At present, the condition of the common man in India is terrifying and disturbing. The devastation and chaos that the second wave of Covid-19 has brought in our neighboring country has caused concern all over the world. The number of Covid-19 cases in different parts of India is increasing day by day. India today is labeled as the Covid-19 capital of the world. Official figures show that in just one day, Thursday, April 22, 332,935 Indians were affected, making it the largest single day count in the world. These are reported figures, but the exact number of victims and the death toll could be much higher, as testing facilities are far short of what is needed and hospitals are overcrowded.
In India, on the one hand, Covid-19 scare is causing havoc and on the other hand, there are so few health resources that are a source of embarrassment to the country claiming economic growth and flexing muscles of “shining India”. A few days ago, a petition was heard in the Delhi High Court regarding lack of oxygen in hospitals. The petition was filed in court by the management of a Delhi hospital, which said hundreds of hospitalized patients were in dire need of oxygen, but the authorities are busy doing politics over dead bodies.
During the hearing of the petition, the court expressed strong displeasure over the performance of the Modi government and wondered how the government could be so careless and insensitive about the lives of the people. The High Court said, “Why is the government so oblivious to the ground realities? You can’t leave people to die like this because of the lack of oxygen. Whether it’s begging, borrowing or stealing, it’s up to you to manage the oxygen. ”
This is an indication of the plight of the victims of the Covid-19 epidemic in India. The number of people infected with the virus is growing rapidly, putting the country’s hospitals under severe pressure as they run out of oxygen reserves. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed in his address to the nation that his government was working with state governments and private companies to address the oxygen shortage, his claim sounds bogus and shameful. According to reports, there is no space left for cremation in the crematoriums.
Lack of oxygen and lack of space in hospitals are leading to deaths, but health system shortcomings in India are also contributing to the worsening situation. An example of this is the tragic incident in Nasik, Maharashtra, the richest state in India, when an oxygen cylinder leaked in a government hospital, killing 24 patients.
The second wave of Covid-19 in India is swallowing people’s lives, because of the situation, there is anxiety and mourning everywhere, on the other hand, the famous Hindu Kumbh Mela was held with great pomp and celebrations were attended by millions from all over the country. Many of the participants in the festival tested positive. The Modi government in the quest of protecting its vote bank allowed the event to take place, hence preceded over poor human lives.
Even during these horrific times, the sixth phase of elections was held in the state of West Bengal, which was preceded by a full-fledged election campaign, with BJP and opposition holding large rallies and power shows. Millions of people attended without following basic Covid-19 protocols. Among those political leaders who rallied was Interior Minister Amit Shah. This suggests that the Indian government values its politics more than the lives of the people.
The deaths of Covid-19 victims due to lack of oxygen cylinders and medical resources in India are a matter of concern for the Indian government. If India had focused on health facilities instead of the weapons it has stockpiled to become a world power, just to subjugate Pakistan and humiliate China, the poor citizens of India would not be dying of helplessness today. But what can be done about the fact that the Delhi government has always been running blindly in the arms race, and this attitude has taken the form of madness since the coming of power of the extremist government of Narendra Modi.
Whatever happened in the past, now the Indian media, under the guise of provoking the rulers, politicians, generals and the people at all times, they would have to revise their media strategies to the benefit of the poor. Through this epidemic, nature has sent a message to nations around the world, including India, to spend their resources on providing health and education to the people and alleviating poverty, instead of wasting their resources on war and weapons, to save the world from catastrophe. That’s the only way.
