India 21 Days Lockdown, Panic Buying Problems Arise

JAKARTA - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a total lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19. The policy was taken following the steps of China, Italy, and many other countries which first implemented a lockdown.

In India, this policy is not targeting the economic side but also the social life of its citizens.

India's lockdown will take effect on Tuesday, March 24, at midnight local time ahead of the change of Wednesday, March 25. Its 1.3 billion inhabitants will be under lockdown for 21 days.

"There will be a total ban on going out of the house," Modi said in a speech quoted by the BBC. "The whole country will be locked down, total lockdown."

Modi says to save every citizen, then people will be locked in their respective places. While he warned his citizens that if India does not handle the 21-day lockdown properly, "then our country will be 21 years back," he said.

Trigger panic buying

Following the announcement, Indians began swarming grocery stores in the capital Delhi, and other cities. According to BBC sources, the government's instructions there are unclear whether people will be allowed to buy food and other necessities during the lockdown. Panic buying can no longer be avoided due to this policy.

In Delhi and Mumbai, as reported by the BBC, people looking anxious and afraid of running out of staples quickly crowded into shops and pharmacies.

"I have never seen chaos like this in my life. All of our stocks including rice, flour, bread, biscuits, vegetable oil, have been sold out," said the owner of a shop in the Shakarpur district of Delhi as quoted by the Press Trust of India.

Even though Modi had warned that panic buying would only increase the spread of disease. The reason is that many people will gather in one place. Meanwhile he ensured that the government would ensure the availability of supplies of basic necessities.

Meanwhile, police officers in busy cities such as Ghaziabad, are seen to have started patrolling the streets while using loudspeakers to urge residents to stay indoors.

In the lockdown policy, the Indian government prohibits all non-essential businesses from operating. Schools and universities will also remain closed and nearly all public gatherings banned.

The implications of this lockdown policy are indeed enormous. Not only targeting the economy, but also the social life of Indians.

India is a country where community life is everything. Like going to worship to a temple, mosque or church is an important part of everyday life that is difficult to leave behind.