Over the last couple of weeks we have seen some truly terrifying and disturbing visuals as the second wave of covid raged over India unleashing its fury. With record new cases every day and thousands of deaths primarily due to lack of oxygen. India is literally gasping for breath! From people lined up in long queues outside the hospitals to just get a bed to dead bodies lined up outside the crematoriums waiting for the slot allotted to them for cremation. The situation is hell here in India. The health infrastructure particularly in the capital has completely collapsed. But how did it come to this? It couldn’t have happened just all of a sudden? It has been over a year since covid hit our country and many experts had suggested that the second wave will be hitting our country hard. So then, why were these warnings overlooked?
The problem is with the Mr. All knowing, megalomaniac who has utter contempt for scientific temper. When the first wave hit our country and lockdown was announced. The PM promised to end the corona battle in 21 days in reference to the Mahabharata battle which ended in 18 days. From thali bajao, tali bajao, diya jalao to the recent tika festival we have witnessed enough of vain events which is nothing but sheer attempt to keep the public entertained and aloof from the stark reality. In fact, the central government over the last one year has done nothing concrete to effectively fight the dreaded virus. The public are left on their own to fend for themselves. Several opposition leaders including former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and former PM H.D Deve Gowda have written to the Prime Minister suggesting measures to fight covid19. Instead of acting on the points suggested by them, the Union health minister of India Dr. Harshvardhan took to twitter to rebuke Dr. Manmohan Singh. Such is the ungraciousness and callous approach of the central leaders even at trying times like these. Earlier this year, the Union health minister also attended the launching ceremony of 'Coronil' by patanjali which lied about getting the WHO certification to which the IMA came down heavily on the Union minister. The minister also proudly claimed that we are in the 'endgame' of the covid19 pandemic in India while speaking at the Delhi Medical Association's 62nd Annual Delhi State Medical conference completely unaware of the reality on the ground. The Prime Minister on the other hand is always in full election mode, busy campaigning for his party leaving aside his responsibilities as the PM while the nation continues to burn. Today every second person in Kolkata being tested is covid positive. The people are running helter-skelter from pillar to post for oxygen and hospital beds while he continues to deliver shallow and hollow speeches to the nation through his infamous 'Maan ki baat'. Perhaps, the PM should take out some time and listen to 'Desh ki baat' as well! The PM’s pet project ‘Central vista’ estimated to be built at Rs. 20000 crore is listed as an ‘essential service’ with workers being ferried in special buses while the states are entrusted to procure the vaccines on their own.
Last year during the start of the pandemic, the Tablighi Jamat was blamed and held responsible for the spread of Covid19 in India. They were subjected to witch-hunt and undue harassment by both the media and the establishment. Even the people whose network signals were detected nearby that area were traced out promptly and quarantined. The government however seemed to have turned a blind eye to the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand this year where lakhs of devotees have gathered for the annual rituals. Uttarakhand CM categorically stated that 'the flow and blessings of Ma Ganga will ensure that corona virus will not spread'. Many states in the BIMARU region have underreported cases. The statistics however shows a rather discomforting reality. The covid deaths reported are far lower than the number of covid victims cremated. The situation is far more harrowing in Uttar Pradesh where the Yogi government has announced to slap NSA against anyone reporting shortage of oxygen. One youth who sought help for oxygen cylinder on Twitter was charged by the UP police. Things doesn’t end here. This is just one of the many examples which India is facing on a daily basis. The woes and cries of the common people continues unabated.
The nation has paid enough lives for the arrogance of but one man. The bearded man has enough blood stains on his hand. The government cannot continue to live in denial. It has to buckle up, accept its mistakes and put up a concerted effort to fight the covid19. Or perhaps when the PM spoke of atmanirbhar, he foresaw what was coming and wanted the people to be truly atmanirbhar because his inept government cannot be relied upon!
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