India is crying. It took 2.58 lakh deaths (official figures, just double the real numbers) and close to 4 lakh positive caseload, (official figures, double them up too) for Prime Minister Modi to speak up (that too in a meeting with the DMs) that he feels the pain of suffering covid 19 people and showing concern that the pandemic is spreading in rural area. (Newspapers reported on May 15, 2021). His studied silence after Bengal elections, because that’s when he shred off his West Bengal syndrome, since oxygen supply started running out along with beds and medicines in the country, has turned the nation into a literal graveyard.
In yesteryears we were the Golden bird, not too long ago we were the Pharmacy of the World. Today India is on its knees, struggling to barely stand. People are dying by the hour, in hospitals, at homes, by the roadside, in ambulances, in villages and in towns and where not. As I write recovered cases number 1.97 cr, and a mere 10% population vaccinated with a single dose and 8% having taken double dose. The last 48 hours has seen 4,205 covid deaths in the country and 3.48 lakh fresh cases. The national capital New Delhi saw 13,287 cases and 300 death in 24 hrs. Other states are raking in bigger numbers every day. Crematoriums are full and over occupied. My country is facing a condition of catastrophic magnitude.
What has our nation come to. Thousands of dead bodies found floating in Ganga river in UP and Bihar and administration is unaware, if this is not indifference and complacency what is! Vaccinations are donated to other countries before we could innoculate our last citizen, if this is not miscalculation, what is! Oxygen running out in hospitals, if this is not callousness and ill planning what is! Leaders warning people not to complain about lack of oxygen or face sedition charges, if this is not arrogance what is! Hospitals going to court to demand oxygen, if this is not helplessness what is! People asking for help on social media (facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp), if this is not desperation what is! International media deriding the Prime Minister and the government for no action, if this is not failure, what is! Central Vista construction work carrying on unabashedly in the national capital, if this is not luxury and insensitivity, what is! Compulsory licensing not being granted to pharma manufacturers when we are falling acutely short of vaccines, if this is not policy paralysis, what is! Going ahead with 8 phase elections in West Bengal in covid surge time, if this is not political selfishness and political advantage what is! Turning off lights and beating thalis, if this is not fooling people what is! Holding Kumbh with millions of devotees being allowed to congregate by invitation, if this is not enticed murder, what is! Remaining in denial, if this is not hubris, what is! I could go on and on.
In Meerut, UP, people carried their own cots to a hospital with leaking roofs and no fans and a stinky toilet for their covid patient who found some place on the floor of the corridors of the Emergency ward. The hospitals are understaffed, there are not enough doctors. Goa saw 47 deaths in a span of 4 days as the hospital ran out of oxygen in the middle of the night.
Similar harrowing stories of death and fatalities from states send chill down our spine. Bodies coming out in 10s, 20s, 50s, in UP hospitals are going unreported. Delhi has seen its worst crisis in its nightmarish search for oxygen cylinders that made people run from pillar to post helplessly wailing and shouting to save their near dear ones. Gujarat department issued a lakh plus death certificates last month, as reported by a Gujarat newspaper. Its appalling.
135 teachers on Panchayat election duty died due to covid. Elections are over and petrol prices have again reached Rs 100. Around 300 journalists have died, doctors have died having contracted covid. Whats happening!
Judiciary came as the last resort for state abandoned citizens. Supreme Court had to order Centre for Delhi govt saying, “Please do not drive us to a situation to take coercive steps.” Karnataka, Allahabad, Madras and Kerala High courts had to order Centre to supply required oxygen to the states. Calling the EC a murderer showed the angst and desperation of the judiciary at the utter failure of the executive.
Desperate times calls for desperate measures. People ask where is the government? Are we living in a vacume? What about the much publicized Ayushman Bharat scheme that guarantees 5 lakh assistance to the poor if it does not come of any help for covid patients!
In a letter written by Indian Medical Association to the Health Ministry on May 8, 2021 it demanded Health Ministry to wake up from slumber and respond to mitigate the growing challenges in covid pandemic. ‘IMA is astonished to see the extreme lethargy and inappropriate actions from the ministry of health in combating the agonizing crisis born out of the devastating second wave of covid pandemic. The collective consciousness, proactive cognizance and requests made by IMA and other professionals learned colleagues are put into the dustbin and often without realizing the ground realities the decisions are taken.’
In these pandemic times when a Kumbh is a priority the intention does not need justification. A background information would be interesting. According to a detailed report by Caravan, Trivendra Singh Rawat the then Chief Minister of Uttrakhand was sent home for having given contradictory views on Kumbh timing to be replaced by Tirath Rawat who was more pliable to the whims of the Akharas and the RSS top brass. Kumbh being a major business opportunity for the government it catered to the religious card too. The result played out in hundreds and thousands succumbing to covid on their return to their villages and kasbas. A clear example of how vested narrow interests of a party takes over the countrymens priority.
Vaccines have run short with people queuing up in long unending lines all across the country. Vaccine diplomacy took over our domestic priority just for an image building exercise. One cannot find a single example like ours in the whole world. As per government’s own version 84% of the jabs were sent abroad as part of commercial, licensing liabilities of manufacturers.
States have been asked to fund for their vaccination programme. If the PM wants one Nation, one tax, and one nation one election, then why not one nation one vaccination. History is witness that major epidemics and vaccination programmes have been a national policy decision be it the Polio drive or the TB drive or Small Pox for the entire country.
With the people of the country already suffering from the lashes of demonetization and lockdown, with no jobs, no work, a Rs 20,000 beautification project in the name of ‘essential service’ is a Boondoggle and could have come to better use for oxygen and hospitals/primary health centres if exporting away medicines and other covid treatment things was not a wise deal.
There cannot be a worst ‘manmade’ disaster than the covid 19 second wave. India is facing an apocalyptic rebound. With a figures of more than 5000 dead in a week, hovering around 500 per day, the government and its leaders sit stoic seeing the disaster unfold. People ask where are the Home minister and the Health Minister of the country!
As the world keeps an eye on India, International press is mincing no word in documenting reality and accountability. Time magazine called Modi, the Super Spreader on its cover page which had earlier called him Divider In Chief. The Guardian, which on April 21 ran a piece headlined ‘‘The system has collapsed: India’s descent into Covid hell’. FP said, ‘Modi fiddled while India Burns’, and continued ‘What’s unfolding in India is a devastating carnage precipitated by its self-enamored leader,’. An article published in The Australian, later to be removed, read, ‘Modi leads India into a “viral apocalypse”.
Maybe times will improve as we fight the covid 19 collectively but the grief of their dying loved ones in dearth of and collapsing health infrastructure will linger long in their memory. In these times of crisis people are left helpless and are angry.
Winston Churchill said, ‘Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.’
* Boondoggle… dictionary meaning, a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate or personal gains, typically a government project funded by taxpayers.
Tags: #Covid 19 India, #Government of India, #Covid 19 catastrophe, #International Press, #Priti Prakash Blog, #Clickty Click Blog, #Narendra Modi, #Kumbh in Covid, #Central Vista in Covid
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Priti So well brought out. This is an utter failure of State and by State I imply the Central Government. That is why all loud mouths have gone into hiding
Nice
Righ
Excellent Priti. You have so forcefully and articulately made your point. It is a truth only the shaneless will deny.
Priti I totally agree with your views, it is a total failure of governance. I also blame the public in also as everyone on has taken things casually. One can't blame only the Modi government even the state governments have to be blamed. The political parties have to stop this one upmanship & get into resolving the issue together.
Perfect. You got the nail right on the head. We are in a total mess
Very correct picture of present Corona situation
A head hitting ,factual and we'll researched writeup . It was a failure at all level of Govts and people suffered . One can't imagine such incompetency , apathy and lack of governance. Col LN Achra ( Retd )
I agree totally…but it is the people's own complacent and carefree attitude which is equally responsible for what we are going through now…even most of the educated people do not know how to wear a mask properly while others were hardly wearing it…i went to cp once and u shd have seen the crowd… no concept of any social distancing…we can not totally blame the govt…why are people going for kumbh in such times…we are morally equally responsible… we too need to take the blame for the situation…it is all politicians failing in all states…only when they will rise above their petty interests and work for the welfare of the country become aware then only we can fight this…At this point of time we need to join hands to fight this together …the criticisms will not get us anywhere…so many people are dying and suffering …our health workers are under so much pressure…lots of cooperation is reqd at this point…u may disagree but thats what i feel…govt and people need to work in tandem to see us through these difficult times…this is the need of the hour…There are good smaritians
who have come forward to help but It is so disheartening to see some greedy people hoarding oxygen cylinders,medicines etc trying to make a quick buck… Such a show ofsheer greed and selfishness…Is this the time… ?it is a national calamity,a war like situation…We all should become warriors to fight this dreadful virus…
A very open and truthful account of what is happening in this country on the Covid front. This article shall surely go a long way in paving way to actions that shall lessen the suffering of the masses.
Catastrophe, yes. Government failure, yes. Both Centre and State governments failed to implement orders. However, the most blameworthy party is undoubtedly the one you are staring at in the mirror. We, the public, brought this catastrophe upon us, in spite of all our collective knowledge on COVID-19, courtesy WhatsApp University. We refused to learn, neither will we learn from this 2nd wave, we will flout rules, we are the people, the Democracy incarnate !!
A very well articulated account of Covid mismanagement in our country. You have forcefully exposed the failure of State and political Leadership/bureaucracy in planning, testing, treating and tracking this monstrous Chinese virus resulting in colossal deaths and sufferings. Hope the Covid Governance shows us some positive hopes in times to come.
U nailed it..
Very well articulated write up. Your anguish is well justified. The current situation is the result of complacency , over confidence and underestimation by all of us. We thought we did well in first wave and are fully equipped to handle any such occurrence again. It is incorrect to blame the Govt for all ills. People were not ready take vaccines, opposition parties were doubting it's efficacy, it was a right decision to export at hat particular time. Ifs and buts come later. No doubt it is clear failure by all of us. Very well written once again. Congratulations PP.
Very nicely summarized, very crisp and clear.
Always a pleasure reading your articles.
Central and State Govt is failing miserably.
Mr. Prime Minister – you are Answerable To the People of India who have stood rock solid behind You when you needed.
#Every life Matters.
#Every death counts.
Very good report.
In my opinion main culprit behind the collapse of system is ignorance about epidemic.
Most scientists and leadership of the world have accepted that only vaccinations and medical care is cure and treatment for Corona covid.
Its utterly ignorance about the pandemic. If immune system of a person is good then any virus can't create havoc if mass people start immediately proper physical exercise and deep breathing practices with eating healthy foods.
A protocol coupled with daily two to 5 times breathing exercises of lungs in 24 hours cycle with half an hour physical activities for fitness is enough to keep a person free from Corona covid attacks.
Market forces are guiding the world health and ignorance is killing the human.
A sad situation.
If someone is reading my comments please do breathing exercises thrice daily to remain fearless like me.
Indian people know
So very true…
Boondoggle- well chosen word! Well argued points. You may like to highlight para 14.
Well written article , congratulations
I too appreciate the article Priti, but we as citizens when are we to be called responsible. Unfortunately we tkae things lightly and always blame our idiosyncrasies on the Sarkar typically .
You said it Anu!
Your angst mirrors that of millions. Civic failure to understand the pandemic and social ethos of "chalta hai, dekhi jayegi" have fuelled the fires in the crematoria. My appeal to people to wake up and prepare for future waves. Also take lessons for future threats and similar CBRN hazards. Well articulated Priti. Great job
Great story
Posted on behalf of a GK Goswami, Retd IAS officer:
Highly appreciable. A well drafted article on administrative cum political handling of a disastrous ailment named Covid 19. While studies on Disaster Management are going on for last so many decades but it seems neither administrators nor ruling politicians were practically ready to handle situations arising out of such a challenging issue. Some rightly say that even the public was not ready to take care and recognize such a problem. This well written, attention drawing article asks us all ie the people, politicians and administrators to learn a lesson to handle such types of mute killers and improve chapters in disaster management. Thanks to Priti.
Very comprehensive
Very lucid
Absolutely Harsh Reality … well articulated..
This second wave of Covid 19 in India was fuelled by people letting their guard down, attending weddings and social gatherings, and by mixed messaging from the government, allowing political rallies and religious gatherings.
Lessons learnt of this public health crisis –
For one, India should learn not to declare victory over the virus prematurely, and people should also learn to adapt to short, local lockdowns in the event of the inevitable future spikes of infection.
👏Really commendable post Pritiji