The Corona Apocalypse
by Sandhya Jain on 14 Apr 2020 10 Comments

Some contours of the post-Coronavirus world are clearly visible. The nation-state has regained legitimacy; the case for free flow of refugees/immigrants across a borderless world has collapsed; and governments are facing the critical test of whether they can rally their people behind them to overcome the disease. India has performed remarkably well so far, though critics may carp that steps taken in February and March could have been taken earlier. Perhaps, or as Maurice Maeterlinck mused: “It is easy for those who are wise after the event to see what ought to have been done when time has brought full knowledge of what was really taking place” (Wisdom and Destiny).

 

Doomsday accounts of Cassandras in reputed (sic) Western media and their acolytes in India have proved demonstrably false. India’s vibrant democracy and cultural generosity have created the synergy needed to face the challenges posed by COVID-19. Immediately after lockdown was announced, civil society across India rose as one to daily feed millions in every city, without discrimination; virtually every mandir, matham, gurdwara is at work. Five star hotels, dharamsalas, guest houses, are providing quality accommodation for overworked medical staff. Even migrant labour that were misguided to leave Delhi, or panicked and left other cities, have been provided for by citizens along the route.

 

Indian Railways imaginatively converted unused bogeys into quarantine facilities. Research labs, companies, and young engineers are innovating ventilators, splitters for ventilators, fumigation chambers, protective gear for medical staff, smart stethoscopes, sanitizer trunks. Households are making and distributing masks to the needy.

 

In Pakistan, NGOs are denying food and rations to poor Hindus and Christians suffering from coronavirus, an act that has angered even their Muslim neighbours. Long suffering Balochistan complains of neglect; medical staff lack Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and quarantine facilities are disgraceful. The silence of the hyperactive international media is deafening.

 

What makes India’s response unique is the Union Cabinet’s decision to reduce salary, allowances and pensions of all Members of Parliament by a whopping 30 per cent, for one year, with effect from April 1, 2020. The President, Vice President, and Governors voluntarily took a similar pay cut as social responsibility. The MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) has been suspended for two years (2020-21 and 2021-22); all money saved will go to the Consolidated Fund of India. This scale of personal sacrifice is unmatched in the world so far; even children have been inspired to give their savings (for bicycle, birthday) to feed the needy.


Most noteworthy is the speed with which India evacuated its stranded citizens, first from Wuhan (epicenter of the outbreak) and then from other cities: Milan and Rome; Tehran; Manila, Singapore. Of the 890 persons evacuated from COVID-19 affected countries, 48 hailed from The Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, US, Israel,  Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru, and were evacuated at the request of their governments. Special efforts were made to rescue 124 persons quarantined on board the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship off the Japanese port of Yokohama, including five nationals from Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru. India did offer to rescue Pakistani students from Wuhan, but Islamabad rebuffed the offer; seven Maldivians were evacuated.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with leaders of South Asian nations and launched a fund, with an initial contribution of $10 million, to check the spread of the pandemic in the region. India also responded to requests for emergency medical equipment from Bhutan and the Maldives. India participated in the G-20 video conference to discuss containment strategies and the economic impact of the outbreak, especially unemployment.

 

India has already taken the lead in the struggle to develop a vaccine, and on April 11, the Department of Science and Technology agreed to fund Seagull BioSolutions Pvt. Ltd. to develop Active Virosome Vaccine and Immunodiagnostic kits for COVID-19. As the largest manufacturer of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), currently considered a life-saving drug for fighting coronavirus, India is supplying thirty countries, including the United States, and ramping up production for future needs. However, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used to manufacture HCQ comes from China, which continued supplies throughout the crisis, but in coming days, India will have to revisit its domestic manufacturing strategy.

 

The anti-tuberculosis BCG vaccine is emerging as another potential cure. India’s low death rate is said to be due to its universal immunization schedule that includes BCG, and a fair amount of population immunity to malaria. An ongoing research at the New York Institute of Technology shows that countries that discontinued the BCG vaccine (United States, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Iran and the U.K.) have proved very vulnerable to COVID-19.

 

Comparisons are undesirable at this apocalyptic moment in human history, but given the uncalled for attacks on India from some responsible quarters, some points are in order. India saw its first case of coronavirus in the last week of January, around the same time as Europe and the United States. After initially claiming the disease would go away on its own, US President Donald Trump said on March 30 that administration estimates show that Covid-19 could kill 100,000 to 200,000 people in America, and such a toll would indicate that his administration has “done a very good job”. Imagine an Indian leader saying such a death toll is acceptable, and surviving. At the time of writing, the world had 1,853,327 cases and 114,250 deaths; India had 9,152 cases and 308 mortalities.

 

The pandemic has inflicted deep pain, disrupting incomes of those dependent on daily wages, creating havoc with small businesses and manufacturing units, and triggering mass unemployment. Sadly, India is looking at an extension of the three-week lockdown imposed on March 25 because thousands gathered at Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in Nizamuddin, Delhi, including 280 from Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan, to attend a meeting on March 13, defying prohibitory orders.

 

Many left and spread the disease to other States and countries. Police escorted some to the airport after the March 22 Janata Curfew, but they returned surreptitiously; the authorities were called only on March 30 after one person died. Thereafter, the behaviour of many in hospital has been unmentionable. Yet Indian medical staff have served them with exemplary dedication and moral fortitude; all talk of the “sectoral targetting of a particular community” is invidious and deserves outright condemnation.

 

(The author is a senior journalist. Views expressed are personal.)

User Comments Post a Comment
Brilliant piece
Raman
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
most worthwhile read
Kumar
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
I too am reminded of two quips: one, nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself; two, any body can take a decision given enough data but the best ones are those who can take a decision without any data.

Now, even as the author has rightly commented that comparisons are undesirable at this apocalyptic moment in history, it cannot be disputed that our chaiwala PM has to be credited with taking the best decisions without any data.

Pappu has, as is his wont, made his typical claim that the PM should have declared the lock down one month earlier when he had warned of the impending calamity. (No questions on how he came to know of it when even the WHO had been in the dark. Had he visited China surreptitiously to celebrate X'mas and New Year?)

There are two points that I would like to highlight further. The first one is regarding China. Every report on Covid 19 tends to suggest that it was a bio weapon trial that got out of hand. Or, was it simply a matter of the trial getting out of hand? There are reports that even consignments of medical stores imported from China being contaminated, even in India. And of course, China is minting money from even the pandemic they had unleashed on the world.

The other is about the only commie ruled state in our own country. While it is true that the first case of infection was reported here and the spread has been contained to a large extent, there are reports extolling the health care facilities in the state and attributing it to the current government. This is not true.

The earliest general hospitals in the State are said to be 150 years old and our nurses, the backbone of any health care system, are the best and acknowledged by the world. Apart from this, and the selfless and strenuous effort of the health care professionals as a whole and the police in enforcing the lock down, the situation would not have been what it is.

There could also be an element of truth in a WhatApp message gone viral- the people in Kerala are quite experienced in living through lock down conditions due to the frequent bandhs and hartals enforced in the state at the whims and fancies of any and every political party which could claim to have the support of a handful of goons.

The Kerala success story seem to have made it to the western media too. But that mystery has been solved by the revelation that commie presstitutes have been planting stories there also.
Raviforjustice
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
There is no doubt the kind of leadership Shri Narendra Modi provided in the fight against COVID-19 is unparalleled in the world. The writer has provided all the details to back up this assumption.

I am not sure, at all, whether the BCG vaccine did and/or can now provide any resistance to COVID-19 virus. It is important to remember that TB is caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) while COVID-19 is caused by a virus - in fact, a single stranded RNA (Ribo Nucleic Acid). There is a world of difference between both. If at all some people ascribe any resistance and/or lower mortality of Indians due to the BCG vaccine adminisitered early in life, this is simply an empirical relationship and unfit for rigorous scientific scrutiny.

Notwithstanding these comments, the author has made a valiant effort to project the positive image of India in these troubled times. My hearty Congratulations to her
Kodoth Prabhakaran
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
The article has covered facets of COVID 19 problem is a practical and well informed manner.

The derivative is that India needs to nurture the gains accrued from early action. There is no space for complacency.
Jaibans Singh
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
Coronavirus causes world to lockdown. Stay Home. Save lives.

Saving lives through complete lockdown leads to collapse of economy. Unemployment is explosive. Poor people across the world are suffering.

Coronavirus will bring apocalypse.
Hema
April 14, 2020
Report Abuse
@ Hema.
Imagine a dacoit comes to your house and threatens with a gun to kill you . He lets you off when you allow him to take away the gold and cash. This is what most people would prefer to do , to make a smaller sacrifice than loosing one's life , considered as very valuable.
A complete lockdown to save lives is the most important and right decision taken by the central govt . collapse of economy and unemployment are unavoidable set backs ,like side effects of an anti biotic .Let us learn from Japan's rise to great heights after the suffering of nuclear bombs several years ago.
Panikkath Krishnanunni
April 15, 2020
Report Abuse
@Hema
After Nizammudin episode in Delhi, the Central government took adequate measures. Now we have seen its backlash first at Surat and yesterday at Mumbai.Do not try to create panic and launch new theories of economic collapse and migrant issues. India shall not shake and shiver. Those are by gone days. Let the nation go for a complete lock down and zero tolerance.

Than you Sandhyaji.
B.S.Harishankar
April 15, 2020
Report Abuse
Excellent piece
Prakash
April 15, 2020
Report Abuse
Lovely ! After the doom and gloom that the nay sayers propagated both in India and abroad, this article is a timely reminder of what India has achieved in this crisis.

The specific measures undertaken by the government and elaborated upon by Sandhyaji, are important in informing the Indian public, especially in the context of the fake news that is being spread.

Equally important is the focus on India's vibrant democracy and cultural generosity, that pays tribute to the people of India who have risen to the occasion and provided spontaneous support during this national crisis.
Dr. Vijaya Rajiva
April 15, 2020
Report Abuse