Global contagion and local response: the influence of centre–state relations and political culture in pandemic governance

ABSTRACT

Covid-19 has severely impacted lives and livelihoods in India. Faced with threatened livelihoods due to lockdowns in major cities, millions of poor informal sector workers have returned to their rural roots, provoking a complex intergovernmental problem that necessitates collective action but is plagued with a high degree of uncertainty. This article explores two interrelated issues. First, we examine the role of the central government in the Covid-19 crisis and the implications for centre–state relations. Second, we review the governance responses of two states, Kerala and Gujarat. We unpack how variations in political values and norms within which the key political actors of the two governing regimes are rooted had informed their policy priorities. We show how local political culture significantly affected critical decisions (e.g. emergency relief for the poor) and administrative implementation mechanisms (whether centralised or decentralised). We draw lessons on the influence of political culture in shaping pandemic governance response in a federal polity.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19
• urban poor
• political culture
• centre–state relations; disaster governance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tathagata Chatterji

Tathagata Chatterji, is Professor of Urban Management and Governance, Xavier University Bhubaneswar, India. His research interests are urban economic development and political economy of urbanisation. He received the Gerd Albers Award in 2016 from the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), for his research on comparative modes of urban governance in India. He has a PhD in Urban Planning and Governance, from the University of Queensland Australia.

Souvanic Roy

Souvanic Roy is Professor in the Department of Architecture, Town and Regional Planning and Founder Director, School of Ecology, Infrastructure and Human Settlement Management in Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur. He has experience and expertise in the fields of smart urbanism, urban policy, planning and governance. He has coordinated several research projects funded by national and international funding agencies and published articles in reputed international journals.

Atanu Chatterjee

Atanu Chatterjee teaches at Xavier School of Human Settlements, Xavier University Bhubaneswar. He is also pursuing his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His research looks at altered relationship informality and citizenship, Low income housing intervention, urban livelihood and employment and Land Right for the urban poor. He has also worked as a Research Associate at the Centre for Development Alternatives, Ahmedabad and was awarded the Sahapedia-UNESCO Fellowship2020