Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, May, 05
With the Supreme Court and various High Courts of the country consistently scolding the centre for its inefficiency in tiding over the corona crisis, the Modi govt seemed to be fast losing whatever residual credibility was left in its functioning in the reckoning of the common masses of the country. There exists an environment of pain, anger and frustration all across the country. The helmsmen rightly seem to have buried their heads in the sand like the ostrich. The entire responsibility seems to have been assumed by the Health workers, doctors, paramedicos, nurses to the exclusion of ruling class which has cocooned itself in sanitized environment and was barely issuing press statements for public consumption. The hospitals are facing shortage of oxygen, beds, ventilators, medicines and other essential life saving drugs resulting in thousands of otherwise avoidable deaths day after day. And while the markets and public places give a deserted look, the cremation grounds are buzz with activity wherein people continue to wait for hours in queues to perform the funeral rites of their near and dear ones”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister while holding a protest dharna seeking resignation of the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi for his miserable failure over corona front.
Referring to mismatch between Covid cremations and deaths, Mr. Singh said that the egregious bids to camouflage the tragedy were shameful, shocking and highly condemnable. To quote a few instances, the NPP Chairman pointed towards media reports indicating the Covid cremations outnumbering deaths. He divulged that in Panchkula Chandigarh, the administration reported 20 deaths but the reports from cremation and municipal bodies revealed more than 50 bodies having been cremated with corona protocols. Similar reporting had been made in respect of other states/cities as well as per news items appearing in national media which surely was a serious cause of concern.
Reminiscing the reaction of the centre govt towards corona in early 2020, Mr. Singh said that it paralyzed rather traumatized the country ordering brutal confinement, persistent lockdowns, abandoning the migrant labourers without taking effective measures to fight the gravity of the deadly virus. While other countries worked overnight for strengthening their respective health institutions and related infrastructure, setting up oxygen plants, new hospitals and augmentation of existing health facilities, Mr. Modi was indulging in “Taali bajao, Thali bajao” campaigns. Shortly thereafter, he started exporting oxygen, Hydrochloroquine, ventilators and other medical equipments needed by pandemic affected patients loudly proclaiming that he was giving the ‘corona mantra’ to the world. He further started offering and exporting millions of doses of vaccines to other countries in January, 2021 declaring that it produced more than sufficient for its population to be protected. And three months later, the Modi’s mantra proved to be a nightmare for his own people. The insensitivity of the Modi govt is reflected not only by the indiscriminate export of medicines equipments and vaccines out of India which needed it most but by its political ambitions and flare for power politics. The PM and his cabinet colleagues were holding gigantic rallies in West Bengal and even boasting that such rallies were unprecedented. And while PM continued to give the slogans of ‘do gaz ki doori’ elsewhere, his rallies witnessed gatherings of thousands of people without masks. Even the belated decision on Kumbh Mela gatherings took a heavy toll of lives with none taking the responsibility.
Squarely blaming the present govt for its misplaced priorities, lack of prediction and demagogy, Mr. Singh said that the PM was answerable to the nation for pushing it into a furnace of death and destruction. He said that unchallenged political power and media dominance prompted Modi to ignore public health care creating conditions for the carnage as being witnessed today. He said that having failed the nation and lost the moral right to continue, Mr. Modi should step down alongwith his cabinet colleagues.
