On the edge of a precipice- a populous country like India must also give sufficient attention to the dire need of the masses

The larger philosophical question must be addressed – Why were we caught on the wrong foot even though there were ample warnings of a catastrophe?

A family member conducts last rites before cremation of a person who died of Covid-19, at crematorium as coronavirus cases surge, in Jalandhar, Monday, May 10, 2021.PTI

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Shelley Walia   | TT  |  11.05.21  :  Humanity stands poised at the intersection of one of the most serious disasters in world history. We have failed in our preparation for the anticipated second wave of Covid-19. Efforts to confront the devastating consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic remain blurred and half-hearted with little urgency, focus or coordination that the crisis deserves. We have failed to learn from the predicted peaks witnessed in England and the United States of America. Hegel was right when he said, “The only thing we can learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”

The policy followed by the Indian government of supplying the vaccine to poor nations in Africa and Latin America is undoubtedly laudable. A ‘people’s vaccine’ is, understandably, vital to confront the pandemic. Nobel laureates, scientists, and artists are joining hands with millions to demand Covid-19 vaccines and treatments should be accessible to all, not just the richest countries. In April, the International Week of Anti-Imperialist Struggle released the ‘International Manifesto for Life’, aimed at the Global North demanding ‘free vaccines for all people’. Medical apartheid has to end.

However, a populous country like India must also give sufficient attention to the dire need of the masses. The world’s leading producer of vaccines has already exported a substantial number of vaccine doses but at the rate at which we are engaged in the vaccination project we are likely to take years to immunize our entire population. From vaccine diffidence, the people have moved to vaccine fervour. The consequences of depleted vaccine stocks or a bungled roll-out could be disastrous. Interestingly, the Swedish government gives health agencies extraordinary independence and, constitutionally, has little power to impose restrictions on their decisions. Sadly, we take no lessons from such examples.

Therefore, it is vital to confront the disaster on a full-scale wartime footing. Mass-vaccination centres need to be created with active involvement of pharmacies and the manufacturing process consolidated. Public pressure on and the seriousness of the State apparatus in enforcing conscientious civil behaviour can be of considerable help. It is frustrating to notice the absence of organized and interconnected stratagem to address the public apathy towards safety norms. Executive directives to combat mass gatherings, making masks mandatory for festivals and social gatherings and renewed restrictions on interstate and international travel are some of the needs of the hour. The Centre could take a lesson or two from Joe Biden’s directives to the federal agencies to use the Defense Production Act to augment the nation’s supply of Covid essentials, thereby compelling the manufacturers to pitch in.

We have already seen the impact of restrictions on free speech in China that allegedly led to the catastrophe. As argued by Slavoj Zizek, the eminent Slovenian philosopher, the world would have been spared the blitz of the pandemic had China not silenced Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who attempted to raise awareness about the coronavirus in Wuhan. A well-timed ban on flights from China would have halted the virus within its national boundaries. The Hong Kong journalist, Verna Yu, has corroborated this thesis by underscoring that ‘… disasters always occur when China thwarts the freedom of its citizens’.

Zizek is of the opinion that the pandemic will not make us any more prudent. The very foundations of our civilization have been shaken, causing distress, bereavement and unprecedented economic mayhem. We are, at this juncture, faced with the choice of adapting a radical new lifestyle created out of the rubble of our past life. Merely finding an antidote for the virus will not do. Tweaking healthcare programmes would also offer momentary relief. The larger philosophical question must be addressed. Why were we caught on the wrong foot even though there were ample warnings of a catastrophe on the horizon?