Universalise benefits

Everyone must have access to basic facilities

The sight of a large number of people, many of them migrant workers, crossing state boundaries, lining up for buses and in some cases simply walking along highways, reveals that the national lockdown will be ineffective unless accompanied by quick action on the part of the Union and state governments. Clearly, before the lockdown was imposed, better signalling was needed to the population of the importance of staying in place. But there are those for whom staying in place would not be a feasible option. Some daily-wage earners might worry about the ability to afford necessities such as food. Others