin whom they defied by consuming beef on the holy shrine of Raja Hordulkan.19 People's attempt of escaping government measures was not spontaneous but based on historical precedence of considering disease with divine wrath. Worshipping goddesses as a cure was a practice prevalent in India, thereby people continuing to worship Shitala Devi instead it accepting scientific western medical measures. As a result, the infections spread from one person to another and gradually to the whole nation. However, under imperial rule, issues like cleanliness, technology, medical science, public education, awareness were almost non-existent in general. But even though 21st century India is ahead in all respects, the thing found in common with the current covid19 pandemic is the focus on issues like superstitions or gossips. The police have had to kick the masses to quarantines. Religious gatherings were set off by arrests. Everyone did not accept the norm of social distancing. When the government arranged a place for migrant workers, there was a tendency to force them into quarantine centers as they were not cooperating. Putting more importance on religious belief and the lack of faith in the government and their public health measures turned Bengal into an epicenter of diseases. Subaltern historians have recognized the British Government's attempts of dealing with epidemics and their modern way of treatment. Though the Indians failed to accept those by transcending their ancient religiopolitical ideologies, the intellectual middle-class Indians supported the British policies in this regard. The first process can be noticed in the first step of the lockdown when Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced to put off the lights. After that Prime Minister called on the people to light the lamps. For the second time, he told them to ring the bronze bells. Both the issues in combination had a profound effect on the marginalized people. The reasoning behind this is that whatever the reason, these backward people believed, but the other is liberation from the abnormality. In terms of surviving the covid19 pandemic, many rumors started spreading like drinking cow urine, baldness of the head, married women in groups in Echenberg, Myron J. (2007). Plague Ports: The Global Urban Impact of Bubonic Plague, 1894– 1901. New York: New York University Press. pp. 66–68 19 Harrison, Mark (1994). Public health in British India: Anglo-Indian preventive medicine 1859– 1914. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. p. 148 18 the evenings, visiting each house in groups, playing conch shells, and sprinkling water from Holly pots all over the house, and so on. The purpose was the same, satisfying God to save us from this invisible enemy. Such rumors were indeed spread. Its impact was widespread among the lower classes who were at the bottom of the economic structure. The main victims of such rumors are economically backward, lowerclass people. 20 Since social upbringing has failed to establish their self-importance and identity in any other way, they vastly rely on their religious and spiritual beliefs. As a result, the Covid-19 pandemic is assumed as a curse of God or wrath of Allah by them. According to various subaltern historians, their religious and cultural beliefs often clashed with anti-epidemic measures of authorities. Therefore, evoking negative impact as they tended to rely on miracles and superstitions instead. David Arnold has opined that British Government's Smallpox Eradication Programme failed due to such public resistance based on rumor and superstitions.21 These rumors were based mainly on the fear of losing religious or social identity, infertility. Thus, the assumption that they will be made laborers and thought of the process of inoculation as a murderous trade. The measures taken by the British government to resist the epidemics under imperialist rule were entirely in their interest, as they had no obligation to save the Indians. However, the orthodoxy and blindness of the then Indian society were unable to accept that too. But the Constitution of Independent India states the government's responsibility towards the people of the country to express the ideas of a welfare state. The implementation of the policies and measures adopted by the government during this current crisis has various shortcomings. One part of the society indulges in orthodoxy, while the other part cannot have that faith in the state and attempt to violate the footsteps. In the backward society of Bengal, Covid 19 has given a severe blow to their economy and consequently impacted other aspects of it. One thing that seeks discussion is the impact on the education sector. The dependence on technology in the new teaching method deprives them of education. To be precise, it curtails the overall right to education. On the one hand, a section of the society is suffering to earn, while the internet bills, smartphones, tabs, or computers are nothing but a luxury for the others. It is natural for a child to be deprived of education to get rid of these expenses. Conclusion Epidemics of contagious diseases were never confined to one particular class and did not only infected lower-class superstitious people; but also reached every social stratum. Since the people of one part of Bengal belong to a backward society, it is relevant to discuss them from the socio-economic viewpoint. The backward section was already distant from the government due to their poor economic condition and low representation in government positions or administration. Indeed, there was no end to their misery during the period of lockdown. The effects of which may last for several years. However, it cannot be estimated at this time. And, if it is said, it will be like throwing stones towards the sun. The economic impact has been most profound throughout and would continue for a long course of time. With a large portion of the unorganized sectors losing their jobs, they will return to farming. As a result, the pressure on the land will increase. Unemployment has increased. As evident, the workers are 20 Arnold, David (1993) Colonizing the Body: State Medicine and Epidemic Disease in Nineteenth-Century India. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Arnold, David (1988) ‘Smallpox and Colonial Medicine in Nineteenth-Century India’. In Arnold, D. (Ed.), Imperial Medicine and Indigenous Societies (pp. 45–65). Manchester and New York, NY: Manchester University Press. 21 forced to give full labour at a half salary. Because of the fear of losing whatever is left. Another factor that will have a long-term effect is the increase in the number of school dropouts. Social and economic inequality would increase, in turn creating social instability. It would slow down the process of transition of the backward society in Bengal. Therefore, in the future, it would be difficult to deal with such epidemics if we do not engage more people in this part of society with technology, science, administrative positions, technical education, Etymology education, and the production process. Above all, for these people, public welfare tax is essential to be included in the administration. 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