Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan: Understanding Overlapping Disruption, Destitution, and Social Justice in West Bengal, India

Authors

  • Ritabrata Chakraborty

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8094999

Keywords:

crisis, justice, West Bengal, Amphan

Abstract

While the world geared up to confront the Covid-19 crisis after March 2020, the state of West Bengal in India faced the parallel blow of a super cyclonic storm called Amphan two months later in May. As a result, a pre-existing crisis viz. the Covid-19 pandemic, which had assumed the form of an extended presence, now interacted with a cyclonic storm to create a new, layered form of disruption that threatened lives and livelihoods and demanded a state response to combat these twin challenges. Taking this ‘novel’ juncture into account, this paper seeks to explore how justice can be conceived during such disruption(s) and to put the underlying focus on the principles and values at play. An integrative approach is adopted in two aspects: by viewing the two crises as a unified problem; and by invoking the importance of the contestations regarding what is right or just during crises. Recognising the gravity and unavoidability of the climate crisis and West Bengal’s present realities, this paper argues that long-term resilience and the principles animating it need to be explored through a broad-based approach that considers state responsibility, legitimacy, and environmental concerns, among others. 

Downloads

Published

2022-12-23

How to Cite

Chakraborty , R. (2022). Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan: Understanding Overlapping Disruption, Destitution, and Social Justice in West Bengal, India. Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty, 2(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8094999

Issue

Section

Submissions