Are we Rational !

We know that this is very tough time, but as a responsible citizen it is we who have not and still a significant number of people not following COVID-19 SOP’s, not wearing Mask, not maintain Social Distancing, neglecting the other guidelines to keep ourselves safe & protected, but once get infected and need Health Care support which is in scarcity, cursing Government for our own mistakes is something not justifiable. Government has to take care of its citizens for their safety & security but as a responsible citizen, we also are equally responsible.  

I have lost 02 of my family members during in last 6 months and no one can better understand the pain of losing someone close from a family which is something which will always twitch up throughout the life to the grieved family, but can we held responsible only to Central Government for all what is happening? There are state governments who are primarily responsible for healthcare, administration, law & order situation and other matters but it is evident that mostly people are selective when talking on this. There is a strong need of strong introspection that when all political parties were busy in criticizing the Central Government, there were leaders who started talking that they will not vaccinate with BJP Vaccines, there were leaders who kept questioning on the quality of vaccines and their large number of followers ignored and did not do vaccination, especially in UP, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, West Bengal everyone and suddenly everyone started crying that they have shortage of Vaccines in their states wheras it was a fact that almost 1.5 Crore doses were available. Let us not blame Government for everything and, we should own some responsibility and understand that we have also contributed our part too in the spread of COVID-19. If Police had to open Lathi Charge during Counting of Votes, who is responsible. If, during so called Kisan Andolan, people have continued Mahapanchayats and thousands of people were gathering and still it is happening without following COVID-19 SOP’s and none of the Political Parties or civic societies have ever opposed - who is responsible? In spite of knowing well people are gathering at Kumbh Mela and Ramadan – who is responsible? If we are not wearing Masks and not maintaining Social Distancing in spite of requests from all corners whether Government, Doctors, Administration – Who is responsible? In spite of start of Vaccination drives timely with lots of efforts of Central Government with announcements that it is safe, people are not coming forward – who is responsible? If thousands of Oxygen Cylinders are stocked and sold in 30-35 K who is responsible? Remdesivir Injections and other required medicines kept in stock and sold in black market who is responsible? Fake patients are being admitted and then Police is continuously working day & night in exposing them, who all are responsible for this? And then due to foreign policy of Government if Help & support is coming form all across the world, even once USA said no but then was forced to restart their support, This is because of whom! It is because of strong foreign policy, our embassies and Diplomats who are continuously working for the country and Building up positive image and a narrative, we all are simply unknowingly contributing in defaming it and not exposing the government as most of the people criticizing and posting on Social media do not come with any logical argument and that’s what helps foreign media, agencies trying to exploit to create a different narrative of the nation, which in longer run will only dent the image of the country.

I am favoring the Government or any Political ideology but only submission is one should be rational. Criticism is good thing as it keeps checks on Government from becoming dictator and autocratic in its functioning but it should be logical, factual and should help in bringing shortcomings of government, its functioning and drawbacks to improve upon and that’s what we see in almost all sensible societies and developed countries. But in the name of criticism, selectively playing dirty politics or speaking with bias and pre-conceived notions never helps anyone and simply creates distance, difference and defame for everyone.

People have started blaming the Prime Minister, as it has always been for last almost 20 years, and verbally attacking on him as if he is the person who is dictating everything and all states are just following what he is saying or doing. All political parties have contributed in setting up and keeping their political agenda high. All political parties have participated in all 5 states with maximum intensity as per their strength and contributed in forming large gatherings, breaking all norms and SOPs, and then very smartly tried to create a false narrative, as if the Prime Minister was the only person who was doing all this, which is well supported by their followers. Then why only rally in West Bengal of Prime Minister is so criticized when every other party has done the same, even Chief Minister of other states were also equally participating ignoring the COVID-19 crisis in their own states, not focusing on vaccination and leaving the people on their own destiny.  

 In fact this was the time when everyone was expected to stand together with the country, the supporters themselves started crying and undoubtedly left Prime Minister alone forgetting everything what he has done for the country and how he has played crucial role in removing Article 370, Ram Mandir, CAA and so on and at the same time managing the world not to react on this including Islamic Countries and pushed Pakistan aside. This clearly indicates that mushroomed supporters of Prime Minister also started crying and I am sure it must have lowered down the confidence of the Honorable Prime Minister and it will have long lasting impact and an option to elect new Prime Minister who can work better, unfortunately this will be really tough, as in all probabilities he would never and should never opt for Prime Ministership 3rd time to enable people to choose a new PM of their choice who would be able to do better, in thinking of such people those who have lost their loyalty and trust overnight.

I could see there are a large number of people who use to be called supporters of BJP and use to love to be called as “BHAKT” by others have started crying on the same line without looking at all facts. We should understand no country could have created Healthcare Infrastructure for such a pandemic and the way we all have contributed in its spread. I could see in colleges hardly SOP’s have been followed. Hundreds and thousands of students roaming around in campus, outside campus were hesitant to even wear basic masks and sitting in groups, People in Shopping centers not wearing masks properly, If permission in social gathering is restricted to 50 or 100, more than multiple times people are gathering, on Railways stations, in spite of the fact that Signs are marked to maintain Social Distancing and wearing masks, Hundreds of people trying to come outside from railway stations and trust me they are not illiterate people, they are coming out of VIP trains like Rajdhani Exp, Vande Bharat, Shatabdi Express etc. In restaurants, they are operating on their more than full capacity and people are coming on their own will happily, On the day of declaration of Lockdown in Delhi, suddenly there were long queues and mostly without masks or proper wearing of masks on wine shops tearing of all SOP’s - who is responsible for all of this!

Saying that people are loosing their lives due to Oxygen, it’s true but at the same time it is poor and incapable planners and creating appropriate distribution network by state governments. A State like Odisha, considered to be one of the poorest state has never complaint for this but they have supplied it to other states where many people lost their lives including Delhi, the states like west Bengal who refused to give Oxygen to States including Delhi has never been topic of discussion to create moral pressure to force them to rethink their stand. State like UP could create Oxygen Plant in just little more about a week time, why other states could not start thinking and doing this? Rather started crying and putting everything on Center where event Courts had to set them. Spending crores of Rupees on self promotion, if some part of that money would have been invested in setting-up infrastructure, situation would have been different. But who is responsible for that! And by the way it was done by the state like UP where Chief Minister himself was infected by COVID-19, which accommodates largest population of the country, whereas financially strong states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh etc. kept crying the shortage of Oxygen and have not started anything this and these are the states where their Cabinet was reluctant even in starting vaccination. Let us think once if these states would have taken initiative and would have kept the interest of the country and life of the citizen on top priority and would have made sincere and honest efforts our large population would have been vaccinated by this time. But who is responsible for all this – The Prime Minister.

Probably our Prime Minister had taken bar of expectations and delivery at such a height that generally people see that whatever situation may be, whatever tough time may be, it is the PM who have immediate solution for all the existing & non-existing problems.

                                                                                                          Continued………………….

Prof. Sunil Kr Pandey

I.T.S, Ghaziabad