Covid and the lockdown time is also witnessing the best, good and worst management by various countries. A few leaders were merely driven by their gut feeling, delaying in realizing the seriousness of the virus infection. Such lackadaisical attitude has resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives.
The reaction from various states of India has also been different, some responding with alacrity and a few taking it casually. In India political compulsions kneeled before religious traditions, resulting in a speedier spread, which otherwise has been comparatively better than many other countries.
It is never easy to freeze millions in their homes, and for weeks together. But for this bitter pill of the lockdown, an estimated eight lacs could have been infected. Saving lives thus supersedes all other priorities for India.
West Bengal, in its characteristic style, had entwined itself in a complicated linguistic jargon of comorbidity, withdrawing any treating doctor from the burden of issuing death-certificates related to Covid cases. An audit committee was constituted, who alone were empowered to describe any cause of death as Covid caused, comorbid or other reasons. The result, death numbers reduced and did not correlate with the National ratio. But West Bengal has always been different!
Governor-Chief Minister spats, which are a perdurable feature of West Bengal only got bolder, the once ultra-secretive exchanges hitting the media, even before they could land on the laps of the addressees. If the ever-increasing number of pages between them is any indicator, soon the missives between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna could be in booklet forms. This is a time for all leaders to work in tandem, in terms of the norms prescribed by the National Disaster Management Act.
A central team is camping in West Bengal, drawing flak from the local government. Such visits, even with dubious intentions (which, I believe not) must be faced boldly, helping them to assess the ground realities. Reminiscent to the gherao of CBI team, then chasing a top police official a few months ago, the Central team also laid put in a BSF camp until matters were resolved and the group began their survey work.
CM Mamata Banerjee is regularly seen distributing ration items, interacting with hygiene staff, commuting in her vehicle to critical areas, which might expose her to infection and must be avoided.
I hear there can be no ‘Bijoy Michil,’ or victory march on the 4th May, if the lockdown is lifted on the 3rd May. A friend, a communist by birth, lamented, what will happen to the May Day holiday, forgetting that we are in the midst of limitless holidays!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
