Political Diary

New Delhi, 11 May 2021

Regionalism To Fore

‘VETO’ ON OUTSIDER

By Poonam I Kaushish

Pre 1947 India resounded to “throw out the British”. Sprinkled with nationalism, all pledged to make India united and secular. The 2021 Mera Bharat Mahan is all about chucking the “outsider aam aadmi” from States. All promising to make their respective States more local chaap. Underscoring, 21st Century India’s rajnitik dal-dal: Caste+ Creed+ Region=Raj Gaddi.

Trust Ulta Pulta UP’s Chief Minister Yogi to turn the Centre’s vaccination policy on its head: Any one from any State can get the jab according to their location. The Saffron Chief Minister begs to differ and mandated: Slots only for State residents between 18-44 years who must produce a local address proof to get vaccinated.  Not for him the economic and human cost to the country if everyone is not vaccinated quickly.

His logic? The State Government has purchased vaccines for its people by investing its own money to order it. Therefore, only locals will be vaccinated, not ‘outsiders’ who are cornering vaccines. Of the 100 doses administered daily only five locals get vaccinated as outsiders make up 25% to 50% of beneficiaries.

Predictably, this has unleashed the genie of regionalism in the State whereby it has sent ‘outside’ residents in a tizzy. A Noida professional hailing from Madhya Pradesh is now scouting for openings in Delhi or Haryana as he does not have a local UP ID proof. Ditto, of others in Ghaziabad, Meerut etc.

In Tamil Nadu all eyes are on Stalin to fulfil his promise of 75% reservation for locals. Pertinently, this despite the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench last week striking down Maharashtra’s law granting 13% reservation to Marathas in educational institutions and 12% in Government jobs in the State over the 50% limit in quotas. It saw no merit in the State’s argument that 85% of the Maratha population is backward.

In March Haryana Governor gave his assent to the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill providing 75% reservation for local candidates applying to private sector jobs that pay less than Rs 50,000 per month. Big deal, if it contravenes Article 14 and 19 (equality before law and right to practice any profession anywhere in India).

Taking  cue Karnataka too decided to reserve Group C and D jobs for ‘Kannadigas’(who stay in the State for over 10 years and studied Kannada until Class 10) in both public and private sector, addressing a long-standing demand by pro-Kannada groups.

This does not surprise me. Over the years regionalism has remained the most potent force in Indian politics since Independence whereby State after State has upped its ante against outsiders and been the main basis of formation of many regional Parties.

In 1952 the fast-unto-death by Telugu leader Potti Sriramulu for a Telegu State out of composite Madras Presidency resulted in Andhra Pradesh. In 1966 the Shiv Sena launched its agitation against Kannadigas in Maharashtra and became the self-styled champion of everything Marathi nurtured on the infamous ‘Marathi manoos' standard, by which practically everyone in Mumbai was an ‘outsider' except 28% Maharashtrians. Then followed North-East reorganization on the basis of locals and tribals in the 1970s.

Our netas too reveled in playing the regional card. In the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, BJP dubbed Congress Lucknow candidate Karan Singh, former J&K’s Sadr-i-Riyasat ‘outsider’ vs ‘insider’ Vajpayee. Never mind, Lucknow is miles away from Gwalior, Vajpayee’s birthplace. Interestingly, the Sangh again portrayed ‘Vajpayee the local’ in Himachal, by underscoring his love for Manali.

Thus, regionalism thrived with Parties and leaders making it their mantra. Former Prime Minister and kisan leader Charan Singh floated farmer-oriented Janata Party and Devi Lal Lok Dal in Haryana. Badal Akali Dal in Punjab, NT Rama Rao Telugu Desam in Andhra, Bangla’s Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress and Naveen Patnaik launched BJD in Orissa. All with a common USP: “We are locals who shall rule, Delhi is dur --- the outsider.” 

Another form of regionalism found expression in inter-State boundary disputes between Karnataka and Maharashtra on Belgaum where Marathi speaking population is surrounded by Kannadigas, between Kerala and Karnataka on Kasargod, Assam and Nagaland on Rengma reserved forests and Punjab and Haryana over Chandigarh.

Then, wrangling over water resources: Narmada between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, Krishna by Karnataka and Andhra and Cauvery among Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Another quibble between Punjab and Himachal over Ravi river and electricity sharing between Punjab and Delhi.

Questionably, is regionalism ingrained in our psyche? Do we realize its ramifications of further dividing people on regional lines which is antithetical to hope of narrowing India’s burgeoning regional divide, thereby unleashing a Frankenstein?

Undoubtedly, citizens should have equal job opportunities across the country. The problem kicks in when locals demand their pound of flesh and to some extent, rightly so. Arguably, why should people from outside a State apply for menial jobs? If outsiders corner sweepers or helpers jobs where should the locals go for their bread and butter? Join militants and take up guns? Does that promote national integration?

Moreover, regionalism is a serious threat to development, progress and unity which could challenge internal security by insurgent groups who propagate and fan feelings of regionalism against the country’s mainstream politico-administrative setup and give rise to regional Parties.

Consequently, regional demands become national imperatives whereby policies are launched to satisfy regional demands which are extended across the country. Take Minimum Support Price   given to sugarcane, it helped Maharashtra farmers but was implemented across all States resulting in agitations of farmers belonging to UP, Punjab and Haryana.

Add to this continuous neglect of a region by the Centre resulting in uneven pattern of socio- economic development have created regional disparities as seen in BIMARU States (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UP) leading to economic migration due to low rate of economic growth, poor infrastructural facilities in backward States, political and administration failure, low level of social expenditure by poor States on education, health and sanitation along-with vote-bank politics on language and culture.  

Today our unity in diversity is perhaps on the brink of extinction, that although India still remains one country, some are demanding to be allocated a portion for their “families”. Giving rise to conflict due to jobs tussle between migrants and locals, thanks to failure to create enough employment opportunity.

Clearly, regional economic inequality is a potent time bomb directed against national unity and political stability as Indian nationalism continuously grapples with regional nationalism. Time our leaders rise above petty politricks, think beyond vote-bank politics and cry a halt to regionalism as it is detrimental to long-term growth.

They need to think creatively about how to achieve the goal of putting everyone on equal footing. Merely banking on regionalism and reservation will not spell unity. The need of the hour is to develop each region of India, through devolution of power to local Governments and empowering people for their participation in decision-making.

After all, Article-19, gives every citizen a fundamental right to move around and settle down peacefully any part of the country. Social justice and equal opportunity is not the prerogative of only locals given how our caste-creed politics has already become divisive and self-defeating. No longer will young India accept that power in regionalism can be transformed into power in numbers. As citizens of India our netas should respect the fundamental right of every person.  Hum Bihari hain toh kya huah, dil wale hain! ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi, 4 May 2021

Regional Satraps Rise

WINNER TAKES ALL!

By Poonam I Kaushish

At the end, it was all about feel good. A two month long, eight phase grueling election which culminated in anointing Trinimool’s Mamata as Chief Minister again. A 66-year old Bengal tigress who rewrote the rules of the political game for the third time wining in a tough gladiatorial contest against Prime Minister Modi and became a cause célèbre.

Mamata showed remarkable political resilience with her clarion call of Khela Hobe, fully living up to her reputation of being a redoubtable street fighter unafraid of taking on any challenger. With her plastered foot, on a wheelchair she single-handedly stalled the BJP juggernaut by dubbing it ‘bohiragoto’ (outsider) out to demolish the home-grown beti. Possibly Modi's mocking catcalls of ‘Didi-o-Didi’ also did not go down well with the hoi polloi culminating in its Khela Sheesh.

True, for the BJP, Bengal was tough terrain given its 27% Muslim electorate, alongside, its excessive incantation of Jai Shri Ram seems to have had a jarring effect in a State where Durga and Kali are revered. That it catapulted from three seats in 2016 to becoming the principal opposition with 77 MLAs is no mean achievement, notwithstanding disappointment of not reaching the 200 seats ambitious target.

The State is now bipolar as the Left-led Third Front comprising Congress and ISF banked heavily on small-time cleric Abbas Siddique to draw away Muslim votes from  Trinamool, came a cropper resulting in its total route.

Expectedly, the BJP retained Assam, won Puducherry, lost its lone seat in Kerala and was aligned with losers AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, yet overall it is a net gainer thanks to arch-rival Congress’s lacklustre performance in Assam, riding on Stalin’s DMK coattails in Tamil Nadu and blown away by LDF’s  Pinarayi in Kerala.

The Party has only itself to blame for its mess. Rahul has totally failed again unmasking what seems to be an inexorable slide into decline and irrelevance. Undeniably, he cannot be expected to lead the charge against Modi as leader of an Opposition alliance at the national level.

However, the biggest takeaway of these polls is that stormy petrel Mamata is clearly positioning herself for heading the Opposition against BJP. By presenting the battle as Modi-Shah vs Mamata, the Saffron Sangh has inadvertently projected her as a larger-than-life figure who has the potential of being Modi’s main competitor in 2024.  

She has not only emerged as a key strategist but also honed her political acumen. NCP’s Sharad Pawar has a soft spot for her, she  has built an equation with Samajwadi’s Mulayam, AAP’s Kejriwal, Udav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and JD(U)’s Nitish. Mamata takes advantage of Sonia’s fondness for her and regularly keeps in touch with erstwhile Congress cronies,

Clearly, Bengal’s poll quake promises to have repercussions at the national level for the BJP. It is early days but Mamata’s Partymen and grudging rivals have nicknamed her the ‘She-Modi’. Mamata like her rival is single and perceived to have the same skill set as Modi: Popular, great orator who ‘connects’ with people, rabble rouser, persistent, appetite for risk and is Teflon-like whereby no scandal or negative feature sticks to her.

With Congress’s Rahul dismissed as a non-serious political player sans respect by others, Mamata having halted the Modi juggernaut could emerge as the dark horse to challenge RSS-BJP combine. But this could come unstuck as NCP’s Pawar too has been biding his time for years to head Opposition unity against BJP. But does not have age on his side.

Certainly, States along the East Coast present an unbroken line of non-BJP, non-Congress Parties who have successfully held office repeatedly winning elections. Be it YSRC Jagan Reddy in Andhra, TRS’s Chandrashekar Rao in Telengana, BJD’s Naveen Patnaik in Odisha and DMK’s Stalin in Tamil Nadu.  

Against this backdrop, questionably, is the BJP’s invincibility dying? How long can it bank only on Modi as sole vote catcher? Is the Hindutva card past its expiry date? Is a combination of gathering anti-incumbency and Opposition’s electoral arithmetic putting brakes on BJP’s much vaunted electoral machine?

Or has its perceived mismanagement of a virulent Covid tsunami alongside the false mirage of achche din becoming the Saffron Sangh’s nemesis? Modi’s Government has fallen short on promises: Economy performed below expectations, rural belt is dissatisfied, there is urban apathy, youth is angry at Government’s inability to generate jobs and communal polarisation might not pay electoral dividends.

Boosted by victory, regional satraps could harden their position against the Government sparking off and weakening the Centre’s position in policy battles with it. Example: Ongoing farmers’ agitation. Yet Opposition unity will not be easy, given the disparate aims and agendas of various Parties that will have to pull together.

Certainly, these reverses open up new options for BJP. They indicate it cannot take regional satraps lightly and will have to chalk out-of-the-box strategy for the Assembly battle next year in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, Himachal and Gujarat. The Party is in a strong position, Modi is unrivalled and Shah has turned BJP into an electoral machine which reaps rich dividends, 21 States and counting. Add to this the TINA factor. With a Government in power at the Centre it has a huge capacity to dole out patronage, win over enemies and influence people.

What next? It is too early to say whether regional leaders can bandy together. But as polls conclusively prove, the Modi juggernaut can only be stopped if the Opposition joins hands and replicates Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala by knitting alliances in key States. For any credible and proper Opposition unity, if not perfect, to survive and lead, it should be headed by the largest, second or major Party leader. With Congress’s Rahul dismissed as a non-serious political player sans respect by others, there could be a tussle for the top spot between Pawar and Mamata.

The regional satraps know it’s only by laying their differences aside and fight the BJP together that they stand even a ghost of a chance. They would need astute political moves combined with election management to counter BJP's superior war machinery. The elephant in the room is whether the Congress is willing to reinvent itself and take this experiment, of playing second fiddle to a regional Party. However, either which way it is good for India’s democracy to have more regional satraps finally coming in to their own: Constructive opposition with the winner taking it all! ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi, 27 April 2021

India Choked

IT’S ONLY LIFE, STUPID!

By Poonam I Kaushish

“What's the use of a hospital bed now? He is already dead. All are dead. The Administration is hopeless, useless," angry shouts of parents and relatives which pierce the country’s comatose dark skies. Over 140 choked to death due to lack of oxygen in various Delhi, UP and Haryana hospitals as they ‘begged” the Administration and corporates to expedite replenishments of the elixir of life even as crematoriums ran out of space. Bringing India once again face to face with the bitter truth: The aam aadmi translates into merely a sterile statistic!

With 3,52,991 people testing positive for Covid 19 Monday India's total tally has climbed to 1,73,13,163 with a record 2,812 new fatalities. While active cases crossed the 28-lakh mark (16.25%), death toll increased to 1,95,123 (1.3%) with the recovery rate dropping to 82.62 %. Worse, active infections might touch 38-48 lakhs mid-May warn scientists as the coming four weeks are critical.

Kudos to the Madras High Court which came down hard on the Election Commission calling it the “the most irresponsible institution” for its role in the resurgence of the virus’s second wave pan India. Adding stingingly, EC officials might be “booked under murder charges too” for allowing Parties to hold mammoth rallies and processions. It was hearing a PIL to ensure fair counting of votes in Karur.  The Court threatened to stop vote counting 2 May if a “blueprint” of effective steps with Covid-19 protocols was not in place properly.

Questionably, are elections the be all and end all for our leaders? Is human life of no importance   to them? Couldn’t the EC have curtailed the political dose, mammoth rallies, processions and holding of road-shows in five States to 500-odd with strict enforcement of pandemic norms or netas told to have smaller ‘virtual’ rallies or clubbing these together as was done in the last two phases of the West Bengal polls?

Undoubtedly, the onus is on the EC. It was its paramount duty to carefully plan the poll phases, ensure that authorities maintained strict discipline, remained focused on controlling the contagion spread by insisting on physical distancing and wearing masks besides their usual duties of maintaining law and order. The en masse abdication of Covid protocol by both leaders and janata is borne out by TV and social media footages, an automatic recipe for disaster.

Given that these States showed five-times faster spike of Covid 19 cases than Delhi and nearly 10-times faster than Maharashtra. For instance Bengal had 8,419 or 1,040% higher cases on 18 April 18 than 1174 on 1 April, while Delhi and Maharashtra which are notorious hotspots showed a much slower pace of increase  209% and 118% respectively.

Adding grist the Kumb mela was  attended by over 30 lakh people and within a week it sent the number of cases in Rishikesh and Haridwar soaring. It was after the death of two renowned seers of major sects that Modi appealed to make attendance “symbolic”. A belated confession, of knowing large and congested gatherings, even if held in the open, lead to a titanic rise.

More horrifying is how our netagan continue to glibly bandy remorse, India is “shaken” by the contagion tsunami said Prime Minister Modi with Union Ministers, Chief Ministers reeling out figures of ‘action taken.’ Really? You could have fooled me. While the Opposition parrots its tirade of ‘Government plagued by anti-people policies and is trying to save image.’ All, getting their knickers in knots.

Importantly, given our leaders penchant for short-cuts and quick-fix solutions, what else can one expect, but this ghisa-pitta reaction? They are no wiser nor have learnt any lesson from the first wave. Instead of being prepared for the second, all were triumphantly asserting they had ‘defeated’ the pandemic and Modi was a “vaccine guru”.

Worse, none seems to have learnt or is willing to learn the ABC of health and crisis management or finding lasting solutions. In four States, Delhi, Maharashtra, UP and Chhattisgarh alone there is a acute shortage of nearly 50,000 isolation beds with oxygen, over 10,000 ICU beds and 6000 ventilators and counting. Karnataka .  Critical medicines are selling at astronomical prices.  

Who will bear responsibility? Be accountable? Does anyone really care?  A big No.

Two cases in point. Take Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal. On 5 January the Centre gave AAP Government Rs 201.58 crores for installation of 8 dedicated Pressure Swing Absorption (PSU) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities. Abominably, on 23 April, Delhi had installed only one oxygen plant sanctioned under the PM Cares Fund. Besides, wouldn’t the Rs 171 crores Kejriwal spent on advertising his Sarkar’s achievements been better utilized on people’s welfare.

Further, in beginning April Kejriwal tweeted that Delhi had adequate oxygen, medicines and there was no shortage. Only, to tweet the obverse a fortnight later, blaming the Centre despite being allotted over 480 tonnes of oxygen. Only to be reprimanded by the Court, “you expect everything should land at your doorsteps….you have to contact suppliers.”

Two, on 1 April last year a Central Empowered Group of Officers set-up for effective Covid  response red-flagged oxygen shortage when there were only 2000 cases and asked the CII with Indian Gas Association to mitigate supplies soonest. A week later the Directorate General of Health Services wrote to all State and UT drug controllers to grant licenses to manufacturers of industrial oxygen to produce medical oxygen at the earliest.

Again in October Parliament’s Standing Committee on Health asked the Government to ensure adequate oxygen production for hospitals as well as its availability and affordability. Of the 7000 metric tons produced as only 1000 metric tons was being used for medical purposes, the Committee wanted a strong oxygen inventory in place. Alas, all these were trashed as it was only last week the Centre prohibited supply of oxygen to industries.  

Furthermore, the vaccination drive commenced too late in January third week with no outcome goal of vaccination defined. So far only 0.7% have received both doses and only about 5% one dose, too low to have an impact. Neither was any advance purchase orders given to vaccine companies to get production accelerated. Add to it “poor communication” to those vaccinated on how they must continue with precautions like masks and social distancing.

Undeniably, given the tremendous nationwide shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, vaccines and drugs, the onus lies on the Government. True, people lowered their guard and didn’t follow Covid protocols, yet why did the Centre and States open up everything including schools and colleges without vaccinating people despite warning from scientists and virologists? Specially as Europe was witnessing an acute second wave.

Ministerial and bureaucratic huddles and directives from the Centre to States will not do. People are sick of hearing the same old refrain: “The speed of spread in the second wave is twice as fast as in the first wave. Don’t panic…The Government is doing everything that is necessary…things are under control….we have enough oxygen. Transportation is a challenge.” Sic. 

Remember, all crises are surmountable. What is insurmountable is damned negligence and casualness. That is the tragedy of our nation. The time is for gone for the Government to play the pied piper with a ki pharak painda hai attitude. Will the future generation be weighed down by our moribund, careless and politricking leaders’ albatross round its neck? Who aver: Let them choke, its only life, stupid! ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi, 21 April 2021

Nation Gasping

SAB KA SAATH, REALLY?

By Poonam I Kaushish

India is gasping --- literally. Oxygen is in acute short supply with patients dying as it runs out, ICU and hospital beds are hard to come by, States are reporting critical drugs, ventilators and vaccine shortage, people crib about lack of testing facilities and results taking too long, crematoriums are burning eight-ten bodies together on a pyre and graveyards have no land. With the country’s tally finally crossing 1.50 crore mark and a record single-day rise of 2,73,810 yesterday with active cases surpassing 19-lakhs and over 1500 deaths, Prime Minister Modi has finally admitted the situation is “grim”. Better late than never! 

Already, some States are in complete lockdown. Delhi till 26 April, Maharashtra 30 April, Rajasthan 3 May, Bihar, UP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have announced night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am in the hope that they can halt the wildfire-like spread of the disease while others work on ‘temporary’ reinforcements. Leaving our crippled health infrastructure scrambling for medical facilities.

It does not need a galaxy of experts to admit that our leaders and policy makers mismanaged the situation, lowering their guard and ignoring critical signs even as they patted themselves of having got the better of the pandemic, “bent the virus like Beckham” and “conquered” Covid in January. Failing to realize that in a country of 1.3 billion, a contagion does not simply vanish into thin air and disregarding sero-surveys across States which underscored a second wave. Scandalously, little was done with the data, follow-up or learn from the first wave to battle the second.

Take, Kerala while every State was reporting a decline in infection, the State was witnessing a surge having crossed 10 lakhs in February, second to Maharashtra. Asserted a former director of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering Biotechnology, “Anyone with a basic idea of infectious diseases knew it was lurking within us and could strike anytime. They should have used the interim to prepare for a second wave, instead they underestimated it. Now with a many people getting infected, the chances of the virus mutating at a faster pace has also increased.”

Certainly, it did not require Einstein's brain to realize that post Kerala and Maharashtra, Covid 19   would strike other States soon. Yet, the second wave was treated with utmost contempt. Seen as just a ‘Maharashtra problem’ and given political colour by the ruling Shiv Sen-NCP-Congress vs BJP accusing each other of gross incompetence and negligence.

Compounded the crisis, politics and gaddi took precedence over all else with SOPs to manage the contagion blown to smithereens amidst massive rallies with no physical distancing or masks in five poll-bound States even as the virus heartlessly ravages the country. Add to this the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Rishikesh which stands testimony to tore asunder Covid protocol with lakhs of devotees thronging the banks of the Ganga for a holy dip and continuing farmers agitation are guaranteed super-spreader spelling disaster. Worryingly, this is not even the peak of the infection.

Yet as is typical, official arrogance, hyper-nationalism, populism, complacency and an abundant dose of bureaucratic incompetence have combined to create a calamity which has left India vulnerable to multiple new mutations, lack of medical infrastructure at the Central and State level and threat of repeated, livelihood-destroying lockdowns.

Last year Modi led from the front, a harsh lockdown was prefaced with TV appearances, bartan banging, helicopters showering petals on Covid warriors, skill of medical professionals, need for “do gaz ki doori, mask zaroori” and messages of a united national resolve against Covid.  But this time, our leaders seem to have abdicated their roles, downplaying the danger and playing political gulli-danda accusing Opposition ruled States of politicising vaccine shortages.

Alas are polity seem to have been caught with their pants down, ignoring that it was a national health emergency which needed to be fought at all levels, not only the ICU with sabka saath and sabka vishwas.

Raising a moot point: Why will people heed when they see videos of thousands gathering at election rallies and on the banks of the Ganga? Don’t our netas recognize that massive rallies and religious fervour will result in increased fatalities? Why did the Government’s “Tika Utsav” see fewer people being vaccinated. Was it due to shortages?

Besides, there is clear policy failure whereby we slipped into business-as-usual mode once the virus began receding instead of using the intermittent to boost the health infrastructure, ensure adequate supply of medicines, ventilators and oxygen and fast-track vaccine roll-out by giving a timeline for a clear production target based on sound material management technique. This is still not happening. 

Consequently, the vaccine rollout is far from smooth with the Centre now blaming States which are facing vaccine shortages for politicizing the issue, with both quibbling over less vs adequate supply. Adding to woes vaccination targets are off-track, supplies are dwindling, in Chennai, Nagpur and Raipur both Covishield and Covaxin are scarce with some inoculation centres having shut down altogether.

Worse, the cruising pace of three million a day is too slow with manufacturers struggling to make enough doses for the country, let alone the rest of the world. Shockingly, while regulators approved the first Indian vaccines in December, the first shot wasn’t given until more than two weeks later.

More.  The virus is mutating so fast that scientist and researchers feel the vaccine might not be effective. Already the country is in the throes of four mutant ---- double mutant strain, UK strain, South African strain and Brazilian strain. he second blunder was limited investment in vaccine storage both before and after the pandemic hit

With the virus taking on menacing proportions the Government belatedly tweaked its vaccine policy by allowing emergency use approval to vaccines which have received the nod in US, UK, Europe and WHO but it is classic case of too little too late. Questionably, what was the hurry to export millions of vaccine vials to other countries when they could have been used to inoculate a larger section of the population.

Further, we need to ramp up testing which remains static at 11-15 lakhs per day despite NaMo’s call to enhance RT-PCR test. An increased testing would identify more hidden and asymptomatic cases to curtail the spread. Happily, the Government  has decided to vaccinate above 18 from 1 May.

If the 2020 lockdowns crippled economic activity leading to many factories permanently shut, the second lockdown is seeing migrants leaving cities in droves back to their villages, lower income workers, poor, marginalised and daily wage earners a choice between starvation, breaking the law and risking infection. Despite Finance Minister Sitharaman asserting there would be no lockdown, industry and workers are chary. The economy, which has already tanked will plummet further. Remarked an industrialist, “30% of industry will not manage to reopen again.” 

The ensuing gloom and growing alarm needs assuring leadership and a well-judged response rooted in science to pull us out of this crisis with minimum collateral damage. It remains to be seen if the Government can improve timely vaccination rollout and give impetus to universal immunization with vaccine choices and put together a new vision, preparedness and a coherent stimulus plan. Whereby, the principles of ‘Jus Ad Bellum’: right authority, right intention and reasonable hope dictate our responses. Our leaders need to realize that one death is one death to many. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)