Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s twenty minutes address to the nation the last night was highly reassuring. The forces that have been busy spreading negativity, lies and canards about Covid -19 must have got tight slaps on their face after Modi’s address. These were the people, who were cursing the government last year for foisting lockdown in the country and now they are criticising and castigating the government for not declaring the lockdown.
During the last year, the country has made tremendous progress, expertise, and confidence in fighting with Covid-19. There were not many testing labs, masks, and PPE kits a year ago. Even basic medicines like Hydroxychloroquine were in short supply. But now they are available in plenty because the country got geared up mainly due to the encouraging leadership of Narendra Modi. India has not only become self-sufficient in having the kits and medicines to fight Corona, but she has achieved enough of them to export to scores of countries of the world including many developed ones.
Last year when the lockdown was declared some journalists, allergic to Modi, had made it their motto to malign his government by showing and writing about the suffering of migrant workers. These are the people who have always been anti-workers. These journalists have been notorious strikebreakers and always worked for the money from the managements to crush the working class but suddenly they have become the champions of the workers. These Johnnies never stood by the working class in their struggle for their rights. Last year when the lockdown was declared there were some mentally perverted journalists were shouting from the housetops that more people would be killed due to hunger than Covid but when the Prime Minister declared that every person of the BPL family numbering more than 800 million would get free ration besides some cash money, they were left with ashen-faced. It is a matter of huge satisfaction that not even a single death was reported due to hunger and starvation.
As far as the vaccination is concerned, all efforts were made by some journalists to create an atmosphere of confusion for vaccine hesitancy. There were many who said the vaccines were still not thoroughly tested and tried, some said their efficacy was doubtful, some went to the extent of saying that these vaccine vials were no better
than distilled water. Some foolish and hair-brained leaders were on record that they would not go for the BJP developed vaccines. Look now they are the same people who are complaining about the shortage of vaccines and begging for more supply.
There is no doubt when a crisis of such magnitude engulfs any country, the initial arrangements start bursting at the seams and collapsing but this is the time when the patience and planning of the leadership is tested and there is hardly any doubt that the Modi government has been handling this humongous crisis very deftly and effectively.
India has reported lesser deaths per million than even the developed countries of the world, where all their medical arrangements went berserk and collapsed. In comparison to them, the performance of India has been much better. The crisis of oxygen and beds are being blown out of proportions by the vested interests, but it will be over within a few days. This sudden surge in the Covid cases now has largely been because of the general carelessness and the complacency of the public. Proper compliance of the Covid appropriate behaviour of the people will be more effective than anything else.
It is very heartening that different Mahamandleshwars have agreed to perform only the symbolic snans (bathing) at the Haridwar Kumbha on the appeal of the Prime Minister. Hopefully, other religionists will also rise to the occasion and heed the advice of the experts to maintain distance by wearing masks. Universalisation of vaccination after the age of 18 years is again a welcome step as it will soon make the country Covid free.