The magnitude of unpreparedness or can we call it connivance by this Government in tackling Covid-19, which, eventually led to avoidable deaths of hundreds of our people, surely cannot be ignored or go unpunished. Both the Government and we, the people, need to be prepared for a long legal battle, which may or may not result in much, but which will clear our consciences from the guilt of having been silent spectators to this sad and unbearable scenario.
I pin hopes mainly on South Goa Advocates’ Association, which managed to ensure some corrective steps, including the compulsory negative certificate from travelers to Goa. Hats off to them. It wasn’t at all surprising that, after having adamantly refused to impose this requirement, despite several pleas, the CM still sought a reprieve thereafter, which was rejected by the HC. This only confirms the insensitiveness and brazen arrogance of our CM, for whom the chair is more important than the lives of his citizens. No doubt, at our cost, like in the case of Tejpal, recourse will be taken upto SC, with the best of lawyers.
The Health Minister is on record that want of restrictions on entry of tourists was a mistake and contributed to the spike. We need also to be grateful to him for his confession that 26 people died in four early hours of May 11, due to shortage of oxygen. He even sought intervention of the HC, confirming, however, that there was no mismanagement at GMC. Surely, doctors are trying their best to save lives, but are helpless if there are constraints like lack of oxygen or cylinders. The statements from the HM cannot absolve him entirely of the blame, which primarily lies in choosing only one oxygen supplier, for reasons that will have also to be investigated, alongwith others which are doing the rounds.
May 11 will go down in the annals of our history as the day of mass murders in the State, when dozens of bodies came out of GMC, as never happened before, even in case of animals or birds. The worse is that such early morning massacre continued for days and may be continuing even now in smaller scale, for the number of deaths is still large.
Instead of having health infrastructure in place, the Government focused on use of police force to stop Melauli and anti-double tracking activists and how to please the PM and his friends. Even now, restrictions or so called curfew imposed confine only to certain areas and activities, whereas movement of mining trucks, work on railway tracks continued unabated, with the blessings of the rulers. A certain degree of unpreparedness, due to sudden spike, was expected from an inefficient Govt. like ours. But surely not activities and donkey-like stubbornness in not imposing restrictions which resulted in this tragedy. This is nothing but criminal connivance and needs to be dealt with the severity it deserves. Talking of saving the economy, when people are dying, is unacceptable and can come only from heartless two legged beings.
No empathy from us can console the families of those who lost their lives, some in the prime of their youth. The dead cannot come back to life. Orphaned kids and desolate families in penury are crying for the blood of the rulers…
