After inoculating healthcare workers, India began a vaccine rollout for those over 60 /Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Amid the rapid arrival of the new variant and relaxed restrictions, India has become the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing 400,000 confirmed cases in a single day. Hospitals and crematoriums in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Pune, have run out of space due to the exponential death toll, forcing many funerals to be carried out in parking lots. As the nation grapples with a second wave, drastic underreporting of infections and deaths due to a lack of data and monitoring in rural areas has left countless oblivious to the severity of the outbreak. Many in India believed the country had conquered the worst of the pandemic during the first wave of the virus, so what caused the unexpected second Covid-19 surge?
Loosened restrictions, a lack of pandemic preparations, and poor leadership decisions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are to blame; Modi sold the narrative that India had conquered Covid-19 and impulsively relaxed restrictions on all gatherings, allowing weddings, religious gatherings, and political rallies. Kumbh Mela, a major pilgrimage in Hinduism, drew at least six million people this past April, all of whom gathered to bathe in the Ganges river. As a result, hundreds of Hindu devotees — including nine top saints — have tested positive for Covid-19. And, Modi himself drew a crowd of thousands to promote his re-election when upwards of 200,000 Covid-19 cases were being confirmed daily.
Another catalyst for the rise in infections is the Covid variants recently discovered in the country: scientists have found that variant B.1.1.7, known as “the U.K. variant” because of its origins, is now the dominant variant in the Indian state of Punjab. B.1.1.7 is 40 to 70 percent more contagious than earlier strains. Variants originating from Brazil and South Africa have also been detected in the country.
Even though India is the world’s largest vaccine-producing nation, the nation has turned to the global community in search of vaccines. Just a few weeks ago, more than 70 countries worldwide received a total of 60 million vaccines made in India. But because India produces 60% of the world’s vaccines, the nation is running out of raw materials to make the 1.3 billion vaccines needed to immunize its own population. The Biden Administration has begun sending India supplies, including therapeutics and oxygen, to overcome this new wave. It has also committed to sharing as many as 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as vaccine rollout in the US is slowing down, with many states already having a surplus of unused shots.
Modi has shown immense disregard for the severity of the pandemic in the face of increasingly lethal variants and transparency with disease data. He has taken steps to censor information regarding the pandemic on the internet, an incredibly insensitive crackdown given the devastating consequences of the virus. This is part of a broader pattern where the government has turned to restrict informative content amid social unrest. A blatant attack on the democracy and right to freedom of speech comes at a time where a spread of accurate information is critical to the global fight against the pandemic. Various news sources have reported Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube taking down posts critical of the administration’s handling of the second wave. In response, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated in an unsigned document to the press that the government “welcomes criticisms, genuine requests for help as well as suggestions in the collective fight against Covid-19 [but] it is necessary to take action against those users who are misusing social media during this grave humanitarian crisis for unethical purposes.”
The severity of the pandemic cannot be understated; cremation is the most important part of Hindu funeral rites, stemming from the belief that the physical body must be destroyed for reincarnation to take place. Yet, due to the rapidly growing death toll, funeral pyres have been forced to burn through the night so families may mourn the loss of their loved ones. The number of bodies cremated has caused the nation to plunge into a shortage of timber. Hospitals are turning away Covid-19 patients, despite pleads for oxygen cylinders and treatment on social media. Patients have flooded New Delhi in search of hospital beds, and those who have been denied have turned to the flourishing black market for medical supplies.
There are many factors that have contributed to India’s crisis: an underestimation of the pandemic, a lack of resources, and an abysmal attempt by the Modi administration to protect its citizens. There is much to be done to aid India in its effort to combat the deadly surge of the virus, not just through foreign aid but also through initiative by the Modi administration. Modi must rise to the challenge and remember the democratic principles upon which India prides itself. Government censorship on social media is inexcusable, and should not be his administration’s main concern; rather, the government should take responsibility for the livelihoods of the 1.3 billion Indian citizens who are in constant fear of the virus.
To help, consider donating to Care India, an organization dedicated to providing PPE and essential healthcare services in India.
