Shiban Khaibri
The theme chosen by this writer for the write up originally was “Didi wins but Bengal loses” in respect of the aftermath backlashes by goons , fanatics and the outlaws with ostensible implied support from state machinery which resulted in letting lose a reign of terror on the ‘’identified “ and “specific” targets immediately after poll results were out. Yes, the BJP which from a paltry 3 seats jumped to around 77 , missed the number without blaming the EVMs , the EC or the central forces but heralding an imminent breaking of the political hegemony , in the near future, of ruling Bengal through intimidation and violence . However, looking to colossal loss of precious lives – mostly young people and women due to the ferocious variants of the COVID virus disease and Indian double mutant having been traced to the causes of increasing number of deaths , the theme got changed from Bengal to the inevitable nemesis of the new variant with a vow to “Let us break the chain”. Just let us all decide to lock ourselves in for minimum 7 days , the incubation period of the virus , experts say is 4 days, the chain can be broken definitely . Most of us might have seen and must be recollecting as to how last year citizens in Wuhan in China , from where the virus was manually manufactured to trouble the whole of mankind, were seen shutting their windows and doors from inside by nailing at the openings so that they could not be easily opened. When the push comes to so severe a shove, in common parlance and in simpler remedy – the option comes to “Stay home , stay safe”. Even you go in for vaccination ,raising immunity levels and adopting other measures, no contact hence no contraction – seems the remedy to break it , to weaken it and ultimately finish it but the question is would all do it religiously together ?
Outbreak of COVID pandemic has shaken the entire world , of course, intensity , degree and losses vary in quantum and over the factor of period of time . We not only “saw’’ it last year but what it meant too – was borne by us by suspending daily activities and more or less, getting confined to the four walls of our homes , an experience for the first time . Nevertheless, we saw something special which none of the countries experienced – the churning of political milk even out of the pandemic by most of the opposition political parties which instead of suggesting , advising and helping the government in fighting the grave challenge did its obverse. We also saw the fantastic and wonderful devotion to the cause of treating the sick in Hospitals by our Doctors and Para- medical staff , laboratory professionals , ambulance crew and the like who created a special niche for themselves in the hearts of the beholden Indians. We saw how our Police personnel who not only were present on roads, streets, lanes , chowks and everywhere maintaining vigil and enforcing lockdown guidelines but even helping the needy in whatever way possible and delivering the required things even right at their homes. We saw our Municipal workers doing a praiseworthy job and performing duties with devotion. We saw the Prime Minister in full control of and monitoring the situation on day to day basis. We saw how in such an adversity , whatever India could afford to spare , it did and gave to as many as 55 countries worst hit with COVID pandemic the much effective Hydroxychloroquine tablets and other support which worked wonders in lessening the impact of the infection on the patients.
After virtually the curve of infections having almost flattened, stress on vaccination was seen more manifest in the efforts of the government and by the time two of the vaccines were ready for use and even before that, during which period lot of developments were made known , our many opposition political leaders tried to underestimate the efficacy of the vaccines and tried to spread misinformation to the extent of canards . Individual political leaders and their comments on vaccines – making a mention thereof in these lines – would be only space consuming as most of the people fully know but it will be a futile exercise to call them upon to go in for a remorse , if not anything else. That “Indians were not guinea pigs to be tested for the vaccines” and the vaccines “would turn people impotent” and these are “the BJP vaccines “, “very risky vaccine”, “never safe” , “I will not allow in my state” like statements created a scenario of utter consternation among the people leading to vaccination hesitancy even to the extent that some ‘’brave ones’’ volunteering for getting a jab had to do it on open camera to generate hope and shun inhibitions . How astonishing and surprising does it look that with the same intensity as opposing the vaccines , these leaders were now raising a great hullabaloo for ”government’s failure to procure enough doses of vaccine” and most of the states complaining of “not enough stocks with them.“
The political “adventurism “ can be seen in as many as 13 opposition parties feeling the urgency to tell the central government to launch a “free mass vaccination drive across the country “ . The leaders included Sonia Gandhi, Deve Gowda, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thakery, Mamta Banerjee, Hemant Soren, MK Stalin, Mayawati Ji, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejasvi Yadav as also D. Raja and Sitaram Yechury . The letter coincided with the day of Bengal election results for obvious reasons . To a political analyst , the letter appears to be conveying more than its contents that the hibernated and dormant “Maha Ghatbandhan “ had received new oxygen from the Bengal poll results not for fighting corona united(ly) but for fighting the known target , the obvious target . It had also willy-nilly conveyed that the future “combined” opposition front had become a possibility , if not a reality with the outcome of Bengal results – for trying political luck at the hustings in 2024.
Again, on May 12 another letter by 12 opposition leaders to the PM sought suspension of Central Vista Revamp Project and repealing of three reformative farm laws as “measures to fight the corona- virus”. Now, anyone sincerely analysing the letter would find it being more in cheap political colours than containing any grain of concrete and valuable suggestion to fight the current catastrophe, an invisible war. One fails to understand that even under these most trying moments faced by the country ,politics is preferred than extending any sort of concrete support to and cooperation with the government in fighting the devouring pandemic. How was stopping of work on Central Vista going in helping fighting the pandemic is beyond comprehension. If it was going to do anything immediately was snatching the livelihood of hundreds of workers engaged in the project and how come “traditional supporters and sympathisers” of workers afford to send them home to face hunger and hardships ? Or, how could in anyway, repealing progressive and innovative Farm Laws help fight the pandemic – can better be known to such political leaders .
Did these leaders not see “ farmers’ agitation” openly disregarding COVID precautionary protocol of maintaining distance and wearing masks which silently worked to a greater extent, in the spread of the infection in the states adjoining the ‘’centre’’ of the sit-in- protest, now going on for months – more for political than agricultural agenda. The travesty is that when the gravest challenge to the very survival of life was apparently there with deaths of precious lives and economic losses taking places daily because of the fresh horrendous COVID wave , farmers’ leaders were keen to keep the unwarranted protest pot boiling as was seen recently in Hissar when the CM of Haryana inaugurated a 500 bedded COVID Hospital . Reports of some “farmers” clashing with the police, breaking the barricades and trying to gherao the CM amidst deaths and destruction caused by the pandemic , is hard to comprehend . MSP payment of Rs. 8200 crore has been recently credited direct into the farmers’ account under DBT in Punjab as payment by Union Ministry and this has happened for the first time. Wheat procurement under the MSP is currently in full swing in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh belying the farmers uncalled for apprehensions on MSP and thus putting to speculations the intent of the ongoing agitation.
There was need to note that as many as 17.35 crore people have been vaccinated as per latest reports in India –no mean achievement. The production of vaccines is going up beyond imagination . Oxygen demand shot up suddenly and unexpectedly but health being the state subject , no perceptible contribution has any state all these years been making towards increasing oxygen plants where not much of investment was needed. Still, oxygen was managed from all possible sources. No government in the world can manage the number of COVID patients as India is managing which speaks about the phenomenal job done by the government but yes, the people are succumbing to the virus but instead of fighting, showing one another down, playing political games, spreading hopelessness and pessimism , let all join as one and lend support to the government wholeheartedly in fighting the pandemic and finishing it . And , let us all BREAK the chain of the virus and of negativity and thus save the precious lives. We will emerge victorious as we are a nation of resilience and courage.
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