Three days before the Modi government announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, Rajendra Bhatt, the district collector of Bhilwara in Rajasthan was gearing up for a precarious situation. On March 21, he issued the first directions in the district closing down all industries, factories, brick kilns and other establishments in which more than 10 workers were employed.

Bhatt hadn’t acted promptly though. The Rajasthan government had directed all district collectors on March 19 to impose Section 144 in their respective districts after a couple who had returned from Italy were ...