The current situation of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 is worsening day by day. Despite several review meetings and awareness about the COVID-19, the Nation witnessed a second wave of the infection.
In 2020, India witnessed the first wave of the Novel Coronavirus. With the efforts of Indian Medical Department and front line workers, the Nation was able to control the situation in India with merely 20,000 cases in a single day by 2021.
However, in March 2021, the controlled situation dramatically worsened with a rise in the number of cases. In just 2 months, March – April, the single day cases of COVID-19 is close to 3.50 lakhs. From below 3 lakh active cases, India currently has more than 30 lakh active cases of the Novel Coronavirus.
In regard to the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a total of 21 official engagements in April 2021. Most of the meetings were held in the past 2 weeks over the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, lack of oxygen for patients and other facilities.
The list of Covid-19 engagements of the PM in April included review meetings with union government officials, conferences with state chief ministers, dialogue with foreign leaders such as the ones he had with US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, and addresses to the nation.
Meanwhile, since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in December 2019, PM Modi has had at least 65 official engagements between March 2020 and April 2021, of which 35 were held in 2021 alone.
Despite several attempts, ongoing vaccination drive and one year of preparedness, the Central Governmentand state governments are falling short on oxygen, medicines and other facilities for people.
Rahul Gandhi, the former President of the Indian National Congress (INC) raised similar question and said, “One year later, our people continue to suffer, our infrastructure continues to crumble and our prime minister continues to turn away from his responsibilities.”
He also criticised the Tali- Thali call of PM Modi in 2021. He said, “The Central government’s Covid-19 strategy — Stage 1- Impose a Tughlaqi lockdown, Stage 2- Ring bells, Stage 3- Sing praises to the Lord.”
Many Indians also volunteered to help people in need during the pandemic and blamed the Central Government and state governments for their mishandling of the COVID-19 situation.
Tweets with #ResignPMModi, #ModiMadeDisaster #CollapsedSystem was trending with criticism. Many tweets were even taken down at the request of the Central Government, citing that people are misleading and creating panic amongst others.
It is to be noted, why India witnessed a massive rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. According to several sources and opposition, a few reasons behind the rising number of COVID-19 cases could be continuous election rallies, new double mutant of COVID-19 detected in India, bad management and strategy and recently held Kumbh Mela.
From February till April first week, huge rallies, roadshows and public gatherings were held in 4 states and one union territory due to the Assembly elections. West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry conducted its Assembly elections in 2021.
Between January and March 2021, when India’s covid curve showed a temporary slump, the PM’s engagements on COVID-19 reduced and his focus shifted to rallies. The Prime Minister campaigned heavily for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) especially in West Bengal where elections were held in eight phases. In March 2021, PM Modi had just one COVID-19 engagement, a review meeting with all chief ministers and several rallies. In February too, PM Modi had just one engagement related to the pandemic.
Citing the same, the Madras High Court (HC) even referred to the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a murderer and blamed the political parties and ECI for the second wave.
Even for one month Kumbh Mela, which was turned symbolic on the 17th of April, was said to be the hotspot for the spread of the deadly virus. More than 50 lakh people attended the Kumbh Mela for two shahi snans (Royal Bath) on the 14th of April and the 17th of April.
The current scenario of COVID-19:
During the past few weeks, Indian social media has been flooded with SOS messages, hospitals are tweeting about dwindling oxygen supplies and physicians watching helplessly as patients die due to the lack of medical facilities. People of India volunteering to help each other with every possible way, donations for purchasing oxygens are being made, the number of deaths increased massively that there was a shortage of space for cremation. A journalist pleading for and was but denied a hospital bed, took to Twitter to log his deteriorating condition till he died. Overwhelmed crematoria are working round the clock to keep up with the pace of bodies, furnaces have melted down from overuse and additional funeral platforms are being built outside.
Heartbreaking messages and haunting images that highlight the formidable second wave of the Novel Coronavirus raging through the country.
Meanwhile, currently India has close to 18 million positive cases, of which 29 lakhs are active case and more than 2 lakh people died due to the deadly virus. With this, India is also the second worst COVID-19 hit nation, the first is the United States of America with 32.5 million COVID-19 cases.
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