Covid-19: the India Story

This research paper by Aditya Nigam analyzes the Indian government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that the state used the health crisis to further a Hindu supremacist agenda, suppress political dissent, and benefit corporate interests while neglecting the welfare of millions of migrant workers.

• The author contends that the Indian government's initial response to Covid-19 was characterized by a lack of preparedness and a failure to take the threat seriously. Airport screening was limited to specific countries until March 4, and major airports like Delhi experienced overcrowding and a lack of social distancing until mid-March.
• The government is accused of prioritizing political optics and ideology over public health. This is exemplified by the 'Namaste Trump' event on February 24-25 in Ahmedabad, which gathered over 100,000 people without precautions, and the Prime Minister's calls for 'people's curfews' involving clapping and lighting lamps, which the author describes as a 'Puranic attempt to exorcise the virus'.
• The author asserts that the government used the pandemic to scapegoat the Muslim community, specifically targeting the Tablighi-Jama’at organization. This campaign is described as an effort to instigate 'fully fledged Islamophobia' through a 'lapdog media'.
• The sudden announcement of a total lockdown on March 24 is described as a political move to outshine non-BJP state governments. This decision left millions of migrant workers stranded without food or transport, forcing many to walk hundreds of kilometers to their home villages.
• The central government established PM-CARES, a fund managed by a non-governmental organization set up by the Prime Minister. The author notes that this fund is not open to public scrutiny or auditing, leading to suspicions that it serves as a political fund for the ruling party.
• The pandemic is viewed as a 'political emergency' used by the regime to arrest non-party activists and student protesters under anti-sedition or anti-terror laws. This includes individuals connected to the Bhima Koregaon incident and Muslim women involved in anti-CAA protests.
• The author claims the government used the cover of the pandemic to advance privatization of public enterprises, such as the railways, and to weaken environmental regulations through the Environment Impact Assessment Draft 2020, which allows for ex post facto clearance of projects.

APA

Nigam, A. (2020). Covid-19: the India Story. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-india/

Chicago

Nigam, Aditya. Covid-19: the India Story. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2020. https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-india/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nigam |first1=Aditya |title=Covid-19: the India Story |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=9 September 2020 |url=https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-india/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nigam2020covid19, author = {Nigam, Aditya}, title = {{Covid-19: the India Story}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-india/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }