The Social Contract Needs to be Rewritten

Context: The pandemic crisis can be overcome only when a state is sensitive, has decentralised steps and ensures empowerment of voiceless people

Reasons for the crisis caused by the Pandemic:

• Failure of social contract: The social contract which imbues a centralised sovereign with overreaching powers has clearly failed during this COVID-19 pandemic.

• Unequal access: Access to information, resources and to the treatment has not been equal.

• Impact of COVID-19 has hit hardest among the migrant workers  and it has nothing to do with the disease.
• Lakhs of Indians less privileged and living in slums, the social distancing is an impossibility.

• Unequal response : Due to centralised source of power, the response to the crisis resulted in unequal relief to different strata of society.

• The pandemic-caused crisis has shown that governmental methods largely come to the aid of only those with a voice. 

Way forward: 

• Addressing the different needs: In an unequal society different strata of society will have different needs to deal with this  crisis. 
• Decentralised approach: Decentralised approach with a state which is sensitive and responds to the requirements of the voiceless is needed in unequal society.
• Redefining Social contract: COVID-19 can only be defeated by an empowered populace. 

• It requires fundamental introspection and rethinking by the governing classes including bureaucrats.