This is for the
attention of all those ignoramuses, presstitutes, know alls who think it is
their business to only ask questions, tukde tukde gangs, mercenaries and those
jealous of Sri Narendra Modi's handling of a pandemic that has devasted the
lives of millions all over the world during the last one year plus:
Firstly, as per the Indian Constitution and division of
labor between Union Government and the States, health is a state subject with
provision for the Union Govt to intervene in emergencies. And that is what NaMo
led govt did in Mar 2020 by declaring a lock down which went on for more than 2
months.
During this time, the seriousness of the problem and how
it must be handled- using mask, social distancing and hand washing- had been
driven home thoroughly.
Those who were employing migrant laborer were directed to
look after them for some time and states were directed to ensure that no
large-scale reverse migration took place.
The states failed miserably on both counts. In fact, the
Delhi Government had, reportedly, displaced the laborer by spreading false
information that buses were waiting for them in UP border to take them back
home.
This was followed by the largest migration after the one
following independence. But people rose to the occasion and all along the route
these trekking masses were looked after by NGOs and resident welfare
association and except, maybe for stray cases, no serious law and order
problems, like rioting, were reported.
While lakhs died even in the land touted as the best in
the whole world, in terms of infrastructure, health care (where even communist
leaders from India flock to) and economy, and there was chaos all over, India,
with its forever-developing nation status and where poverty line had been
defined as an income of less than Rs 30/- per day, stood as an example of success.
India is the only country that used its national carrier,
Air India, and air force and navy to bring home its people from every corner of
the world. During the process it had even brought home citizens of neighboring
countries, including Pakistan, from those places.
During those days, even the President of the USA had
directly called our Prime Minister for help with medical aid like
Hydroxychloroquine and had been obliged. Our own facilities for producing
masks, sanitizers, PPE kits, oxygen concentrators etc had been ramped up and we
had started exporting these to those countries who needed them
Gradually, the states were empowered to take on and at
least in Kerala, the delegation had been to the level of District Collectors,
to declare containment zones when needed and enforce protocols. Even now, the
Union Government is ensuring that a certain minimum ration of food grains is
being given to almost the whole population free of cost. And some cash,
directly to the accounts of those below poverty line.
But statistics prove that some of the states acted as
renegades. During the early part of this year, we had just a handful of states
contributing more than 50 percent of the infection at the national level.
There were two mass agitations in and around the national
capital, which were unwarranted and purely motivated by treachery. Even the
courts, instead of ensuring that the laws laid down by itself, like banning
blocking of roads, were complied with, opted to send interlocutors to those
agitating against CAA and formed a committee to deal with the middlemen, posing
as farmers, for repealing three laws enacted to help the farm sector. It is
important to note that the agitators were demanding nothing less than the
repeal of these laws and they were not even prepared to participate in any
dialogue with this committee.
China, who had set the Wuhan virus on the world, even
tried to militarily occupy Indian territory in Galwan when the nation was
fighting the virus, with all the resources at its command, body, mind and soul.
The Chinese had to retreat with a bloody nose.
On the sides, efforts were also on to develop vaccines,
independently and in collaboration. Both were successful. But again,
politicians with ulterior motives spread canards and even declared that they
will not use, or allow to be used, the vaccines which were sarcastically called
Modi vaccines. And when vaccine roll out began many doses that could have saved
thousands of lives were wasted.
Even when the roll out was gathering momentum, the Union
Government ensured that it provided vaccine to front line workers of many
countries, including developed ones like Canada.
Almost around the same time a few countries like the USA
and Russia (apart from China from where the virus was leaked) had also brought
out their own vaccines. They have also been rolled out only under Emergency Use
provisions, as in India.
Meanwhile there was regime change in the USA. Trump gave
way to Biden. And one of his first acts was to ban the export of raw materials
required for producing the vaccines.
In early April this year, Gita Gopinath, the Indian
American economist who has been the Chief Economist of the International
Monetary Fund since 2019, had even commented that India had overcome the
pandemic and was on the road to economic growth.
Then suddenly a more virulent variation of the virus, at
the root of the pandemic, struck India. And shockingly, India alone, not even
its neighbors appear to have been afflicted with this strain. Though, even now,
the mortality rate per lakh or million of the population, is still in favor of
India, its infrastructure and resources have been stretched. And the ones to
whom this message is addressed, hit the panic button. Photos of burning pyres,
choked hospitals were published freely in local media and even, reportedly,
sold to foreign media. It required a media in Australia to expose these
detestable acts
(https://www.theaustraliatoday.com.au/besides-covid-19-india-is-also-fighting-with-vulture-journalists-who-are-spreading-more-panic-and-despair-than-pandemic/).
Of course, hoarding, black marketing, spurious products
are all happening as is usual in this country. But who was that great Prime
Minister who brushed aside the issue of corruption as a global phenomenon? Not
Narendra Damodardas Modi, for sure.
The other day the Delhi High Court had asked Aravind
Kejriwal headed Govt of the National Capital Region to inform it of the date by
which a hospital, due to be completed in Mar 2020, would be completed. Earlier,
his failure to establish oxygen plants, for which the Union Govt had allotted
funds as early as in December 2020, had also been exposed in a court of law. He
has now promised to set up 44 oxygen plants in one month. The sordid saga does
not end there. This government had also been exposed for stating on affidavit
that only 2500 vials of Remdesivir had been received against an actual 52,000
vials delivered.
Interestingly, Kejriwal government which had once ordered
that only Delhi patients would be treated in Delhi hospitals had reserved 100
rooms in a 5-star hotel as Covid treatment center for judicial officers of the
Delhi High Court. Fortunately, the court did not bite the bait. But nothing is
known whether the reservation has been cancelled or not, how much of tax
payers' money has been paid or whether it is being used as a facility open to
the public or not.
The story is not much different in Maharashtra, Kerala,
Punjab and Chattisgarh, which contribute to more than 50 % of the Covid cases
in the country. Again, it needed a foreign media to bring out the facts. Many
questions raised by Modi's detractors, like elections rallies, Kumbh mela and
Central Vista Project, have been logically and factually answered by a reporter
for Gulfnews.
(https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/covid-19-second-wave-and-india--the-questions-and-answers-1.79153360)
There is a popular saying in my part of the country that
if you enter a police station with your right foot first (considered
auspicious) you will be asked whether you have come to make it your home and if
you enter with your left foot forward (considered ominous) you will be asked if
you have to ruin it. So, it seems with the government led by Narendra Modi. Do
it, you are wrong; don't do it and you are still wrong.
Having said that I must state that I am no fan of Modi. I
do not indulge in hero worship either. But I do honestly believe that Narendra
Modi being the Prime Minister of India is the best thing that happened to her
post 1947. Lal Bahadur Sastri died an unnatural death after a short stint,
making way for Nehru's daughter Indira Gandi. P V Narasimha Rao did a good job
in pulling out the nation from an abyss of economic disaster, but he was
hounded by his own party, faced 3 unproven scam related charges and on death,
his body was not even allowed to be taken to the party office. Atal Bihari
Vajpayee just survived for a full tenure plus.
Now, it is almost like India got freedom in 2014 only.
But Narendra Modi is not God incarnate nor does he have a magic wand. He is
still at the mercy of babus and judges who have no accountability to their real
masters, the citizens. But that is the gift of our Constitution which, I
believe, needs to be rewritten to meet the challenges of a democratic society
and fulfill its aspirations.
Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.
P M Ravindran
raviforjustice@gmail.com
16 May 2021
