India has set the highest record of news cases of COVID-19 up to 83,883. There was a visible increase in new cases for the last several years consecutively. Previously, 77,299 recorded in the United States on July 16, as the highest cases of COVID-19.Whereas, most of the other countries have passed the peak, and the number of cases is on a gradual decrease. It is only India with the trend of high increase. It can be dangerous as the population of India is around 1.3 Billion, and the health care facilities are relatively inadequate.
Modi led BJP government is highly politicized on their Pandemic and exercising discrimination with minorities. In fact, India is a highly volatile and an extremely divided society. The majority of the population is Hindu but divided into four castes, the lowest one is untouchables, and they constitute a considerable size of the community. Only the Brahman is the superclass or elite and can avail the best possible facilities in the society. Unfortunately, they are only a little portion of the community. The minorities are nothing to be talked about and facing extreme discrimination, deprived of all the facilities, and denied fundamental human rights.
Prime Minister Modi belongs to the extremist Hindu party RSS and using official machinery to facilitating RSS to exercise discrimination against the minorities and low caste Hindus. They are not allowed to be treated in Govern Hospitals with the upper class or elite Brahmans.
The economic collapse has worsened the situation further. Due to civil war, COVID-19, and civil unrest, the economic activities are almost halted. The Pandemic has resulted in large-scale job losses and an economic slump. India’s deepest recession on record will remain persistent all year, as a resurgence has squelched a nascent rebound in consumption and business activity. The foreign investors are withdrawing capital. The domestic investors are also transferring the wealth out of India to safe destinations. The qualified Human Resource is shifting abroad in the developed world, and a wave of insecurity is prevailing all around. Lack of health care and malnutrition has impacted adversely.
Currently, India is in the third position concerning the total number of cases of COVID-19 in the world. The US stands at the top of the list with the over-all number of COVID-19 cases: 6,338,119 and a death toll of 191,137. The second nation is Brazil, with an overall number of cases: 4,046,150 and a death toll of124,729. In comparison, India stands third with an entire number of COVID-19 cases: 3,971,670 and a death toll of 68,878. It might take only two days to exceed Brazil concerning the total number of cases.
On the other hand, India is at 120th position in testing with 33,767 per million of the population. If India increases the testing facility, it may get a precise number of COVID-19 cases, which might be much more than reported. The ground situation is quite problematic. Informal reporting is dangerous. Many people have died, but with any test, so no one knows the cause of their death. The actual cause of death was not determined in the absence of any COVID-19 test.
Indian Government has tightened the media curb and is not allowing freedom of expression or freely reporting the facts. Modi government has imposed strict censorship on reporting and aimed to hide any news which reflects the failure of his rule. The official figures reported are much lower than the actual data.
The Irony is that Prime Minister Modi is not taking the Pandemic as a serious problem and yet going to relax the lockdown. The home ministry has planned to let underground train networks reopen with few restrictions in New Delhi, India’s capital of about 20 million people. The underground trains are jammed-packed, especially during the peak hours, and can spread the virus quickly. The subway will start running on Sept. 7 for the first time since March, when India imposed the lockdown to contain the quick-spread of the coronavirus. However, Cinemas, Shopping Malls, Swimming Pools, Entertainment parks, and other such public places will remain shut.
The worrisome thing is that neither Prime Minister understands the repercussions of the Pandemic, nor have any will to understand. If he himself could not sense the seriousness of the problem, he may ger expert advice from professionals. But, it seems there is neither capacity nor will to over-come the Pandemic.
