When the RMS Titanic set sail from South Hampton on 10 April 1912, it was called the unsinkable ship.
So sure were the ship builders about their product that they didn’t have life boats for everyone on board.
However, when the Titanic hit an iceberg during its maiden voyage, due to the arrogance of the ship builders, over 1,500 people lost their lives.
History repeating itself
History is repeating itself with the iceberg called covid-19 striking world economies in 2020.
Many world economies have announced stimulus packages for reviving their economies in the hope of patching their badly bruised businesses and staying afloat given the tough economic conditions prevailing everywhere.
Global financial crisis
This comes nearly 12 years after the world economy, following the 2008 global financial crisis, kicked the can down the road without properly addressing the slowdown in growth.
The effects of that inaction slowly played out over several years with the world economy growing at its slowest pace.
India story
Even before the effects played out fully, the world was hit by covid. In all this action around the world, what seems to have baffled many is the ‘Indian resilience’.
India has also hit the iceberg called covid. Hidden from public eye, the government machinery seems to be working overtime to make people believe that all is well with the economy.
Nothing can be far from truth. After hitting the iceberg covid, India is truly affected.
Trying to put up a brave face and telling people that the iceberg was nothing and that we are an invincible and strong economy would be a Titanic mistake.
Coming undone
The bandages that the government has put to show everyone that everything is fine will come undone some day.
On that day, when the deep bruises become clear for everyone to see, people will not remember what the present government did or didn’t do.
Disaster waiting to happen
Maybe the current government should prepare for the disaster waiting to unfold.
It will no doubt become a headache for the new government, which will be finding it tough to get a hold of what hit it.
Policy inaction
The next government will actually be dealing with the after-effects of the policy inaction of the present government.
When that day comes, maybe 5 or 10 or 15 years down the line, it will be more like a pain that was kicked down the road and hard for everyone living at that time.
Stock market boom
Stock market boom is no indication of the mess we are in right now.
Being forewarned is being forearmed.