By: Aditi Jain & Gautami Nair
DISCLAIMER: Sensing the gravity of the situation and the dangerously ill environment we are in, both in terms of health and governance, I would like to tread a careful path while expressing my views today as I fear putting them forward for they would 'apparently offend' some sections of society which can also lead to 'arrest' for celebrating my right to freedom of speech! Posing questions to the government today is deemed as spreading propaganda and 'trying to spoil the atmosphere by spreading rumors, fear, and negativity!’
With the country witnessing another wave of infections and localised lockdowns, access to basic healthcare and even salon services has become a tedious task. In this mushkil ki ghadi, our PM Sahab too has decided to adorn a new lockdown look with his trendy beard and has also started a new viral millennial lingo #Atmanirbhar Bharat which in the past few weeks has guided the country well enough to not depend on anyone, not even on the government, to fulfil its needs. To become truly atmanirbhar, we've taken certain steps in the right direction:-
1. "Cycle of life and death"- Khaki shorts sorority says, "this is a cycle of life and death...this cannot scare us". 'Positivity unlimited' has become the mantra to keep ourselves afloat in these trying times to overcome difficulties simply by ignoring the horrific sights of people struggling to save their closed ones on streets, lining up for oxygen cylinders, bodies floating in the 'holiest river' and grounds burning day and night to bid adieu to those we've lost!
2. Self Service- The government was absolutely ready to face any adverse situation, but citizens did not read the instruction manual of Atma Nirbharta properly. It was clearly mentioned that patients are required to bring their own charpai, mattress, food, and medicines accompanied with oxygen cylinders to get the treatment. On the other hand, the authority was fully equipped with hospital fire accidents, saline water in injections instead of medicine, minimum workforce, and fully inadequate hospitals.
3. Medicines prescribed! - Today, even the great magician, Houdini, would be amazed to see how the most needed medicines are in no time vanishing into thin air. It seems that today God is truly helping only those who are helping themselves by looting the masses through their flourishing business of selling fake medicines, fake tears and fake promises of governance and acche din!
4. Our Experts- We have a set of very trained personnel in our administration. They've gone through the rigorous training of rhetoric, blame-game, and expertise in exaggerated traditional knowledge. The expert opinion after sensing the position of Aries and Jupiter was to prepone the 'super spreader' event. Another, with her vast experience in 'cow' Science, has defeated Corona not by putting on a mask but by drinking the urine of 'holy cow'. Without any synthetic products, with only herbs, India's P. T. master gave the world's first Anti-Covid drug- Coronil. Only Haters and ignorant people like scientists and factual data etc..were giving warnings of a fast approaching second wave.
5. Image- Big B's famous dialogue Parampara, Prathistha aur Anushasan has become an important pillar for our foreign policy also. Our 'visionary leaders', through their acts of philanthropy, have tried to uphold the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam by addressing the 'image problem' and negligently putting aside the real problem of a crumbling health infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.
6. Enclosed Funding - During the last wave, most of us contributed a significant amount of our savings to the call for funds by our Supreme leader. And, these large sums of money without anyone to ask about its whereabouts proved to be of great help as it taught us the difference between working and non-working ventilators sent by the government. Is this really how PM CARES?
7.We are scared of numbers- The rote learning based education system largely stresses on satisfying the condition of 'hence proved' either by hook or by crook! We're seeing the same happening today while recording fresh cases and death rates. We invented zero and so we are at the liberty to put it or remove it while recording data whenever we want to so that the final figures are not too horrifying (but are definitely misleading)!
In this, all of us have also collectively, very smoothly, steered the nation into a deadly second wave of the pandemic by declaring victory much before the war ended. Flouting all safety measures, we all listened to our 'mann ki baat' by attending weddings, election rallies, and Kumbh Mela celebrations exhibiting that awareness and action often lie at opposing ends. There is no point in crying over the spilled milk now as good days definitely await us while we wait to get an OTP for vaccination.
The onus is now upon us, as individuals, to contribute to breaking the chain of Covid-19 infections because the governments have failed to understand and predict human behaviour, as they vehemently conduct meetings and address crowds without masks. The 'credit' has been bagged, the 'crisis' is now ours to solve.
Uncle Ben said rightly to Peter Parker that, 'With great powers come great responsibilities' and the leaders of today are very busy in efficiently discharging their political duties by solving problems such as ramping up production of (not vaccines, if you thought so) the Central Vista project by hastily razing off buildings and rebuilding them again on the pretext of 'lives and livelihoods' lost by millions of Indians who have been pushed into clutches of poverty. For them, it is 'khela shesh' but the virus is still here, now along with its 'fungal' friends and 'variant' relatives, loudly roaring for yet another 'khela hobe'!
We all know that this is not ending anytime soon and with the increase in every inch of beard hair on our chappan inch chested PM, our tales of being atmanirbhar will reach their zenith. The question is how well are we braced for the next wave?
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