SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Mary Jayne Dias Pinheiro
Our country, which wanted to be a pharmacy to the world, is now relying on the world to supply medical essentials to its own citizens. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed at the virtual summit of World Economic Forum in January 2021, it was portrayed as if India had won the war against pandemic under his able leadership. The message was loud and clear that our nation was heading towards the endemic. And due to this attitude of over confidence and lethargy, India failed to take warnings of the second wave of Covid-19, from the experts, resulting in the devastating situation that we are facing today.
People have forgotten their priorities and values in recent times. Their priorities are festivals, politics, cricket and cinema which is like water, air, food and shelter for them where every Indian worships, depends and lives on. India is called the land of gods and perhaps unconsciously, they have kept their religious and political leaders and entertainment stars on the pedestals, given equal place of gods in their homes.
The Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years was due to be held in 2022, but was advanced a year, as it was believed by the Hindu priests that 2021 year is an auspicious year to celebrate the said Hindu festival. Today we are facing the consequences, as the event has turned out to be super spreader of corona virus, which took several lives for falling for blind beliefs. As per the available reports, 99% of returnees from Kumbh Mela have tested positive.
Going ahead with elections was another goof up made by the Government of India. The Election Commission of India, being the independent autonomous body, could have objected to conduct the election amidst the Covid crisis. What we see today in New India is that elections, festivals and cricket matches are given prominent importance than the dignity and lives of human beings.
We cannot blame the government for this mess. It is the people equally who are responsible for this crises that we are facing today. It is the citizens who must demand the basic facilities for themselves from their elected leaders. Today, India has been exposed before the whole world for having poor health care infrastructure and medical facilities and for this, the citizens have to take equal blame for not demanding the basic rights such as water, electricity, roads, medicines, hospitals, schools etc.
Many of us have lost our near and dear ones to deadly coronavirus. We all know what we are going through in the hospitals. There is a shortage of oxygen, beds as a result people are lying on the floors in unhygienic conditions, fighting for their lives. Hopefully this severe crises will awaken our people to demand accountability from our elected representatives and our government and not get carried away with elections, festivals, cricket or cinema. People who have succumbed to covid is due to a failed system which is a murder and not a tragedy.
Let us as a nation rise, above political, religious and linguistic considerations and fight the Corona virus on one hand and bring it to accountability all those who are responsible for the spread of this virus before the third wave consumes us.
