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| PM Modi: Missing |
A whole year has gone by
since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. While several countries such as
Israel, Australia, New Zealand and even the US has somewhat been able to bring
back the pre-covid ‘era’, India continues to struggle in vaccinating its adult
citizens.
With the beginning of 2021,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced massive vaccination drive and
Vaccine Maitri to support India’s neighbouring countries and African nations
amid the pandemic. However, soon India, which was manufacturing two vaccines –
Covaxin and Covishield – started facing a devastating crunch in number of
vaccines for its own citizens.
Besides shortage of vaccines,
India is also facing a crisis in number of oxygen cylinders, oxygen
concentrators, hospital beds and even crematoriums. While lakhs of people are
racing against time to save themselves and their loved ones, the Narendra
Modi-led government, which has been busy holding massive rallies to with oust
Mamata Banerjee in the West Bengal Assembly elections held earlier this year,
is now focused on completing its Rs 20,000 crore worth Central Vista Project.
The Central Vista project is
aimed to redevelop a 3.2 km stretch ‘the Central
Vista’ lying at the heart of Lutyens Delhi. Under the project several
government buildings will be either tore down or rebuilt, including iconic
landmarks, and constructing a new Parliament. The constructions of the Prime
Minister and Vice President’s residences are also part of the project.
While the
Centre’s deemed ‘essential service’ continues to progress at a good speed, it
has been ridiculed from all quarters of society. Recently, the Centre told the
Delhi High Court that Public Interest Litigations against the Central Vista
project is "sheer abuse of the process of law" and thus the plea
should be scrapped with a fine.
Amid the ever increasing
criticisms, the Central Public Works Department
has now prohibited photography and video recording at the Central Vista
construction work near India Gate.
While on the
one hand the Centre is engrossed with its project to renovate the central
Delhi, almost everyday hundreds of dead bodies, supposedly to be of COVID-19
patients, are washing up on the ghats of holy river Ganga.
According to
a recent report by Dainik Bhaskar, more than 2,000 bodies have been
found in 1,140 kms on the bank of river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.
The newspaper further reported that as many as 350
bodies were found buried near Mahadevi Ganga Ghat in Kannauj. Citing sources
the newspaper reported that the administration is trying to hide the bodies by
putting soil on them.
Earlier, The
Indian Express had reported, “At least 96 unidentified
bodies – many of them decomposed and bloated – have been found floating in the
Ganga over the past couple of days, triggering fears among local residents in
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh that bodies of Covid victims were being dumped in the
river.”
The authorities are yet to
confirm whether the bodies found floating on Ganga are indeed of COVID-19
patients. However, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has
condemned the incident and said, “Floating bodies in Ganga in Buxar, Bihar is
unfortunate. It is surely a matter of investigation. [Narendra] Modi government
is committed to maintaining piety and continuity of mother Ganga. States [Bihar
and UP] concerned must take cognizance of the matter immediately”.
While the Narendra Modi-led
government continues to be missing from duty amid the pandemic, the panic
stricken public has no option other than to pin their hopes on the Centre to
bring down the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
