In last one year, rather than deploying resources in healthcare & vaccines; Prime Minister of India was busy in promoting himself, superstitions, quackery and mythology for Covid treatment like ringing of bells, banging of plates, clapping, lighting earthen lamps (diya) or candle, using Cow urine, Cow Dung, Quack Ramdev’s Coronil, his own minister Arjun Ram Meghwal’s Bhabhiji Pappad,and showering flower petals from helicopters on healthcare workers.

On April 21, 2021 India become number 1 country  in the world for highest covid infections with 314,644 cases https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+infections+in+India+on+4-21-21&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS879US879&oq=covid+infections+in+India+on+4-21-21&aqs=chrome..69i57.26014j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

AND  2,104deaths https://www.google.com/search?q=total+covid+deaths+on+Jan+8%2C+2021+in+USA&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS879US879&oq=total+covid+deaths+on+Jan+8%2C+2021+in+USA&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i22i29i30.17870j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8, beating USA with 300,669  infections & 3,895 deaths on Jan. 8, 2020 in a single day. On April 21,2021 Covid infections in USA haddropped to 64,853&879deaths for a single day.

Trump lost elections because of his initial sloppy handling of Covid and rising Covid infections & deaths. Voters punished himfor that despite his administration worked on a war footing to get/develop vaccines by different Pharma companies for the entire world.Under Operation Warp Speed initiated in April-May 2020, billions of dollars were given to Pharma companies in USA, UK & EU countries for rapid development of a Vaccine. His administration totally revamped the healthcare infrastructure from testing tomedical supplies manufactured in USA, to availability of additional beds.

On Sep. 18, 2020, USA had 48,887 infections with 949 deaths and on that day, Indiahad peaked with 93,337 infections and 1,290 deaths. Think about it, India got almost a year. So did America. The second wave is hitting in America too, and the entire world. Entire universe knew about it that there will be a second and third wave. The only way humanity can be saved is rapid vaccination. Still Modi had no clear vision or plan or will or honesty on vaccinating Indians.

In USA, as of April 20, 2021 an average of 3.5 million shots are administered each day and nearly 1 in 4 adults are now fully vaccinated. According to CDC about 130 million or 50.4 % of the adult population have been vaccinated, 86.2 million or 33.5% of the adult population from 18 & above had been fully vaccinated. Vaccine doesn’t mean second wave won’t infect. Many have been infected despite being vaccinated. But the good of the bad, for which the second wave has not yet taken the form of an epidemic in America is the vaccine preparedness of this country.  Today, America has 600 million Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the special warehouses for its 340 million people. On top of that USA’s Fiscal response to Covid is $5.3 Trillion for 340 Million people with $12,900.00 direct cash payment to a family of 4 making less than $75,000.00 plus weekly Unemployment and Covid allowance. Modi’sfiscal response is $90 Billion (IMF data) for 1,400 Million people with no direct cash payment or unemployment to its citizens not even to poorest of the poor.

In May 2020, a European-led fund-raising effort brought $8 billion in pledges from the world’s governments, philanthropists and leaders for coronavirus vaccine research.By Aug 2020, US, UK & EU with a combined population of 800 million had placed orders for 850 million doses of vaccine. In contrast, India with 1,400 million population under Modi, placed its first order of 16.5 million doses in Jan. 2021 and later, 100 million to the domestic producer Serum Institute of India. A control-freak instinct took over Modi and he announced only Center would buy the vaccines. There will not be any private buying. Non-BJP ruled states like Punjab, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi have  accused the Centre of not supplying enough vaccines. Modi “Nationalized” India’s private vaccine industry and now Indians are paying with their lives.

Since Modi had no clear vision or plan or will or honesty on vaccinating Indians; instead of vaccinating 1400 million Indians in the country, sent vaccines and medical supplies to 23 countries to assure India’s victory is all around! Knowingly that India is only 1 % fully vaccinated and 7 % has got one shot! Since Dec 2020 rate of infections was rapidly increasing and Modi ignored it, now when Covid has become epidemic, Modi is asking for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines from America! I mean Modi is forced!! The search for popularity is really a staircase to go down. Modi must understand that the procession of dead bodies cannot be stopped by promoting WhatsApp University. When the dead bodies will talk, can hisfans of WhatsApp University then stop this?

In last one year, rather than deploying resources in healthcare & vaccines; Prime Minister of India was busy in promoting himself, superstitions, quackery and mythology for Covid treatment like ringing of bells, banging of plates, clapping, lighting earthenlamps (diya) or candle, using Cow urine, Cow Dung, Quack Ramdev’s Coronil,his own minister Arjun Ram Meghwal’s Bhabhiji Pappad and showering flower petalsfrom helicopters on healthcare workers.

Asia’s richest person Mukesh Ambani & his family were seen banging bells made of gold to scare Covid to go away on the call of Modi!

Unfortunately, Modi is surrounded by “Yes Men” although some of them are highly educated,not uneducated like Modi, but they also believe in superstitions, quackery, and mythology. Modi takes credit for every work including work done by previous administrations even going back to Nehru, and his own ministers. People around him worship him like a Deity, once his minister now Vice President Naidu said,“Modi is a gift to the nation from God”. Recently, Modi, to look taller than one of the founding fathers,Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, replaced Patel’s name with his at the biggest Stadium in India. Since Dec. 2020 the number of daily infections was going up. A spokesmanof Modi, citing that reason, announced that the Kumbh Mela will not start on Makar Sankrantion Jan 14, 2021 but on March 11 and will end on April 10, 2021. It was not that Modi cared about people getting infected and dying; he was more concerned about 5 state assembly elections and influencing Hindu voters with Kumbh Mela. In January 2021, the rate of infections was much higher, still in Feb 2021, BJP declared Victory on Covid under the able leadership of Modi by passing a resolution.

That ebullient mood was communicated across the country.  It is not that they wanted to get the economy going but wanted to get back to campaigning.

CEC, ignoring the infection numbers in Feb & partial March 2021 declared the election dates for 5 State assembly elections starting from March 27 and ending on April 29. The worst hit was West Bengal with voting in 8 phases from March 27 to April 29, followed by Assam in 3 phases and Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry on April 6 in a single phase.

An 8-phase election in Bengal for whole 1 monthand a 3 phase in Assam gave to BJP an edge to play Hindu-Muslim card. It also gave Virus a chance to skyrocketagain because of mega election rallies of BJP, being the 2^nd super spreader after the Kumbh Mela that was attracting 1 million devotees a day with a total of 100 million celebrants in a month -long festivitieswith no mask andno social distancing!BJP gave a full-page advertisement in local and national newspapers with Modi’s picture to invite people for Kumbh Mela and election rallies. All of this was done when the country was already grappling with a COVID-19 exponential surge on day-to-day basis.

Since 2014, there is a Hindu vs minority, including lower castes, Hindus and especially Muslims, narrative being promoted in India. It is a narrative to turn Indians against each other; to turn fellow countrymen against each other that they must hate each other based on their religion and caste. This is a sloppy, lazy and promiscuous argument that has been spreading in India since Modi took power in 2014. After the infections crossed 100,000 in a single day on April 6, 2021, Serum Institute asked for Rs 3,000 crore grant from the government so they can increase production. On April 21,2021, CEO of Serum Institute of India Adar Poonawalla told CNBC-TV18 on a question of price of vaccine. He said that GOI had only contracted for 100 million doses. Once the supplies were completed,SII revised the price. The new prices are Rs150 for the Center, Rs 400 for states and Rs 600 for Private Hospitals.

What Corona did last year –the first wave in India- that was just a trailer of a Tsunami. Because the first wave virus strain came from abroad. The basic immunity level of Indians is a little higher because 70-80% have been living in poor hygienic conditions, breathing foul air and drinking contaminatedwater. These are some of the benefitsof growing up in an immature country!

Modi ignored the warnings of epidemiologists who insisted that India would see a deadly second wave of Covid.The second wave has three major strains – they are so indigenous that they have mutated Indians in their immune system like in non-home ground adventure. It means, the Second Wave with domestic viruses ismuch more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. Now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are having very severe symptoms and themortality rate among the young people is high.  There is a shortage of beds, shortage of oxygen, shortage of drugs, shortage of vaccines, shortage of testing. Some have died waiting in the hospitals for want of oxygen. Some others died at the hospital entrances waiting to be admitted for necessary treatment.

India is going to have catastrophic loss of human lives in the coming months and Modi is responsible for all lives lost till now and the ones that will be lost. Modi’s incompetence to deal with the fearful situation can no longer be hidden. It speaks loud in his lack of any vision or plan to deal with the crisis, his criminal negligence of the urgent health care needs of the people in preference for his favorite sport-electioneering- and the mad desire to win elections. He should be held responsible forculpable homicide of thousands upon thousands of children, young men and young women,old men and old women of India. Will justice be done?

(Compiled & Edited by Dave Makkar)