Who was the authority behind the conducting of state assembly polls in India in April. And Kumbhmela (that was dispersed after a reported fifty crore had already assembled).
Will those who are responsible come forward and take dharmic responsibility for the sorry and heartbreaking condition of my Mother India today.
Because even until April third week, India was recording very low stats from covid 19 first wave. My hometown Chennai was recording around hardly a hundred fresh cases. Total India fresh infection numbered a mere two thousand plus, negligible figure on one billion plus population.
It appeared, we had almost scraped through the corona crisis.
Most of us were visiting each other from November last, gathering in wedding halls and parties and even holidaying in local resorts, flying to destinations within India with covid protocol in place, and with covid safety precautions followed. Of course there is always this percentage that went without masks. This happens in every other country, not just India. Buses and trains were operational minimally in my state Tamil Nadu. By and large, normalcy was returning with businesses and factories running in full swing. Workers had returned to their trades and banks and other offices were fully functional. Even the beauty salons and gyms had opened up with malls not far behind. Restaurants were seeing steady footfall.
So what went wrong for us that we see ourselves in this horrific condition today. This is a mere 15 day development. Even as I boarded flight from India to Middle East on April 21st, the situation was not this nightmarish. There were reports that covid was on rise but the survival rate was still too good, close to one hundred percent recovery rate.
Assembly polls were due in key states in the month of April, but reportedly the election commission became the puppet of someone in authority. Mass rallies were seen everyday in populous states and even our national leaders seemed to endorse the crowds, forgetting that a pandemic was raging around the world. Call it over-confidence or short-sightedness or simple stupidity, the nation is paying a big price for this grave slip (pun intended) with dear, dear lives of my countrymen. It breaks my heart to see the funeral pyres burning day in and day out, of the chimney of the electric crematoria breaking down on nonstop workload and highest temperatures… A friend who is rendering humanitarian service as a volunteer said, the crematoria are open until midnight with corpses queueing up even in my hometown. Normally the closing time is 4 to 6 pm with prior booking in place. Blood banks are running low, oxygen howmuchever produced is proving to be insufficient and there is endless wait for hospital beds, with lifesaving drugs becoming scarcer and expensive…
None of us imagined this day when we voted for the assemblies in our states that were sworn in recently. Polling was a peaceful exercise and not rushed. In the meanwhile, vaccines were being administered. I got both my doses of Covishield in March-April in India. Some of my friends took the desi Covaxin, supposedly the best in the category. The vaccination drive however was yet to pick up in full throttle, even if it came free in govt PHCs. I took the jab in a private hospital that charged me a reasonable 500 bucks for both doses. My immunization certificate was downloadable from govt website. Everything seemed to be in proper place and working. In fact I was looking forward to a covid-free India by year end.
Then the hell broke loose and we did not know what hit us. The massive massive covid 19 second wave was on us like a tsunami. By this time I had left India (not fearing covid but because I waited for this day for 1.5 years to join my husband working abroad).
Not only the political rallies for the Assembly polls, even our religious places that opened up fully were a reason for the covid to flare up. I am a pretty regular at our temples but I visited the temples when the crowds were thinnest. I was shocked to see thousands gathering at Kapaleeshwara temple festival. The friend who is cremating near and dear ones today was also posting pictures from Marudeeshwara temple festival in the city not more than a month back. Not only the government, even the educated did not realize the gravity and severity of the corona pandemic. There were proud social media doctors who claimed victories for our temples that saw historic crowds with resumption of temple festivals. Recently a friend said, many who attended the Arupathumoovar festival of Kapali temple in Mylapore got infected and quite a few of them lost their lives in the weeks that followed. This time the covid struck without notice. Asymptomatic mostly, the symptoms such as breathlessness on oxygen depletion surfaced much later when the lungs got infected majorly. By now, the patient barely would be left with any any survival chances.
Last but not the least is those like Sadhguru himself irresponsible and misleading masses. Who can forgive or forget him for taking over the elephant corridor and installing Shiva in nature’s setting denying the pachyderms their dwelling place, forest country and endangering the very survival/existence of the jumbos. This one man could be singly held for extinction of Indian wild elephant (in future if it must happen (god forbid)). What about the Assamese forests taken over for Ayurvedic private labs by this Baba Ramdev for commercial ventures. Will the helpless cries of our hapless wildlife leave this nation without any curse. You are talking big on Karma and Dharma. Old man Sadhguru, do you even know the real meaning for these terms. You are destroying one majestic life species and planting trees as compensation by river side. Never mind, I too have chipped in with my little contribution because I want more trees. Is this the guru’s true sense of justice. You are arguing who must by birth be performing puja in temples. No, I didn’t even listen to your nonsense on that. I may not be the most enlightened, but I am clear on what constitutes equality and social justice. None including you have been out of this world and returned alive in flesh and blood to tell us what lies far behind. Yours is yet another floating theory. I have enjoyed the Shivratri celebrations at Isha but this year I gave it a deliberate miss. I have not watched a single performance this year. This god man who talks too much still had the gall to convene this celebration with thousands of guests dancing and singing at the height of a ruthless bloody pandemic situation. What kind of guru is this one. Now safely tucked in in his secure ivory tower, he is giving lectures as to how to deal with the pandemic. Should we tolerate such mindless gross violations of nature and law only because someone tags the Hindu line and we would like to check the expansion of the Christian missionaries in the region.
We blamed the Jamat for convening at an inappropriate time and spreading the first wave far and wide. Will those in charge explain why even the Kumbh was given a green signal in the first place. What use in retraction at a later stage after the damage was inflicted. Indian masses are not one hundred percent literate.
As for Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu has gone without one for over two years in the eighties when the then prime minster Shri Rajiv Gandhi annulled the DMK assembly in the state. Governor rule ensued and the state assembly polls followed in the year 1991 (during which campaign Rajiv was assassinated). Who says there is no precedent.
I don’t know to write fancy, I write what I feel strongly about. I am not a member of any political party. I am aware that with a little more caution and prudence, India could have skipped the second wave totally. We could have made it unscathed, we were almost there. Or we could still be having things under control – not like this with pandemonium prevailing everywhere. Well, I think i just discovered the root word for ‘pandemonium.’
My heart beats and bleeds for India. My prayers are for all Indian citizens as well as global citizens. How many ever janma I may take, I want to be reborn only a Hindu and in India, nowhere else and as none else.
May peace times return soon.
Media vultures feeding on dead corpses, please keep off.
China will always go down in history as a monstrous bloodsucking life-taker, hated globally. The world will never, not in a zillion zillion years forgive China. India with all our woes will still be remembered the life-giver by many nations, loved by most. It makes one hell of a difference. Let our vaccines program continue. Even in our difficult hour, let us go on serving humanity throwing a lifeline to poorest of poor nations with our covid vaccines.
I choose to stay positive. I believe in a better world. I look forward to a glorious dawn shortly.
vijiravindran's 