India at its best in a speech by Modi reproduced by Arundhati Roy in theguardian.com.
“Friends, I have brought the message of confidence, positivity and hope from 1.3 billion Indians amid these times of apprehension … It was predicted that India would be the most affected country from corona all over the world. It was said that there would be a tsunami of corona infections in India, somebody said 700-800 million Indians would get infected while others said 2 million Indians would die.”
“Friends, it would not be advisable to judge India’s success with that of another country. In a country which is home to 18% of the world population, that country has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.”
Modi the magician takes a bow for saving humanity by containing the coronavirus effectively. Now that it turns out that he has not contained it, can we complain about being viewed as though we are radioactive? That other countries’ borders are being closed to us and flights are being cancelled? That we’re being sealed in with our virus and our prime minister, along with all the sickness, the anti-science, the hatred and the idiocy that he, his party and its brand of politics represent?
This was India at its best. The speech was given at a time when the USA and Europe were plunged into darkness by the virus. India could win a war by just talking. In the above speech Modi must have mesmerised the Americans and the whole world about the prowess of the Indians in handling the Covid19 crisis, in the same way the Indians have impressed the Americans and Europeans in how to run their businesses and taken many of them over to be run by the Indians.
Now Modi must be crying for speaking out loud too early. The Indians are now very angry for his incompetence and mismanagement of the Covid19 pandemic. The world is now watching how India is going to dig its way out of this tragedy. No amount of talking would the Covid19 virus go away. Only science and hardwork to contain the virus could help India. Smooth talking would just get India so far. But when luck runs out, when the truth needs to surface, the truth can be very ugly and painful.
India is under lockdown, the whole of India, not by India, but by the rest of the world. The rest of the world has no choice, no matter how sympathetic they are to India's plight. They will all chip in to help India. But locking down India is a must. Draconian, what is the alternative?
As Arundhati Roy puts it, 'We are witnessing a crime against humanity'. It is a catastrophe. You can lie, brag and cheat all the time, but you cannot lie, brag and cheat and get away with it all the time.
'This one was predicted, although its virulence has taken even scientists and virologists by surprise. So where is the Covid-specific infrastructure and the “people’s movement” against the virus that Modi boasted about in his speech? Hospital beds are unavailable. Doctors and medical staff are at breaking point. Friends call with stories about wards with no staff and more dead patients than live ones. People are dying in hospital corridors, on roads and in their homes. Crematoriums in Delhi have run out of firewood. The forest department has had to give special permission for the felling of city trees. Desperate people are using whatever kindling they can find. Parks and car parks are being turned into cremation grounds. It’s as if there’s an invisible UFO parked in our skies, sucking the air out of our lungs. An air raid of a kind we’ve never known.'
Photo credit Global Times
This pic from CNA shows how serious Singaporeans are in wearing masks to protect themselves and others from the virus.
This pic from Reuters shows how reckless and irresponsible the Indians are in not wearing masks and spreading the virus.
No need to wear mask during farmers' protest