Home Blog Page 225

Vultures Preying over COVID Crisis: Busting the propaganda of the ecosystem

Samridh
-
0
Vultures Preying over COVID Crisis: Busting the propaganda of the ecosystem

The “Ecosystem” is back with a bang after it failed miserably at the so called Farmers Protests last year. It has been failing since Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister in 2014 and it’s agony has only grown multifold after the BJP won a historic mandate in 2019. This time it hopes to capitalize on the grief of people like a vulture preying on heap of bodies, on their feeling of frustration and helplessness against a pandemic that has ravaged the world. The “Ecosystem” is a complicated nexus, a part of which had been remotely exposed during the infamous toolkit episode few months ago and has little to do with political affiliations. I really wish to talk in detail on the Ecosystem but let’s leave that discussion for another day.

The second wave: Selective outrage and the blame game

The second wave of COVID19 took India by storm as the cases skyrocketed. India went from registering 50K cases/day on 24th March to more than 350K cases/day a month later, triggering an unprecedented health crisis. The cracks in the health infrastructure soon began to show up as people scampered to find hospital beds and the cities ran out of medical oxygen. Deaths too accompanied with fatality count rising to over 3K per day and left many completely shattered. The crisis still continues with combined efforts at war front from everyone, from the Centre to the States, from the international community to the private sector at home, from the PSUs to the forces and the medical fraternity and the hopes are high to get over it soon.

Amongst this crisis, the vultures were quick to spin the narrative away from reality. Out of nowhere, the Centre and the PM were projected as the villains responsible for the crisis, the usual script that has been used multiple times by the Ecosystem began to be played and the stage was set for the great drama to unfold. The usual propaganda was slowly amplified on social media and by loyal media houses to the “Ecosystem”. The political groups were definitely not missing the party and jumped in soon enough. Soon enough, the COVID crisis was being projected as the result of the Centre’s carelessness, the Kumbh Mela and the political rallies. Obviously nothing could be as far removed from the truth. At the lowest point, the vultures labelled PM Modi as a murderer. One indeed wonders how many times have we heard this statement before and laughs. The State governments found a new escape route to hide their gross incompetence and began to blame the Centre despite the fact that Health is a state subject and they are responsible for it. The blame game continues till date and is expected to go on.

Whitewashing the actual Villains: The Truth

The second wave started in Maharashtra and cases swelled, meanwhile the entire focus of the state government and the media in Maharashtra was on something else, something more sensational. Maharashtra was facing one of the biggest crisis against the incumbent government, the allegations levelled by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh which were extremely severe and included claims that the Home Minister of Maharashtra was involved in appropriating extortion money. The MVA government in Maharashtra amidst such crisis was trying to save its face and the government itself, turning a blind eye to the impending disaster that was brewing. Had the Maharashtra Government taken proactive measures in March, we wonder if this massive crisis could have been averted. Suspiciously, nobody has even questioned this lapse, from the media to the intellectuals. Quite the opposite, there has been a flood of tweets and narrative as to how well Maharashtra has managed the crisis and how excellent the CM of Maharashtra is, absolving the state government of all its sins and suddenly turning them into a hero.

Delhi forms the second part of the story with the charismatic leader Arvind Kejriwal at its helm. On 2nd April, the Delhi CM claimed that the coming wave of COVID was less serious. Cases kept increasing day by day. Soon enough, claims were made by the CM that Delhi had adequate hospital beds, ICUs and Oxygen and it obviously translated to the claim that Delhi was well prepared. Tall claims had been made about the achievements that the AAP government had made in healthcare in Delhi for the past many years, little did they know that the lid was going to blow off soon. The third week of April was the week when the lid actually blew off and with it blew away all the erstwhile claims.

Delhi was frantically searching for oxygen and beds and the situation turned extremely bleak with people left crying helplessly. Subsequent revelations told how the Delhi Government had shown heights of incompetence in setting up oxygen plants sanctioned by the Central Government since December. An RTI further left the tall claims of the Delhi Government in tatters as it showed no hospitals were built during 2015-19 in Delhi. Despite the facts, nobody dared to question this sequence of events and as Mr. Kejriwal is known for, all blames were shifted to the Central Government despite the clear incompetence of “AAP ki Sarkaar”. Mr. Kejriwal continues on his advertisement and spree and crossed all limits when advertisements were published in all newspapers of the nation asking for help, a scene never before witnessed in the history of the nation.

Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma: The new targets of the “Ecosystem”

The “Ecosystem” and its vultures had already projected the PM and the Central Government as the villain, it was time to move on to one of their biggest problems, the firebrand CM of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath has had a meteoric rise since he became the CM of the largest state in India. He quickly rose from someone whom many had apprehensions on to one of the strongest CMs in the history of UP and one of the most popular leaders of the nation. His no-nonsense approach, strict administration, development efforts and the strong actions on the law and order front in a state which had been ravaged by the erstwhile SP government and its infamous “Goonda-Raj” quickly earned him appreciation from the citizens of the state. As an ex-IAS who headed one of the largest schemes of the PM remarked, Yogi had a penchant for immediate execution of development schemes and under his leadership, UP became one of the leading state in complementing the development efforts of the centre. All this combined with his unapologetic Hindutva image and his demolition drive against the mafias of the state and the “Ecosystem” made him a terrible source of misery for them.

Yogi Adityanath had been the subject of several assaults by the “Ecosystem”. From trying to dig out stories of law and order and making a mountain out of some selective tales against the fact that the state continues to see a decline in crimes as per official figures to the incessant flaming of the infamous Hathras case, the assaults have been many but Yogi moved unfazed and his popularity remained on the rise. This occasion is not new, the vultures are trying hard to find isolated incidents of lapses in the system and propagating the same for days. The Telegraph published a story with a headline that had little to do with the actual content and the vultures spread the same like wildfire without checking the actual contents. For the people who know medical ethics, no hospital has the right to deny treatment or turn a patient away just because it doesn’t have a resource. In times of acute crisis, any amount of medical observation and care is better than lying untreated for severe cases and the UP Government rightly began hammering the hospitals that were engaged in such conduct but for the move that deserved appreciation, the headline distorted the story by 180 degrees and the “Ecosystem” propagated it like never before. Many such incidents can be busted and that is left upto the readers.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chanakya of North-East became the unlikely target with the entire “Ecosystem”. Assam and the health minister Sarma has emerged as one of the best states in management of COVID in the nation. The state is one of the rare few with adequate medical infrastructure, sulprus oxygen and a fatality ratio nearly half the national average. Yet Mr. Sarma continues to be targeted for one of his statements a few months back incessantly. While Mr. Sarma has clarified the same and rebutted the entire propaganda, it continues unabated. Why would the “Ecosystem” leave the man that snatched the entire north-east out of their hands?

Vaccines: Propaganda hits a new Low

I have always maintained, Strengthening Medical Infrastructure and Vaccination are the only permanent cures for the pandemic. India, while lacking on the first ground, has made remarkable progress in the second. With support, motivation and corpus funding from the Centre and the tireless efforts of the scientists, India became one of the largest vaccine manufacturing hub in the world. Living up to its ancient values and humanity, India also supplied vaccines to the developing countries, especially those with no resources. India’s vaccination program has turned out to be a model for the world with more than 15 crore doses administered till date and is expected to grow exponentially. The vaccines developed by India received worldwide acclaim and aced the clinical trials. It remains our best hope of recovering from the pandemic.

Yet, somehow people had found flaws in this too. One of the most noted lawyers of the nation, Mr. Prashant Bhushan was found to be engaged in a subtle propaganda against COVID vaccines themselves, coming dangerously close to being an anti-Vaxxer as it is commonly called. Chattisgarh Health Minister and CM engaged in propaganda and fear mongering over the COVAXIN vaccine and were blasted by the Union Health Minister in a letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh. Things touched a new low when the Serum Institute and its CEO was targeted by the “Ecosystem”. The CEO had to be given Y category security and the company was forced to publish multiple press releases at the time when the entire focus should have been on churning out vaccines. Rahul Gandhi raised questions on the grant given for vaccine development and the pricing of vaccines while conveniently forgetting the huge risk investment made by the companies and also the fact that firms work for profit and that we are not living in wonderland. To top things up, he labelled them “Modi-Mitrs”, a term often used by the “Ecosystem” for corporates. If “Modi-Mitrs” are saving the nation from the pandemic, don’t we need more of them?

It too shall pass or will it?

There is a lot to speak but we shall keep it for another day. The “Ecosystem” will continue the propaganda till the second wave subsides and then it will find something new and latch on to it. The PM will continue on tirelessly working for the nation as he has been for the past many years and the achievements will keep shining. My only hope is that the people of the nation do not fall to the preying vultures which they have resisted till now. Constructive criticism is a necessary part of a functioning democracy but there is a huge gap between selective, vexatious propaganda and engaging in democratic debates which is the case we see today.

“Satyamev Jayate”, may the truth triumph and God give strength to the nation to overcome this crisis and continue its march to glory.

Even after 74 years of independence, are Indians still slaves of the colonial rule?

unnamed
-
0
Even after 74 years of independence, are Indians still slaves of the colonial rule?

Indian (and also most other Asian/Oriental) culture places a huge premium on respect for the seniors and politeness towards the strangers. So even before the British set foot in India or introduced the word Sir to Indians, people were addressing the elders, and those in position of power, or even people in everyday walks of life with respectful terms like “Prabhu”(Lord) or ‘Swamy’. The entire village was our family. A girl of our grandmother’s age would also be ‘Dadi’, any man of our father’s age would be ‘Kaka’ or ‘Kaku’ or ‘Mama’. A woman of our father’s age would be ‘Maasi’ or ‘Bua’. These were not just names, we even followed what we said. No one even married a girl of his own village because she automatically became his sister as he addressed her parents by these relations.

Whereas on the other hand, in western culture ‘Uncle’ means only your father’s brother and ‘Grandpa’ means only your father/ mother’s father. This clearly indicates why in India when some problems arose the entire village stood together. For those who don’t know Panchayat is a system formed and practiced only in India because the decision of Sarpanch (usually the most elderly and wise man of the village ) was considered as the decision of Head of the Family by all the residents of the village.

The influence of the Sanatan Dharma expounded humility, and respect for elders and courtesy for strangers. Even after the advent of Mughal rule, this practice continued, when people addressed the royalty, nobility and the gentry with terms like Huzur or Saheb. The prevalence of adding the honorific suffix Ji to even everyday common relations were, and still are, not uncommon in India, and this is how you will see some one addressing his own father as Pita ji, mother as Maa ji, sister as Behan ji, the temple priest as Pandit ji, the local leader as Neta ji and the school teacher in hybrid Hinglish as Master ji. The point is though the word Sir came much later into Indian semantics, the spirit was already an integral part of the Indian sentiment.

When the Britishers arrived on Indian shores as traders and then expanded their empire here, they wanted the educated Indians only for some clerical or subordinate works for the predominantly British higher officials. Obviously, the White Europeans did not like their Brown subordinates to address them by their first names as it’s practiced in Western Nations and thus the word Sir became the default term for addressing higher ups, and gained wide currency and general acceptance in the popular vocabulary. If this weren’t the logic then people of those days would even call Swami Vivekananda as Sir Vivekananda and Acharya Dayanand Saraswati as Sir Dayanand. Even then the system of Ji or Sahab couldn’t quit our sentiments. I’ve often seen people addressing their seniors as ‘Sir Sahab’ or ‘Sir ji’.

Even if you watch one Hollywood Movie of the ‘Back to School’ theme you’ll realize that if the surnames of their teachers are Wills (Male), Brown (Married Female) and Smith (Unmarried Female) the students address them as Mr. Wills, Mrs. Brown and Miss Smith respectively. In India on the other hand Mr. Wills becomes Sir, Mrs. Brown becomes Ma’am and Miss Smith remains Miss. We are stuck in a web of words. Only if a teacher of the school is also a doctorate then the prefix ‘Dr.’ comes before their names like Dr. Anthony.

Our Gurukul system never taught us to take names of our teachers that’s why even after independence we addressed our teachers as Sir and Ma’am. At the time of the Gurukul system words like Gurudev, Gurumata, Swamiji, etc were prevalent.

Even colleagues, peers and neighbors in India address each other as Sir, even though they might be knowing the names of each other. Funnily, this term Sir is even tagged along with proper or improper nouns like Banerjee Sir, Kumar Sir, or even Manager Sir, Engineer and Director sir. So in India, today every one is a Sir.

The elderly being the guiding force elicited a sense of respect from others, which is so culturally entrenched within us that finds expression in our languages too. Example, unlike English we don’t use YOU for everyone, but segregate it as ‘AAP’ for elders and ‘TUM’ for peers and youngsters. It is part of a cultural trait rooted very much in the way our society and languages evolved. Addressing anyone elderly with their first name or last name is not seen as a good behavior and hence we Indians would never called our beloved Tiwari Sir as Mr. Tiwari or Sunayna Ma’am as Mrs. Sunayna. Instead we’ll use Sir or Ma’am both in corporates and schools.

Now that we Indians have got to know ‘Sir’ is used for a person who receives knighthood from the Queen of England like Sir Albert Einstein or Sir Richard Hadlee. we shouldn’t use words like Sir in schools or offices. It’s better to call them Guru ji, Teacher ji, Master ji in schools and Boss or Mr. So and So in offices.

It’s time that we quit these colonial terms like Sir and follow our own culture otherwise we’ll remain a Slave to the British even after 75 Years of Independence. People should start spreading awareness and by themselves adapt to the change. Petitions should be signed in favour of this because I’m very sure the Government officials find this to be too small a topic to be raised in the Parliament.

Constructive criticism something which TMC MP Mahua Moitra is yet to learn?

unnamed
-
0

Mahua Moitra (MP Krishnanagar, West Bengal) contested and won the seat in the 2019 Indian general election as an All India Trinamool Congress party candidate. She has a 380K+ following and nearly 4-5 Fan Pages on Twitter. She excels in the art of putting in satirical lines on twitter to slam the Central Government. She has been keep playing dirty politics on twitter since past few years which continues even now when the nation is going through such a calamity.

She has nearly 913 Tweets on twitter most of which are hate speeches against the GOI. The Opposition’s main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public. This also helps to fix the mistakes of the Ruling Party. The Opposition is equally responsible in upholding the best interests of the people of the country. They have to ensure that the Government does not take any steps, which might have negative effects on the people of the country. But today things have worsened to such a limit for the opposition parties that instead of constructive criticism they are bent on defaming the Modi Government.

Her tweets simply show hatred against the Government nothing else.

In this tweet she called Narendra Modi a better soothsayer than a crisis manager. It’s true that this time the crisis is a bit uncontrollable but at least he is soothing and assuring the country that these days would pass soon. After a study of Mahua Moitra’s entire Twitter profile I’m sorry to say but I didn’t even find a single tweet from her end trying to console the nation. Ever since the outbreak started she has just been trolling the Modi Government of mismanagement. I don’t know what steps she would have taken if she had been the PM because I strongly feel after seeing her social media handles that she is not even a soothsayer.

Forgetting the achievements of PM Narendra Modi in international diplomacy, she targets the NDA government for not being able to control COVID-19 surge in India. She says India has become a Super Power as today the entire world is afraid of India due to high rise in COVID cases. Is it only the Centre which is responsible for the Health Sector in India? Do the state governments have no say in the Health sector? The truth is not hidden even from herself that Health is a matter of the State Subject. Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra and Kerala have been major producers of COVID. Yeah even UP has a substantial number of cases but did she forget that even Harvard University had praised the Yogi Government for the management of COVID in 2020.

In this tweet she is seen defending Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for breaking protocols. There are some rules which everyone should follow, and if one breaks them he ought to apologise for that. Fact checkers have already proved that only 1 out of 8 oxygen plants had been built in Delhi even when the funds were allocated as early as the 2020 year end. Netizens have been claiming that the rest of the money were spent in publishing advertisements by the Delhi Government.

I quote Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, “The country is surrounded by problems this day and we have not given birth to them. Whenever required, we have helped the past governments to solve problems. I was sent to Geneva by Former PM Narsimha Rao ji and Pakistan was shocked to see me; because in Pakistan the leaders of opposition parties never support the government even in days of national crisis. The opposition of Pakistan is only busy to somehow defame the ruling party. This is not our custom, it’s not our nature and I want this nature to continue. The game of Power will keep on going, governments will come and go, parties will be formed and broken but this country should survive. The democratic nature of this country should remain immortal.”

Today again we are surrounded by problems health problems, diplomatic problems and internal unrest but the opposition is hell bent on opposing the Central Government. It appears that today even the opposition of India has become like opposition parties of Pakistan. They just want the government to some how fall. I feel sorry for Atal ji today who would be weeping up there in heaven seeing this traumatic situation in the nation.

As pandemic hits mankind in india, anti-Modi ‘vulturekinds’ are back at work

Alok Choudhary
-
0
As pandemic hits mankind in india, anti-Modi ‘vulturekinds’ are back at work

Disaster or crisis causes several troubles for mankind. However, in the case of India, it also delivers an opportunity for vulture’kinds’ that love dancing on every death and infected patients in India resulting because of coronavirus pandemic.

As the nation grapples with the sudden second solid wave of the pandemic, the anti-Modi vultures of India view this as a golden opportunity to vent out their hatred and frustration against PM Modi.

Make no mistake by assuming that these anti-Modi vultures make our democracy powerful by hurling tough questions on Modi as they often want you to believe. They are just pointing fingers at PM Modi because all in their lives, they love is to hate PM Modi.

They don’t want our healthcare to improve or want people to get oxygen as they try to pretend. All they love is to release their deep-rooted hate for one man and one party. Have you ever seen such people on social media or around you writing on their social feed about any solution? I am sure you have not, and you won’t ever see them doing this in the future.

However, you will often see such people computing the list of problems that never end for them. Last year, when the nation witnessed the first wave of the covid pandemic, the same sets of people pondered whether Modi would be able to hold this virus.

‘See we don’t have sufficient PPE kits. Oh, now we have but we don’t have them of good quality. God save India under fascist Modi, we don’t have vaccines to fight. Yes now we have vaccines but Modi fascist is doing this to profit crowny capitalist’. Their argument goes in the same way, which is evident today during the second wave of the pandemic. These people simply to hate and humiliate Modi can go beyond any extent even if it requires inventing problems in the solution unleashed by Modi.

Let say these people really want India’s good, and that’s the intent behind their questioning, abusing Modi. But if this is the case, why don’t they question Uddhav Thackrey and Arvind Kejriwal, who were allotted funds from the Modi government one year ago to set up 10 oxygen plants in Maharashtra and 8 in Delhi but miserably failed to install oxygen plants? Please now don’t dare to say that maybe these people are unaware of the fact. Instead, they are all aware, but they love to cheery pick half-baked narrative, sharpening their hatred-filled attack for PM Modi and BJP.

And yes, I don’t feel any obligation to explain about those Modi haters who have been taught in their culture to hate Modi, BJP, and any saffron-wearing people since childhood. For them, it’s a part of their cultural teachings, and they can’t change this pre-installed hatred which is not difficult to understand.

‘Why is India vaccinating so slow? Why is India vaccination so fast? Why is India imposing lockdown? Why India is not imposing lockdown’. The pattern of their opposition to Modi and BJP reminds me of the line of a song from the 3 idiots’ movie ‘Confusion hee Cofusion hai, solution ka koi Patta Nahi.’ The solution brings pain, but if the problems of India continue for a long time, it brings joy and opportunity to target PM Modi because maybe they don’t love PM Modi’s new looking beard or dressing sense if their logic is to be followed. After all, he is a ‘chaiwallah’ or tea seller for them who has steadily been winning the trust of people of India, not those IIT pass out, Standford pass out PM candidates in waiting. This is something that they can’t absorb, and today many of them are even attacking Indian voters declaring that we deserve this coronavirus infection because we voted for Modi.

In the end, these vulture’kinds’ have so much to say, write against Modi, but yet they complain that democracy, free speech is in danger under PM Modi.

Azad is no Kamaraj & Rahul is no Indira

Swarn Kishore
-
0
Azad is no Kamaraj & Rahul is no Indira

Four men met at Tirupati Temple to discuss the next big move in Indian politics in October 1963. Who were these four men, why did they meet in a temple and what made them think beyond and disturb the inertia. Actually they were four top Congress leaders of their times namely K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Madras and the then President of Indian National Congress, S. Nijalingappa, the then Chief Minister of Mysore and future President of Indian National Congress, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and future President of India and Atulya Ghosh, the then President of Bengal Congress Committee. These four men had met in Tirupati as it was a place where these four southern leaders would have had met without anyone getting a cue of any such planning.

Such a meeting was very ostensible that too when Delhi was ubiquitous with the speculations about the most iffy question of Indian politics after independence i.e. after Nehru, who? It was the time when Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru wasn’t keeping well with his health and wasn’t much active within the party. These four men were important in the party but they were not considered big players individually hence they formed a group called syndicate.

The change of guard in Congress much like late Mughals has never been a sober and smooth affair; be it from Nehru to Indira, Indira to Rajiv or Sita Ram Kesari & PV Narsimha Rao to Sonia Gandhi.

It was Kamaraj only who gradually established Indira as the next big thing after Nehru. Kamaraj ensured that an easy going Lal Bahadur Shastri becomes the Prime Minister of India instead of ambitious Morarji Desai, the senior most Congress Minister in Nehru cabinet. Kamaraj also made sure that Indira finds herself in cabinet of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Foreign Minister. But Indira was much more brutal and ambitious than the syndicate would have ever imagined. She did not even vacate the bungalow of PM Nehru, Teen Murti House, a symbol of authority, to allow the incumbent PM to move in.

The syndicate who initially considered Indira a preposterous girl and called her Goongi Gudia got to know about her ambitions when as Prime Minister, she refused to accept Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as the candidate of Congress for the elections for the post of President of India, she even ensured he loses and he did. She wasn’t only good at keeping reins on the syndicate but kept working on her image as the only leader of masses in India. The cult she became when she was finally ousted from Congress party by the syndicate. She formed her own Congress and even won the elections. In this way syndicate and Kamaraj, both vanished from the spectrum of Indian politics.

After the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the subsequent sympathy wave in the favour of Gandhi family, her son Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister of India by almost sweeping the elections. Congress bagged the highest number of seats ever won by a party since independence till date. Lal Krishna Advani had popularly said about these elections in this biography that “General elections of 1984 were not Lok Sabha elections but Shok Sabha elections.”

Rajiv Gandhi died and PV Narsimha Rao, the first Non-Gandhi-Nehru family member became the first Prime Minister of India from Congress. Some Congress leaders who had approached him with a proposal to make Sonia Gandhi were badly scolded and while asking them to think beyond Gandhis he had angrily said that “whether it was essential that the Congress Party should be treated like a train where the compartments have to be attached to an engine belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi family or were there other alternatives?”

Then came the popular fiasco of locking up of Sita Ram Kesari in bathroom of Congress headquarters and roughing up of Kesari and some of his supporters. Subsequently an immediate amendment was made in the Constitution of Congress party which ensured immediate declaration of Sonia Gandhi as Congress President (within 62 days of joining as a primary member of Congress party).

These all debacles happened when Congress was directly or indirectly sitting on power. And now after 2014, almost everyone who has some basic understanding of Indian politics would surely agree that BJP has emerged as the new pole around which the Indian political spectrum will revolve for some time, to say the least. The revolts within Congress and the perpetual failures of Rahul Gandhi to prove himself as leader of masses has rendered Congress more fragile than it ever was. 

Because of aggressive campaign of BJP wherein Congress is being advertised as a private limited company of Nehru-Gandhi family and the track record of their alliances be it professional or personal; be it Quattrocchi or Robert Vadra makes them unreliable with power. The leadership of Congress is desperate, clueless and has run out of ideas. This party has become reactionary in operation and brain faded in ideology. There is no innovation, the only thing they do as an opposition party is to condemn the party in government. In short they are playing the game, BJP is making them play. There is nothing Congress does for which BJP isn’t ready; in fact it is BJP which still dictates what Congress has to do.

Let me give you an example; Congress had announced that since it is part of their agenda that statehood should be restored to Jammu & Kashmir therefore they will be a part of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and will contest DDC elections in alliance. Then BJP leaders conducted some press conferences in New Delhi attacking Congress for siting in alliance with Kashmir based political parties and as a reaction to that Congress backed off. It is because of the same aggressive poll management of BJP that parties like Bahujan Samaj Party & Samajwadi Party forged an alliance, so did National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party, even RJD, JD(U) & Congress allied, now Shiv Sena & Congress are on the same page.

And when the chips are down for Congress and when every move of Congress reflects trepidation and fear, some leaders of the party asking for some change is very much ostensible. Although the Gandhi family and their darbaris are reluctant to yield to such demands and this whole exercise of G-23 is nothing but an otiose. But if they will change nothing, nothing will change. Few days ago, a meeting of some leaders of Congress again met at Jammu to show their strength. This time the syndicate has become G-23; barring a couple among these 23 leaders, rest have almost no mass appeal and minimal control over organisational structure of Congress. Their attempt might be honest but for a bigger good, this party has to vanish from the political spectrum of India making way for some other political alternative to strengthen the democratic set up. For now the only way they can do any good for the country can be summed up in a Urdu couplet of Sahir Ludhianvi;

“Vo afsana jise anjaam tak laana na ho mumkin,
use ik khubsoorat mod de kar chhodna achha”.

Ethics debate over vaccine nationalism

Ravish Yadav
-
0
Ethics debate over vaccine nationalism

An invisible virus has left no stone unturned to bring the world to its knees. But to give up is not human. People across the world are fighting the virus; those infected are fighting to stay alive; doctors are fighting to save the infected; administraors are striving to control the spread. And at the apex level, we have the world leaders fighting for their people, to prioritize their health over others. This has paved way to a debate over the ethical dimensions concerning vaccine nationalism.

To be ethical is to do what is right. What constitutes right is claimed differently by different schools of ethics. School of Ethical Egoism would justify the ‘Americans First’ stand taken by the US. It says that an action taken to pursue self-interest is ethical. However, in the field of international relations, the school of Idealism champions the idea of considering people as humans rather than citizens of their respective countries. Thus, according to it, it is the human rights that the world leaders need to uphold, instead of being restricted to protecting just their citizens. On the other hand, Realist perspective would defend being pragmatic about securing one’s own interests. As per the realist school of thought, every country thinking about self-survival is justified in its approach. Moving further, there is the school of Ethical Altruism which goes a step further than idealists and advocates helping others without concerning about self. This idea, however, makes little sense in this context.

It is not ethical altruism if governments export crucial medicines in the name of altruism thereby leaving people in their own country high and dry. This is because you are termed an altruist if the negative effects of your positive actions fall on you, and not others. Thus it would be ethical to restrict export of vaccines if domestic supply is lagging behind the demand. But if the US has surplus vaccines and has enough room to export without compromising the health of Americans, it surely deserves the criticism it is getting for being egocentric. Talking about the ‘Utilitarian‘ school of thought, it advocates achieving maximum good for the maximum number. Thus, a country having an excess stockpile of vaccines or raw material to make vaccines is not justified in holding it back and not exporting to the countries in need.

Things would become more complex as we dive deeper into the ethical principles. In this debate, I would advocate the common good approach, which calls for universal welfare. It reflects in the recent decisions of the government of India, where it lifted off the restrictions on Hydroxychloroquine exports and also committed to provide vaccines to some of its neighbors for free. Corona-virus does not differentiate between an American, an Indian or a British. Hence it would be sensible and ethical to come together, transcending the man-made borders, to protect the humanity as a whole. US must step forward to help other countries facing vaccine shortage, and so shall others in their capacity. It would not be ethical to let people in other countries die today while you keep your own stock of essentials intact eyeing a future emergency.

India’s second massive Covid-19 wave underscores pandemic monitoring preparedness (PMP)

JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN
-
0
India’s second massive Covid-19 wave underscores pandemic monitoring preparedness (PMP)

Since the first reported case of Covid-19 in India on 30 January, 2020 in Kerala, daily infection tally steadily reached its peak in mid-September, 2020 when the highest number of single day reported cases and fatalities were observed as about 98000 and 1000 respectively. Afterward, Covid cases and deaths gradually declined and dipped to the lowest at 9000 to 12000 daily cases and deaths less than 100 during the first week of February, 2021. Prior to the nationwide vaccination programmes launched on 16 January, 2021 in India, all social restrictions imposed through state regulations were relaxed and faded away in Covid-Win euphoria.

Consequently, pandemic fatigue national populace immediately got back to the pre-covid ease of life being oblivious to the tenets of epidemiology; pandemics often show long scaring tail and merely minor mistakes can transform the scary tail into gigantic quaking trunk within a short span of time. What exactly happened during April, 2021, the second surge of Covid-19 slowly started in Maharashtra and Kerala during February-March, 2021, rapidly became a full blown pandemic in India during mid-April, 2021. As of now, India is the first country in the world to record the highest 332000 single day infections, and also top leading country in Asia to harbour maximum number of confirmed cases.

Lacunae in predictive pandemic monitoring preparedness (PPMP)

Lacunae in predictive pandemic monitoring preparedness increasingly became apparent during the month of April when daily infection trajectory in India crossed 3.0 lakh mark with cumulative addition of about 15000 cases per day and death rate also shot up by 500% during the month. Laxities in state imposed restrictions and people’s Covid inappropriate behaviour grew parallel to the declining trend in daily cases and deaths on account of Covid since October, 2020. Paucity of predictive pandemic monitoring preparedness on part of regulators is now explicitly evidenced through large scale export of country made vaccines; underestimating the planetary health implications of high infectivity variants evolved in UK, South Africa, and Brazil; and being ignorant to the effect of forthcoming environmental conditions during March to June as conducive to virus transmission & evolution. Amidst the massive surge, we cannot safeguard our positions by merely saying that nobody made emphatic predictions on India’s second Covid wave.

PPMP in India requires comprehensive comparative studies on Covid epidemiology of various Indian states in the light of global epidemiological models drawn from the best and the worst Covid managed countries. Israel has well managed the pandemic through rapid vaccine (BioNTech-Pfizer) rollout on 20 December, 2020 and aggressively continued with 55% of population got vaccinated till 18 April, 2021. No. of infections in Israel is falling significantly, for above 60 age group 56% less infections, 42% less severity and 35% less death have been noticed.

Whereas, USA, Brazil, UK, Mexico, and India have suffered the most because of underestimating and undermining virus behaviour, course of epidemiology with respect to their demographies.The uniqueness of Covid-19 epidemiological model of Delhi in India with distinct temporal peaks was quite suggestive of future inevitability of the second resurgence of Covid-19 in India if Covid appropriate behaviour of people deflects from the standard operating procedures. Indian euphoria of global appreciation of stringent measures in controlling initial viral spread during March to October, 2020, low case fatality rates, and availability of country made safe and efficacious vaccines in fact made us overconfident and undermining of the idea of future pandemic escalation. Our false notion of Covid control and all is well got suddenly shattered through big blow by the current surge in Covid cases and deaths which is highly explosive due to high infectivity variants of SARS CoV-2 with altered pathogenicity.

In the second surge, changes in virus character due to mutations have made them tricky to the extent that they could escape human immune response as well as diagnostic tests. Consequently, severity in disease progression has been enhanced that pose a great challenge to the existing medical infrastructure throughout India. Now hue and cry is rampant from all quarters for supply of vaccines, medical oxygen, ICU and Oxygen beds, and anti-viral such as Remdesivir, Tamiflu, Faviflu, and  steroid tocilizumab for critical care patients.

Political blame game over resurgence of pandemic

After a year of pandemic onset in India, the whole country of 1.3 billion population got revert back to the pre-covid ease of life as soon as Covid restriction measures were faded away in the beginning of the New Year 2021 coinciding the gradually declining state of the virus spread, and availability of the country made safe vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin. However, aforesaid euphoric mindset of the national populace including policy makers proved lack in pandemic monitoring foresight with respect to high infectivity variants coupled with altered and lethal pathogenicity, effect of viral transmission conducive environmental conditions during March to June, and aggressive vaccination drive for all age groups. Intriguingly, misperceptions of the declining state of virus spread made new mindset of opportune moments for earning benefits through vaccine diplomacy and export from India.

Whereas, Israel is now world leader in reducing infection rate significantly through planned and aggressive vaccinations. Nonetheless, augmented healthcare infrastructures during the first wave were also withdrawn and medical oxygen & anti-viral Remdesivir were exported as being alleged. Being oblivious to the ever changing characters of insidious virus, political leaders organized huge conglomerations at election rallies, devotees took holy dip in masses at Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, and pandemic fatigue common people vehemently hugged their nears and dears during festivals. Such human social behaviours are certainly inappropriate during Covid era. Quite frightenedly, sudden upsurge in virus transmission during March-April served to trigger national political blame game on prevailing inadequacies in vaccines, medical oxygen supply, ICU critical care, and anti-viral Remdesivir in controlling ever rising Covid cases as high as 3.0 lakh in a single day.

And overwhelming hospitalisation of Covid patients under limited medicine supply in many Indian cities have resulted in daily death toll more than 2000. Consequent upon, abrupt lockdown, corona curfew, and badly needed Covid appropriate behaviour again became buzz words in national print and electronic media. Whom to blame, national think tank for Covid management or the public who soon resorted to Covid inappropriate behaviour of all sorts?

Need of the hour

At this point of time amidst pandemic, India urgently requires all heads put together beyond the political blame game. Since we could not halt the second wave, we must learn lessons through its predisposing causes and act unceasingly to save many precious lives currently trapped into the Covid tsunami by safeguarding ourselves through applying Covid appropriate behaviour (scrupulous face masking, hand hygiene, and social distancing), healthy lifestyle measures (herbal prophylactics, balanced nutritional diets, and traditional wisdom of yoga), and adherence to state imposed restrictions (utmost minimization of crowd size at public places such as railway stations, airports, bus stops, amusement parks, and socio-politico-religious gatherings). In fact, SARS CoV-2 virus should have been strategically arrested to the finish during the first week of February, 2021 when viral transmission diminished to a small size of about 8000-10000 daily cases through stringent preventive measures (Testing-Tracing-Treatment) at various containment pockets in Indian territory.

Simultaneously, scrupulous exclusion of foreign suspects of UK, South African, and Brazilian high infectivity variants should have been monitored at all international airports. By the way, now Damocles sword of Covid-19 has dropped deep, despite variation in immunogenicity of vaccines, aggressive vaccination program must continue unhindered to reduce severity of disease, virus shedding and infectious doses for all age groups since UK variants are also targeting children and young population. Constant genomic surveillance for molecular monitoring of variants would define virus lethal characteristics thereby helping doctors and patients for preventive and treatment measures.

For example, SARS CoV-2 variants of the current second wave in India exhibit air-borne high infectivity and altered clinical symptoms such as early lesion formation in lungs within 3-4 days of infection, increasingly more oxygen requirement in severity and frequently evading human immune reactions. Relying on 1918 Spanish flu pandemic story with four waves within two to three years period and accordingly waiting for the third and successive Covid-19 waves, we would be downgrading the scientific and technological might of 21st century. Therefore, apt application of novel scientific idea for outright check on current escalation and future successive third wave in India is need of the hour otherwise we would be allowing viruses to acquire peculiar characteristics through mutations as transmission progress unhindered and successive waves take place.

Future of Covid-19 pandemic in India

Owing to favourable environmental conditions during April-June for virus transmission, India is all set to become top country in the world which could record the highest daily cases between 4.0 to 5.0 lakh and daily deaths between 4 to 5 thousand in a single day. However, steep escalation could be slowed down through stringent preventive measures. Moreover, peak of the current Covid wave could be anticipated before June, 2021 largely depending upon the preventive control measures. Nevertheless, months between September to mid November are another conducive time period for virus transmission and escalation of Covid cases in India.

Therefore, now onwards stringent preventive measures need to be followed unceasingly in scrupulous manner till viruses diminish to small pockets through herd immunity acquired by aggressive vaccination of all age groups as decided by the Govt. on 19 April, 2021. It would ultimately lead to attenuation of SARS CoV-2 without severity. India can fairly control Covid-19 before the first half of 2022 by ensuring that about 70% of the population must get vaccinated by January, 2022 and also people scrupulously adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour. If vaccination drive is prolonged and goes beyond one year period, acquired immunity of the earliest vaccinated people might be fading away.

                                        Monthly average daily Covid cases in India as of 20 April, 2021

                               (Data source: Ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India)

                               Monthly average daily Covid deaths in India as of 20 April, 2021

                            (Data source: Ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India)

Bar graph displaying percentage of population of the best Covid-19 managed (Israel) and the worst Covid-19 managed (USA, Brazil, UK, India, Mexico) countries got Covid-19 vaccinations as of 18 April, 2021 (Data source: Covid-19 vaccine statistics).

India’s COVID crisis: Opportunity for Rana Ayyub to spew venom against Modi, Time provides the platform

shazy47
-
0
India’s COVID crisis: Opportunity for Rana Ayyub to spew venom against Modi, Time provides the platform

As Covid crisis unfolds in India, for Rana Ayyub it’s an opportunity to spew Venom, and blame everything that’s wrong in India, on Modi.

It’s astonishing that how international publications allow their platforms to be used, without any iota of sanctity and neutrality, and let her run amok with her blatant Anti-Modism.

1. Kumbh Mela as Super Spreader

She starts with complaining that BJP Govt encouraged worshippers it is “clean” and safe to “attend” Kumbh Mela. However, she fails to mention that Govt has made adequate arrangements for it. Devotees are supposed to upload negative Covid Report before getting a pass to enter the Fair.

Then She goes on to conclude, that “Is it any wonder that the festival has become a super-spreader event?”

What is the basis for it?

Referring to her own Source “thousands are testing positive”, in Haridwar, in a 5-day period, 2,36,751 tests were conducted at the Mela site. Out of these, 1,701 came out positive for Covid-19, which amounts to a Positivity Rate of 0.72%.

As per the WHO guidelines and John Hopkins University, below 5% positivity rate for two weeks should be a criteria for Govts to consider reopening.

Mumbai, where she lives, has the positivity rate above 15%, the State of Maharashtra, her Home State, yesterday recorded a positivity rate of 16.45%.

Delhi, which is Centerstage of farmer’s protest, she vehemently supports and promotes, records a positivity rate more than 36%. 

If at all, she is concerned about an Event becoming “Super Spreader”, she should immediately write an open letter and appeal to thousands of farmers who are headed for Delhi to continue their Protest.

2. Shortage of oxygen supply:

States do not anticipate demand, arrange/ask for supply, do not install oxygen plants despite central govt sanctioning it, but Modi is to be blamed for it. while you can argue, 

Out of 162 PSA plants sanctioned by Govt of India, 33 have already been installed – 5 in MP (BJP ruled),  4 in Himachal Pradesh (BJP ruled), 3 each in Chandigarh (BJP ruled), Gujarat (BJP ruled) & Uttarakhand (BJP ruled), 2 each in Bihar (BJP ruled), Karnataka (BJP ruled) & TL (BJP-ally ruled); and 1 each in AP, CG, Delhi, Haryana (BJP ruled), Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab & UP (BJP ruled)

A majority of them are ruled by BJP or it’s allies and its the opposition ruled states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Delhi, Chhatisgarh, Andhrapradesh who have been laggards in completing the work while Modi Govt has sanctioned the Budget.

3. Election rallies: 

Modi & Shah should withdraw from Campaigning and let opposition parties get a walkover in the state elections

Elections are taking place in five states in India. Unless there is some alternative or constitutional arrangement to defer the elections, It is not only the duty of political parties but also the right of voters to hear the agenda of various political parties before going to Vote.

All the political parties are conducting large election rallies and roadshows to the Voters. It is unfair, to expect that Narendra Modi and his Party should stop their election campaign, though people like Rana Ayyub may want that, so that their favorite opposition parties get a walk over & win.

BJP had proposed to Election Commission to conduct virtual election campaign, but its the opposition parties which opposed it.

Mamta Bannerjee, who is Chief Minister as well as Health Minister of West Bengal, skipped last four meetings of all the CMs with PM Modi to review Covid preparations.

Instead she is busy with Electioneering in her own state, and addressing Public meetings at Habibpur, Malda and Tapan, Dakshin Dinajpur on 22nd April.

4. Healthcare

Constitutionally states are responsible for healthcare, but Modi is to be blamed for their incompetence.

Healthcare is a State Subject, and it’s the responsibilities of the States to anticipate and make the adequate arrangements.

In the list Corona cases, 8 out of Top 10 States in India, are ruled by non-BJP parties..

There have been repeated advisory issued by Central Govt to the States like Maharshtra  to maintain vigil and don’t let the guard down. However, there were lapses on State Govt side.

Take the case of most affected Maharashtra State, where Rana Ayyub lives. During Covid times Govt was busy in:

  • Giving extortion target of monthly 100 crores from Mumbai’s Restaurants and Bars.
  • Blue eyed boy of ruling party, Police Inspector Sachin Waze, was planting Bombs outside India’s richest Man Mukesh Ambani’s home.
  • Filing Fake Cases against Journalist Arnab Goswami and his Republic Channel who has been relentlessly speaking truth to Power.
  • Demolishing Office of Actress Kangana Ranaut, who has been questioning Maharashtra Govt, for which it was reprimanded by the Court.

5. Vaccine: 

Modi did little effort to encourage Vaccinations

It is factually wrong to claim. Indeed Prime Minister had publicly taken his first and second dose of Vaccine, and repeatedly appealed people to get vaccinated. On the contrary, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, leaders of largest opposition party Congress, are yet to publicly endorse Vaccination.

If at all someone is responsible for spreading Vaccine Hesitancy, its the opposition parties in India, with some even calling it as “BJP Vaccine”. A Congress ruled state Chhatisgarh even went to the extent of rejecting an indigenous vaccine.

6. Vaccine Shortage: 

She goes on to quote Maharashtra Govt shutting down vaccination centers and blames center for it. Would not it be fair to quote on the day when Govt shut down centers, it was in possession of 3.8 days of supply and 8.8 days of supply was in Pipeline.

Could it not have been incompetence of the State Govt in managing the logistics and distribution, or just a feeble attempt to blame someone else for their disastrous handling of Covid in its state?

As per her own claim, she “speaks truth to Power” but where is that courage gone?

She has not criticized and questioned the Maharashtra Govt where she lives, potentially directly impacted by their “mishandling” of the Corona Situation, rather furthering their one sided narrative.

Apparently her entire Career has been built on spreading lies & hatred against Modi, Shah, BJP and she has profited from it, with no consequences.

Arnab Goswami went to jail but kept questioning Maharashtra Govt while sitting in Mumbai. Courage is when there are consequences and you are ready to bear the brunt of it.

Good health can actually knock down Corona

siddsa
-
0
Good health can actually knock down Corona

Soon we are going to face the third wave (as per the analysis of renowned Scientists and researchers around the globe) as for now we are facing the second wave of COVID-19. From our past one year experience of the ways its spreading; one thing is clear that no matter what all safety measures we introduce into our lives, there is still gonna be one or the other loopholes that will help it spread and multiply.

In scientific terms these viruses are “immortal” as they have the ability to change their very chemical structure before we can actually gear up the research process and create a vaccine. So basically in simple terms it’s much more faster in evolving itself before we can think of a cure.

Now the point of writing of this piece of opinion is that these viruses don’t have a better cure than our “immune system” itself. The immune system can easily adapt with the changing structures of viruses within a time period of some days to a week or so, after which the Corona viruses also becomes weak and eventually gets killed inside; aiding our immunity.

This can be confirmed with the example of Rhino virus which is there in the population all around the world causing common cold; affecting us for about 3-5 days depending on the strength of our immunity and we are back to normal once again. The virus has been able to haunt us from generations only because of its ability to evolve.

So what we can conclude here is that this Covid situation will be same sooner or later. The difference is that we are new to it so people with weaker immunity are suffering more. As soon as we develop immunity (same done by the vaccine too) against it, we are safe from its lethal effects.

Now is the time we start to live with it by improving our immunity and try to help others gain good health who are in need right now.

इस ऑटो वाले के हौंसले और जज्बे को सैल्यूट, कोरोना मरीजों के लिए बनें देवदूत, शुरू कर दी फ्री सर्विस

sunilsingh
-
0
इस ऑटो वाले के हौंसले और जज्बे को सैल्यूट, कोरोना मरीजों के लिए बनें देवदूत, शुरू कर दी फ्री सर्विस

रांची। कोरोना काल में बहुत से लोगों ने लूट का धंधा अपना लिया है। ऑक्सीजन से लेकर दवा और फल-सब्जियों तक की कालाबाजारी की जा रही है। मगर मजबूरी में सब कुछ जानते हुए भी लोग लुटने के लिए मजबूर हैं। रविवार को एक खबर आई थी कि दिल्ली में ऑक्सीजन के सिलेंडरों की जमकर ब्लैक की जा रही है। एक सिलेंडर लोगों को 40 हजार रुपए तक ब्लैक में खरीदना पड़ रहा है। न्यूज सर्विस एएनआई ने इसका खुलासा किया था। बहुत से लोग एंबुलेंस की आड़ में भी ऐसा ही धंधा कर रहे हैं। किसी को शर्म नहीं आती कि इस तरह की आपदा में पीडि़तों को लूटने की बजाए उनका सहयोग करना चाहिए।

सेवा भाव करने वाले लोग भी हैं इसके बावजूद दुनिया में ऐसे भी लोगों की कमी नहीं है, जोकि सेवाभाव और सहायता को अपना धर्म समझते हैं। वह अपने काम छोडक़र लोगों की सेवा को ही अपना लेते हैं। आज हम आपको एक ऐसे शख्स की स्टोरी बताने जा रहे हैं, जोकि खुद आर्थिक रूप से संपन्न ना होने के बावजूद लोगों की सेवा में जी जान से जुटा है। इस शख्स का नाम रवि अग्रवाल है, जोकि रांची झारखंड की राजधानी रांची के रहने वाले हैं।

बीकॉम रवि चलाते हैं ऑटो
रवि अग्रवाल पेशे से ऑटो चलाने का काम करते हैं। मगर उनके दिल में पीडि़त लोगों की मदद का जो जज्बा है, वह बेमिसाल है। 21 साल के रवि अग्रवाल ने बीकॉम तक की पढ़ाई की हुई है। मगर अपने परिवार को पालने के लिए ऑटो रिक्शा चलाने के लिए मजबूर हैं। रवि ने एक घटना के बाद सोशल मीडिया पर अपना फोन नंबर शेयर किया है। उन्होंने कहा है कि जिस भी जरूरतमंद और पीडि़त को तकलीफ हो वह उनसे संपर्क कर सकते हैं। वह एक फोन कॉल पर हरसंभव मदद के लिए पहुंच जाएंगे।

एक बुजुर्ग महिला को पहुंचाया अस्पताल
रवि के अनुसार बीती 15 अप्रैल को वह सवारियों का इंतजार कर रहे थे। तभी उन्होंने देखा कि एक बुजुर्ग महिला सडक़ पर खड़े होकर टैक्सी और ऑटो को रोक रही है। मगर कोई भी उन्हें बिठाने के लिए तैयार नहीं था। वह फौरन उस महिला के पास पहुंच गए। तब पता चला कि वह कोरोना पॉजीटिव है। मगर उन्होंने कुछ भी सोचे बिना बुजुर्ग महिला को ऑटो में बिठाकर अस्पताल पहुंचाया। जिसके बाद महिला ने उन्हें किराए के तौर 200 रुपए देने की कोशिश की। मगर उन्होंने किराया नहीं लिया और कहा कि फिर कभी जरूरत हो तो याद कर लेना।

कोरोन पीडि़तों के लिए फ्री सेवा
रवि अग्रवाल ने बताया कि इस दौरान उन्होंने देखा कि बहुत से लोग परेशान हैं। तब उन्होंने फैसला किया कि वह भी जरूरतमंद लोगों की सेवा करेंगे। यह सोचकर उन्होंने सोशल मीडिया पर अपना फोन नंबर सार्वजनिक कर दिया है और कोरोना मरीजों को निशुल्क सेवा उपलब्ध करवाने का निर्णय लिया है। अब जो लोग उनके पास मदद के लिए फोन कर रहे हैं, वह उनकी पूरी मदद भी कर रहे हैं।

1...224225226...889Page 225 of 889