Fight should be united
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It is enough to tell the saga of the extremely devastated condition of India due to Corona second surge that, thousand of Covid-19 patients’ bodies are floating in the Ganga river in Bihar’s Bastar district. These bodies have come floating all the way from Uttar Pradesh. Hundred years ago, in the Spanish Flue pandemic, thousand of corpses were thrown out in dense forests by people which gave rise to man-eaters. Today, as the number of tigers has dwindled, no such fear is there. But, the situation is ghastly. The centre and states equally have made a mess of tackling Covid-19 pandemic with their inconsistent decisions about lockdowns, vaccination and oxygen supply. Patients in many big and famous hospitals are dying like insects due to lack of oxygen. Now, many state governments are opting for global tenders for vaccine supply. But that is of no use. Because, some special companies are allowed to produce and supply vaccines. American medical expert Anthony Fauci says that India can overcome this situation only if a national lockdown is immediately announced and vaccination is taken up on a massive scale. The pandemic is refusing to come under control even after every State grappled with it by imposing curbs like curfews and lockdowns. When Corona pandemic showed signs of dying down, PM Modi was busy in hearing praises for his efforts but he failed to hear the warnings of future. Finally, in March, the virus went out of control and the new mutant is capable of fast spreading, pushing people to deaths and evading antibodies. The vaccination program was expected to move at a steady pace went out of hand as the Central government announced that it would vaccinate everyone in the 18 to 45 years age group, even though it had no clarity about vaccine availability. Only to take credit, the center announce vaccination for all when it has no vaccine doses. Why in the first place, it announced is the question. It is estimated that at the present pace, it would take three years to inoculate the entire nation. Horrifying estimates also reveal that with the passage of time the virus will undergo dangerous mutations that will give it resistance to vaccine. Former US president, Donald Trump , with all his eccentricities, had allocated two thousand crore USD for research and production of vaccine. Due to his long vision, America remains in a reassured situation today because of that singular act. In comparison, the government of India announced allocation of Rs thirty five thousand crore for covid vaccination but actually spent only fourteen percent of that amount. In the name of federal spirit, it is now leaving to States the burden of buying fifty percent vaccine. Many poor states can’t purchase vaccines. So, only three percent of the country’s population got both the doses of vaccine administered. While a majority of countries in the World are going for universal free vaccination, the government of India caused the price of private vaccines to creep upto Rs seven hundred to Rs fifteen hundred per dose. While following such incoherent vaccine policy, the Center is saying that there is no scope at all for the Supreme Court intervention in the matter. This is highly irrational. Along with that, the need of the hour is that the advanced countries should generously come forth to release their piled up additional stocks of vaccine for the benefit of countries like India. The country can wriggle out of this crisis situation only when the Center relaxes its intransigence to accommodate the views of the States also. The government will not increase production and not place order for extra vaccines, will only lead to more deaths and more spread of the Corona virus. Modi should leave his stubbornness and states should show some wisdom to tackle the situation otherwise not only Ganga river but entire country will turn into a live crematorium. If to avoid this, there should be a united and co-ordinated fight is needed.