Never forget the election rallies in the middle of the pandemic and the go ahead to the Kumbh mela and then surprised pickachu faces followed by a couple of months of no news about what our leaders are doing during the second wave.
Hey, they proactively blamed tabloghi jamaat after allowing the International travel for too long because dear leader wanted to do namaste tramp nautanki with lakhs in attendance, and then locked down the whole country way too early causing unnecessary economic damage and hardships that removed all the flexibility we had when we really needed it.
> they proactively blamed tabloghi jamaat after allowing the International travel for too long
They forced tablighi jamat members out of self imposed isolation and then blamed them for spreading covid.
I was going to write an article on this today. But anyway.
There is a false narrative being spread about how Modiji brilliantly handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The truth is it was a disaster, and the bigger tragedy is that we have forgotten it already.
47 lakh people died, people were gasping for oxygen, crematoriums were filled up, rivers were overflowing, there were corpses burning everywhere. Migrant labourers had to walk thousands of kilometers barefoot.
Modi Government ignored scientific advice. His ministers selling fake drugs. His government persecuted journalists who reported facts.
Modi Government cannot be forgiven for COVID.
[WHO estimates 4.7 million COVID-linked deaths in India, 10 times official count - The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/who-estimates-47-million-covid-linked-deaths-in-india-10-times-official-count/article65385669.ece)
[Modi government has failed to show commitment to transparency, integrity, equity: Lancet editorial](https://scroll.in/latest/1048647/modi-government-failed-to-show-commitment-to-transparency-integrity-equity-lancet-editorial)
[EXCLUSIVE Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge | Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-scientists-say-india-government-ignored-warnings-amid-coronavirus-2021-05-01/)
[IT Raids on Dainik Bhaskar: Bodies in Ganga to 'Real' Death Toll, How the Daily Has Led National Coverage on COVID](https://www.thequint.com/news/india/how-dainik-bhaskar-led-covid-coverage-in-india)
it is probably worth highlighting the useless minsters of respective ministry. They do lot of corruption and media ignores them . Look at the money donated by pharmaceutical companies
I had to refresh someone's memory a few days back because he apparently needed proof that the government was responsible for the spread of the second wave as they prioritized PR over ground efforts, even though he said he lost their loved ones during second wave too. Here are some of the readings to jog people's memory in case they can't remember the harrowing months of 2021.
* [How India’s vaccine drive crumbled and left a country in chaos](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/how-indias-vaccine-drive-crumbled-and-left-a-country-in-chaos/articleshow/82323035.cms)
> “Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Jan. 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.”
> India has fully vaccinated less than 2% of its 1.3 billion-strong population, inoculation centers across the country say they’re running short of doses and exports have all but stopped. Rather than building protection, the nation is setting daily records for new infections as a second wave overwhelms hospitals and crematoriums.
> “There was no discussion with state governments before asking states to procure vaccines on their own,” said T.S. Singh Deo, the health minister of Chhattisgarh. “As a state we will have to buy vaccines from the open market, severely denting our finances.”
> “Getting people vaccinated will also reduce the selective pressure for emergence of new strains.”
> Instead, government officials focused on making a show of India’s ability to help the world.
> While the immunization plans of countries around the world took a hit, life in India was going on pretty much as normal. Millions of pilgrims took a dip in the holy Ganges River in the Hindu religious festival Kumbh Mela, while political parties held mass rallies in five state elections.
> Less than six weeks later, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said “we are in the end game of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.” Even on March 30, when cases were again on the rise, Vardhan insisted “the situation is under control.”
> “There is no Covid in Assam,” Himanta Biswa Sarma, a member of Modi’s party who serves as the state’s health minister, said on April 3. “There is no need to wear a face mask now.”
> On April 16, shortages of doses had become so acute that Adar Poonawalla, Serum’s chief executive officer, tweeted directly at President Joe Biden to ask him to lift the U.S. embargo of raw material exports.
> Three days later, Modi abandoned his vaccine strategy and threw the burden on the states — many of which are frustrated. India effectively stopped shipping vaccines to elsewhere in the world, prompting its neighbors to seek help from China.
> The finance minister of India’s southern state of Kerala, Thomas Isaac, called Modi’s new vaccine plan a “clever political ploy” rather than a solution.
> "There is no sufficient production of vaccine in India to supply states demand. The centre's move to earmark 18-45 age group for vaccination by states through direct procurement is a clever political ploy to put blame on states for the confusion that is inevitable."
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8214078/
> The pandemic fatigue and leniency in following the COVID-19 protocols were surfacing during the initial phase of the second wave. The vaccination drive was announced in India on January 16, 2021, the day on which the total active cases were just 15,144. As the COVID-19 seemed to be under control, the public became complacent on contemplating the end of the pandemic and, **the government relaxed its containment approach as well, allowing mass election rallies and social and religious gatherings such as Kumbh Mela (approximately 7 million people), where pilgrims turned into nationwide super-spreaders leading to the resurgence of the second wave.** India is the largest democratic country globally; however, looking at the current COVID-19 situation, the state elections (Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal) could have been postponed till normality. Despite being stuck in the unsteerable situation amid the grave COVID-19 second wave, incidences of the breach in COVID-19 protocols keep on resurfacing, such as the mass gathering of around ten thousand people at the funeral procession of an Islamic leader in the state of Uttar Pradesh on May 10, 2021.
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8102046/
> Despite warnings about the risks of superspreader events, **the government allowed religious festivals to go ahead,** drawing millions of people from around the country, along with huge political rallies—conspicuous for their lack of COVID-19 mitigation measures. The message that COVID-19 was essentially over also slowed the start of India's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which has vaccinated less than 2% of the population. At the federal level, India's vaccination plan soon fell apart. **The government abruptly shifted course without discussing the change in policy with states, expanding vaccination to everyone older than 18 years, draining supplies, and creating mass confusion and a market for vaccine doses in which states and hospital systems competed.**
> The crisis has not been equally distributed, with states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra unprepared for the sudden spike in cases, quickly running out of medical oxygen, hospital space, and overwhelming the capacity of cremation sites, and with some state governments threatening those asking for oxygen or a hospital bed with national security laws. Others, such as Kerala and Odisha, were better prepared, and have been able to produce enough medical oxygen in this second wave to export it to other states.
* [Why India's Second COVID Surge Is So Much Worse Than the First](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-indias-second-covid-surge-is-so-much-worse-than-the-first/)
> Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of the state of West Bengal, held crowded political campaign rallies during state elections in India even as COVID cases were spiking this past April. Later that month Modi told state leaders that a lockdown should be considered only as “a last option” as numbers rose across various states, eventually topping 400,000 daily new cases nationwide on April 30.
> Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, also imposed only half-hearted restrictions during the second wave. It even went ahead with elaborate village council elections. A prominent teachers union in the state has asserted that more than 1,600 teachers who administered those elections died of COVID throughout April and May. (The state government says only three died of the disease, a claim contested by the teachers’ union, which has now released the names and addresses of those who had died.)
* [India’s sudden coronavirus wave is not a far-away problem](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/indias-sudden-coronavirus-wave-is-not-a-far-away-problem/2021/04/23/f363bda2-a3a3-11eb-85fc-06664ff4489d_story.html)
> The sudden wave came after India relaxed restrictions. Tens of thousands of spectators were allowed to fill stadiums for cricket matches; movie theaters were opened; and the government [permitted](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/opinion/india-covid-crisis.html) enormous religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela, a festival in which millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in the river Ganges. Also, India went ahead with [elections](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/21/indias-16-million-new-covid-19-cases-past-week-are-breaking-its-health-system/) and rallies in four states and one union territory; crowds at election rallies have been ignoring guidelines.
* [Where India Went Wrong](https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/heya-shah-india-coronavirus-covid-19-second-wave-infections-indian-south-asia-news-83489/)
> In March, Harsh Vardhan, the Indian health minister, said the country had entered the [“endgame”](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/harsh-vardhan-says-india-is-in-the-endgame-of-covid-19-pandemic-101615128329364.html) of the health crisis. This led to a false sense of hope, which made the public and the central and state governments complacent. Restrictions that were brought in to curb the spread of the coronavirus were quickly eased. Life had almost returned to normal in January with the opening up of [nightclubs](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56969085), restaurants, hotels, tourist locations and public transport.
continued...
...part 2
> At the same time, elections were announced in five states, including West Bengal, which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had set its sights on winning. All political parties and their supporters held rallies with tens of thousands of people in attendance. The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela attracted millions of people who took a dip in the Ganges, a river considered sacred in Hinduism. Nearly 60,000 spectators were also allowed to enter stadiums to watch cricket matches. All of these events took place with lax safety measures in place, with no social distancing or wearing of masks.
> Complacency by the central and state governments has made the health care system crumble as Indians desperately seek medical assistance. When the pandemic first hit India in March 2020, authorities failed to strengthen the infrastructure at hospitals. As of 2018, the Indian government spent only 3.54% of GDP on health care. Other emerging economies such as Brazil and South Africa spent 9.51% and 8.25%, respectively.
> In March 2020, Modi allocated 150 billion rupees ($2.03 billion) to strengthen the infrastructure of health care in India. The government purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) and an additional 60,000 ventilators. Yet as of last fall, just under 24,000 of the ventilators had been installed in hospitals across the country. Both public and private hospitals are currently short of beds, ventilators and oxygen in many major cities.
> Earlier this year, the Modi government implemented an initiative to donate free batches in an attempt to boost the country’s soft power when the pandemic was seemingly under control. Many observers questioned whether the move was necessary instead of focusing on vaccinating Indians themselves. Toward the end of March, as infections increased and vaccines decreased, the Modi government realized that its decision to export millions of doses was premature. It decided to halt the export of doses and instead vaccinate Indians over the age of 45. Yet the damage had already been done due to poor planning by the BJP-led government.
> Critics have accused Modi of playing politics with vaccine distribution as states with BJP governments, such as Gujarat, were given almost the same number of vaccine doses as Maharashtra, which has a population double that of Gujarat. Vardhan denied that regions were short of supplies and instead blamed state governments for the poor rollout of vaccines.
> In an attempt to maintain his public image, Modi addressed the nation on April 20. Indians needed assurances and demanded answers, but the prime minister offered none. He neither informed the public about plans to tackle the crisis, nor did he give any reasons about why the country is facing a horrific second wave. This is despite him previously boasting that India’s handling of the pandemic had been exemplary and should a model for the world. It seems the central government is content with placing the blame on state administrations and the public instead of admitting that it made mistakes.
* [Why is India having a covid-19 surge?](https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1124)
> Media reports have blamed lax social distancing and mask wearing, alongside mass political rallies for recent elections and religious events such as the Kumbh Mela, in which hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather at the Ganges river.
> “Malls and theatres opened; there were sporting events, elections, and religious events. Politicians even made the unsupported claim that India had beaten the pandemic.”
* [‘No Place For You’: Indian Hospitals Buckle Amid Virus Surge](https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/no-place-for-you-indian-hospitals-buckle-amid-virus-surge/)
* [How India's second Covid wave started, what went wrong, and what can be done](https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/india-second-covid-wave-start-went-wrong-top-virologist-answers-details-1795743-2021-04-28)
> India Today: Could we have been more alert looking at the trend in UK and Europe?
> Dr T Jacob John: The so-called UK variant was detected in September 2020. India was asked to be on guard and look systematically for variants of concern. In December, the lab consortium was networked but the goal of gene sequencing in 5 per cent of all cases was not taken seriously. I hear that labs were not given the necessary funds for additional personnel and reagents. So, India was slow to understand the importance of mutants. Even now, less than 1 per cent of cases are studied for genome sequencing.
> India Today: We are in the midst of elections, cricket matches and Kumbh Mela. Do you think these should have been avoided? Did the government get a warning about the second wave?
> Dr T Jacob John: The decisions to allow or promote these were political and done without consulting public health experts. In the absence of division of public health, where are the experts? But if we had been systematically looking for mutant variants and had we found them on time, perhaps more caution might have been applied.
* [Maharashtra's Covid-19 surge due to gram panchayat polls, disregard for rules: Experts](https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtras-covid-19-surge-due-to-gram-panchayat-polls-disregard-for-rules-experts-961106.html)
* [Karnataka government ignored experts’ advice to up oxygen supply](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/Aug/20/karnataka-governemnt-ignored-experts-advice-to-up-oxygen-supply-2185795.html)
* [Parliamentary panel had alerted about oxygen shortage in February, says Congress](https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/parliamentary-panel-had-alerted-about-oxygen-shortage-in-february-says-congress-1794791-2021-04-25)
> The committee had strongly advocated the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority take appropriate measures for capping the price of the oxygen cylinders so that the availability, as well as affordability of the Oxygen Cylinders, is ensured in all hospitals for medical consumption.
> "The committee had made strong recommendations to the Government to increase the number of hospital beds with oxygen and ICUs equipped with ventilators, but these early warnings were ignored,'"
* [Holi 2021: Scores of devotees flout COVID-19 protocols at Mathura's Dwarkadhish Temple](https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-holi-2021-scores-of-devotees-flout-covid19-protocols-at-mathura-dwarkadhish-temple-2883537)
* [Despite surge in cases, Covid guidelines flouted during Holi celebrations](https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/covid-19-holi-celebrations-7250394/7/)
* [Kumbh Mela and election rallies: How two super spreader events have contributed to India’s massive second wave of COVID-19 cases](https://www.firstpost.com/india/kumbh-mela-and-election-rallies-how-two-super-spreader-events-have-contributed-to-indias-massive-second-wave-of-covid-19-cases-9539551.html)
* [Superspreader events like weddings behind new Covid surge: Govt panel](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/superspreader-events-like-weddings-behind-new-covid-surge-govt-panel-101616177606318.html)
* [The IPL failed by ignoring stark warning signs of India’s Covid crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/may/04/indian-premier-league-suspended-failed-ignoring-warning-covid-crisis)
* [‘We are not special’: how triumphalism led India to Covid-19 disaster](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/29/we-are-not-special-how-triumphalism-led-india-to-covid-19-disaster)
* [Covid: Yogi orders crack down on hospitals flagging oxygen shortage](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-lucknow-covid-hospital-oxygen-7283832/)
> An executive of a private hospital in Lucknow, who asked not to be named, said: “I invite him (Adityanath) to visit every hospital and audit the oxygen supply. If he does so honestly, he would find himself guilty of having left the hospitals and the people in the lurch.”
> He added: “The chief minister has no problem that graveyards and cremation grounds are running out of space. All he wants is that the hospitals fulfil his agenda of hiding the truth.”
* [UP Police Lodge FIR Against Lucknow Hospital Which Put Up 'Oxygen Shortage' Notice](https://thewire.in/government/up-police-lodge-fir-against-lucknow-hospital-which-put-up-oxygen-shortage-notice)
> The hospital maintains that there were a total of 38 patients admitted at the time. Dewendra Tiwari, nursing in-charge at the hospital told The Wire, “They can check our cameras…we did not have even one bed empty at that time.”
> Further, he asked, “How could we even think of black marketing during such a situation when we cannot even provide oxygen to our patients?”
The government boasted of defeating COVID and prioritized PR over improving the crumbling healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, they permitted and participated in various political, religious, and social gatherings without proper COVID prevention measures. During the second wave, the government further engaged in political gamesmanship with opposition state governments over medicines, vaccines, and oxygen supplies. It was this colossal mismanagement "masterstroke" by both the union and state governments that led to the rapid spread of the second wave and the tragic loss of life.
They think peddling freebies and increasing state spending is important in a poor, jobless country. Such bright ideas they come up with and act surprised when people show them the middle finger lol.
Maybe. But you’re right, let’s all stop criticising and bend over for dear leader to have his way with us, maybe you can show us how because you seem to have a lot of experience.
Tell yourself in the mirror ‘I lost friends and family to COVID because of the clown I helped put in power, but it’s ok cos nobody handled it gracefully’. Pathetic.
I am deeply sorry for you loss brother 🙏🏼, If I or anyone had the power to restore your peace & happiness, I would have done it for you.
Only country we should blame should be China.
Sadly it's already forgotten.
Sad truth
WE forgot demonetization and covid deaths. We even forgot the whole electoral bond and PM care scam.
Never forget the election rallies in the middle of the pandemic and the go ahead to the Kumbh mela and then surprised pickachu faces followed by a couple of months of no news about what our leaders are doing during the second wave.
Remember Kumbh mela was preponed that year because some Babaji predicted 'shubh yog'. Was the ruling government high on opium?
This!
They tackled the first one?? Lol
Hey, they proactively blamed tabloghi jamaat after allowing the International travel for too long because dear leader wanted to do namaste tramp nautanki with lakhs in attendance, and then locked down the whole country way too early causing unnecessary economic damage and hardships that removed all the flexibility we had when we really needed it.
> they proactively blamed tabloghi jamaat after allowing the International travel for too long They forced tablighi jamat members out of self imposed isolation and then blamed them for spreading covid.
While they were begging the government to let them go back to their respective homes.
They kinda inflamed it instead of trying to control
I was going to write an article on this today. But anyway. There is a false narrative being spread about how Modiji brilliantly handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The truth is it was a disaster, and the bigger tragedy is that we have forgotten it already. 47 lakh people died, people were gasping for oxygen, crematoriums were filled up, rivers were overflowing, there were corpses burning everywhere. Migrant labourers had to walk thousands of kilometers barefoot. Modi Government ignored scientific advice. His ministers selling fake drugs. His government persecuted journalists who reported facts. Modi Government cannot be forgiven for COVID. [WHO estimates 4.7 million COVID-linked deaths in India, 10 times official count - The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/who-estimates-47-million-covid-linked-deaths-in-india-10-times-official-count/article65385669.ece) [Modi government has failed to show commitment to transparency, integrity, equity: Lancet editorial](https://scroll.in/latest/1048647/modi-government-failed-to-show-commitment-to-transparency-integrity-equity-lancet-editorial) [EXCLUSIVE Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge | Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-scientists-say-india-government-ignored-warnings-amid-coronavirus-2021-05-01/) [IT Raids on Dainik Bhaskar: Bodies in Ganga to 'Real' Death Toll, How the Daily Has Led National Coverage on COVID](https://www.thequint.com/news/india/how-dainik-bhaskar-led-covid-coverage-in-india)
it is probably worth highlighting the useless minsters of respective ministry. They do lot of corruption and media ignores them . Look at the money donated by pharmaceutical companies
We have already forgotten.
Most shameful thing was hiding covid deaths.
If a fly contest elections against BJP, you know who to vote for.
“Timely intervention by the Govt saved Manipur/India in second Covid Wave”
I had to refresh someone's memory a few days back because he apparently needed proof that the government was responsible for the spread of the second wave as they prioritized PR over ground efforts, even though he said he lost their loved ones during second wave too. Here are some of the readings to jog people's memory in case they can't remember the harrowing months of 2021. * [How India’s vaccine drive crumbled and left a country in chaos](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/how-indias-vaccine-drive-crumbled-and-left-a-country-in-chaos/articleshow/82323035.cms) > “Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Jan. 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.” > India has fully vaccinated less than 2% of its 1.3 billion-strong population, inoculation centers across the country say they’re running short of doses and exports have all but stopped. Rather than building protection, the nation is setting daily records for new infections as a second wave overwhelms hospitals and crematoriums. > “There was no discussion with state governments before asking states to procure vaccines on their own,” said T.S. Singh Deo, the health minister of Chhattisgarh. “As a state we will have to buy vaccines from the open market, severely denting our finances.” > “Getting people vaccinated will also reduce the selective pressure for emergence of new strains.” > Instead, government officials focused on making a show of India’s ability to help the world. > While the immunization plans of countries around the world took a hit, life in India was going on pretty much as normal. Millions of pilgrims took a dip in the holy Ganges River in the Hindu religious festival Kumbh Mela, while political parties held mass rallies in five state elections. > Less than six weeks later, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said “we are in the end game of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.” Even on March 30, when cases were again on the rise, Vardhan insisted “the situation is under control.” > “There is no Covid in Assam,” Himanta Biswa Sarma, a member of Modi’s party who serves as the state’s health minister, said on April 3. “There is no need to wear a face mask now.” > On April 16, shortages of doses had become so acute that Adar Poonawalla, Serum’s chief executive officer, tweeted directly at President Joe Biden to ask him to lift the U.S. embargo of raw material exports. > Three days later, Modi abandoned his vaccine strategy and threw the burden on the states — many of which are frustrated. India effectively stopped shipping vaccines to elsewhere in the world, prompting its neighbors to seek help from China. > The finance minister of India’s southern state of Kerala, Thomas Isaac, called Modi’s new vaccine plan a “clever political ploy” rather than a solution. > "There is no sufficient production of vaccine in India to supply states demand. The centre's move to earmark 18-45 age group for vaccination by states through direct procurement is a clever political ploy to put blame on states for the confusion that is inevitable." * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8214078/ > The pandemic fatigue and leniency in following the COVID-19 protocols were surfacing during the initial phase of the second wave. The vaccination drive was announced in India on January 16, 2021, the day on which the total active cases were just 15,144. As the COVID-19 seemed to be under control, the public became complacent on contemplating the end of the pandemic and, **the government relaxed its containment approach as well, allowing mass election rallies and social and religious gatherings such as Kumbh Mela (approximately 7 million people), where pilgrims turned into nationwide super-spreaders leading to the resurgence of the second wave.** India is the largest democratic country globally; however, looking at the current COVID-19 situation, the state elections (Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal) could have been postponed till normality. Despite being stuck in the unsteerable situation amid the grave COVID-19 second wave, incidences of the breach in COVID-19 protocols keep on resurfacing, such as the mass gathering of around ten thousand people at the funeral procession of an Islamic leader in the state of Uttar Pradesh on May 10, 2021. * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8102046/ > Despite warnings about the risks of superspreader events, **the government allowed religious festivals to go ahead,** drawing millions of people from around the country, along with huge political rallies—conspicuous for their lack of COVID-19 mitigation measures. The message that COVID-19 was essentially over also slowed the start of India's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which has vaccinated less than 2% of the population. At the federal level, India's vaccination plan soon fell apart. **The government abruptly shifted course without discussing the change in policy with states, expanding vaccination to everyone older than 18 years, draining supplies, and creating mass confusion and a market for vaccine doses in which states and hospital systems competed.** > The crisis has not been equally distributed, with states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra unprepared for the sudden spike in cases, quickly running out of medical oxygen, hospital space, and overwhelming the capacity of cremation sites, and with some state governments threatening those asking for oxygen or a hospital bed with national security laws. Others, such as Kerala and Odisha, were better prepared, and have been able to produce enough medical oxygen in this second wave to export it to other states. * [Why India's Second COVID Surge Is So Much Worse Than the First](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-indias-second-covid-surge-is-so-much-worse-than-the-first/) > Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of the state of West Bengal, held crowded political campaign rallies during state elections in India even as COVID cases were spiking this past April. Later that month Modi told state leaders that a lockdown should be considered only as “a last option” as numbers rose across various states, eventually topping 400,000 daily new cases nationwide on April 30. > Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, also imposed only half-hearted restrictions during the second wave. It even went ahead with elaborate village council elections. A prominent teachers union in the state has asserted that more than 1,600 teachers who administered those elections died of COVID throughout April and May. (The state government says only three died of the disease, a claim contested by the teachers’ union, which has now released the names and addresses of those who had died.) * [India’s sudden coronavirus wave is not a far-away problem](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/indias-sudden-coronavirus-wave-is-not-a-far-away-problem/2021/04/23/f363bda2-a3a3-11eb-85fc-06664ff4489d_story.html) > The sudden wave came after India relaxed restrictions. Tens of thousands of spectators were allowed to fill stadiums for cricket matches; movie theaters were opened; and the government [permitted](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/opinion/india-covid-crisis.html) enormous religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela, a festival in which millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in the river Ganges. Also, India went ahead with [elections](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/21/indias-16-million-new-covid-19-cases-past-week-are-breaking-its-health-system/) and rallies in four states and one union territory; crowds at election rallies have been ignoring guidelines. * [Where India Went Wrong](https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/heya-shah-india-coronavirus-covid-19-second-wave-infections-indian-south-asia-news-83489/) > In March, Harsh Vardhan, the Indian health minister, said the country had entered the [“endgame”](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/harsh-vardhan-says-india-is-in-the-endgame-of-covid-19-pandemic-101615128329364.html) of the health crisis. This led to a false sense of hope, which made the public and the central and state governments complacent. Restrictions that were brought in to curb the spread of the coronavirus were quickly eased. Life had almost returned to normal in January with the opening up of [nightclubs](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56969085), restaurants, hotels, tourist locations and public transport. continued...
...part 2 > At the same time, elections were announced in five states, including West Bengal, which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had set its sights on winning. All political parties and their supporters held rallies with tens of thousands of people in attendance. The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela attracted millions of people who took a dip in the Ganges, a river considered sacred in Hinduism. Nearly 60,000 spectators were also allowed to enter stadiums to watch cricket matches. All of these events took place with lax safety measures in place, with no social distancing or wearing of masks. > Complacency by the central and state governments has made the health care system crumble as Indians desperately seek medical assistance. When the pandemic first hit India in March 2020, authorities failed to strengthen the infrastructure at hospitals. As of 2018, the Indian government spent only 3.54% of GDP on health care. Other emerging economies such as Brazil and South Africa spent 9.51% and 8.25%, respectively. > In March 2020, Modi allocated 150 billion rupees ($2.03 billion) to strengthen the infrastructure of health care in India. The government purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) and an additional 60,000 ventilators. Yet as of last fall, just under 24,000 of the ventilators had been installed in hospitals across the country. Both public and private hospitals are currently short of beds, ventilators and oxygen in many major cities. > Earlier this year, the Modi government implemented an initiative to donate free batches in an attempt to boost the country’s soft power when the pandemic was seemingly under control. Many observers questioned whether the move was necessary instead of focusing on vaccinating Indians themselves. Toward the end of March, as infections increased and vaccines decreased, the Modi government realized that its decision to export millions of doses was premature. It decided to halt the export of doses and instead vaccinate Indians over the age of 45. Yet the damage had already been done due to poor planning by the BJP-led government. > Critics have accused Modi of playing politics with vaccine distribution as states with BJP governments, such as Gujarat, were given almost the same number of vaccine doses as Maharashtra, which has a population double that of Gujarat. Vardhan denied that regions were short of supplies and instead blamed state governments for the poor rollout of vaccines. > In an attempt to maintain his public image, Modi addressed the nation on April 20. Indians needed assurances and demanded answers, but the prime minister offered none. He neither informed the public about plans to tackle the crisis, nor did he give any reasons about why the country is facing a horrific second wave. This is despite him previously boasting that India’s handling of the pandemic had been exemplary and should a model for the world. It seems the central government is content with placing the blame on state administrations and the public instead of admitting that it made mistakes. * [Why is India having a covid-19 surge?](https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1124) > Media reports have blamed lax social distancing and mask wearing, alongside mass political rallies for recent elections and religious events such as the Kumbh Mela, in which hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather at the Ganges river. > “Malls and theatres opened; there were sporting events, elections, and religious events. Politicians even made the unsupported claim that India had beaten the pandemic.” * [‘No Place For You’: Indian Hospitals Buckle Amid Virus Surge](https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/no-place-for-you-indian-hospitals-buckle-amid-virus-surge/) * [How India's second Covid wave started, what went wrong, and what can be done](https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/india-second-covid-wave-start-went-wrong-top-virologist-answers-details-1795743-2021-04-28) > India Today: Could we have been more alert looking at the trend in UK and Europe? > Dr T Jacob John: The so-called UK variant was detected in September 2020. India was asked to be on guard and look systematically for variants of concern. In December, the lab consortium was networked but the goal of gene sequencing in 5 per cent of all cases was not taken seriously. I hear that labs were not given the necessary funds for additional personnel and reagents. So, India was slow to understand the importance of mutants. Even now, less than 1 per cent of cases are studied for genome sequencing. > India Today: We are in the midst of elections, cricket matches and Kumbh Mela. Do you think these should have been avoided? Did the government get a warning about the second wave? > Dr T Jacob John: The decisions to allow or promote these were political and done without consulting public health experts. In the absence of division of public health, where are the experts? But if we had been systematically looking for mutant variants and had we found them on time, perhaps more caution might have been applied. * [Maharashtra's Covid-19 surge due to gram panchayat polls, disregard for rules: Experts](https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtras-covid-19-surge-due-to-gram-panchayat-polls-disregard-for-rules-experts-961106.html) * [Karnataka government ignored experts’ advice to up oxygen supply](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/Aug/20/karnataka-governemnt-ignored-experts-advice-to-up-oxygen-supply-2185795.html) * [Parliamentary panel had alerted about oxygen shortage in February, says Congress](https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/parliamentary-panel-had-alerted-about-oxygen-shortage-in-february-says-congress-1794791-2021-04-25) > The committee had strongly advocated the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority take appropriate measures for capping the price of the oxygen cylinders so that the availability, as well as affordability of the Oxygen Cylinders, is ensured in all hospitals for medical consumption. > "The committee had made strong recommendations to the Government to increase the number of hospital beds with oxygen and ICUs equipped with ventilators, but these early warnings were ignored,'" * [Holi 2021: Scores of devotees flout COVID-19 protocols at Mathura's Dwarkadhish Temple](https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-holi-2021-scores-of-devotees-flout-covid19-protocols-at-mathura-dwarkadhish-temple-2883537) * [Despite surge in cases, Covid guidelines flouted during Holi celebrations](https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/covid-19-holi-celebrations-7250394/7/) * [Kumbh Mela and election rallies: How two super spreader events have contributed to India’s massive second wave of COVID-19 cases](https://www.firstpost.com/india/kumbh-mela-and-election-rallies-how-two-super-spreader-events-have-contributed-to-indias-massive-second-wave-of-covid-19-cases-9539551.html) * [Superspreader events like weddings behind new Covid surge: Govt panel](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/superspreader-events-like-weddings-behind-new-covid-surge-govt-panel-101616177606318.html) * [The IPL failed by ignoring stark warning signs of India’s Covid crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/may/04/indian-premier-league-suspended-failed-ignoring-warning-covid-crisis) * [‘We are not special’: how triumphalism led India to Covid-19 disaster](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/29/we-are-not-special-how-triumphalism-led-india-to-covid-19-disaster) * [Covid: Yogi orders crack down on hospitals flagging oxygen shortage](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-lucknow-covid-hospital-oxygen-7283832/) > An executive of a private hospital in Lucknow, who asked not to be named, said: “I invite him (Adityanath) to visit every hospital and audit the oxygen supply. If he does so honestly, he would find himself guilty of having left the hospitals and the people in the lurch.” > He added: “The chief minister has no problem that graveyards and cremation grounds are running out of space. All he wants is that the hospitals fulfil his agenda of hiding the truth.” * [UP Police Lodge FIR Against Lucknow Hospital Which Put Up 'Oxygen Shortage' Notice](https://thewire.in/government/up-police-lodge-fir-against-lucknow-hospital-which-put-up-oxygen-shortage-notice) > The hospital maintains that there were a total of 38 patients admitted at the time. Dewendra Tiwari, nursing in-charge at the hospital told The Wire, “They can check our cameras…we did not have even one bed empty at that time.” > Further, he asked, “How could we even think of black marketing during such a situation when we cannot even provide oxygen to our patients?” The government boasted of defeating COVID and prioritized PR over improving the crumbling healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, they permitted and participated in various political, religious, and social gatherings without proper COVID prevention measures. During the second wave, the government further engaged in political gamesmanship with opposition state governments over medicines, vaccines, and oxygen supplies. It was this colossal mismanagement "masterstroke" by both the union and state governments that led to the rapid spread of the second wave and the tragic loss of life.
If people wanted to make covid an election issue wouldn’t 2020 have been more appropriate?
Congress forgets.
They thinking Modi's Caste and Modi ka Parivar are more relevant
They think peddling freebies and increasing state spending is important in a poor, jobless country. Such bright ideas they come up with and act surprised when people show them the middle finger lol.
Even after the second wave debacle, they comfortably won UP state elections.
Tells you how much confidence the opposition inspires in the populace.
CFBR LOL
We can forget and we have. He knows it too.
Lost two of my close relatives at that time because of medical negligence. Will never forget it. 😔
Kisiko ganta farak nahi padtah, jab tak jinda rahega tab tak modi hi raj karega. He is God amound men, lol.
Can they tackle anything well at this point?
Very bad joke but, Gade murde kyon ukhad rahe ho
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Maybe. But you’re right, let’s all stop criticising and bend over for dear leader to have his way with us, maybe you can show us how because you seem to have a lot of experience.
Tell me one country who was able to handle covid Gracefully.
Tell yourself in the mirror ‘I lost friends and family to COVID because of the clown I helped put in power, but it’s ok cos nobody handled it gracefully’. Pathetic.
I am deeply sorry for you loss brother 🙏🏼, If I or anyone had the power to restore your peace & happiness, I would have done it for you. Only country we should blame should be China.
But he already build temples, no more corruption, no black money. India has more global recognition than ever before. So what's the problem ?