MY GOVT IS MISSING - A COMMON MAN'S RANT

    I hear the hollow rattle of death raking up our toll of sorrow. The rattle starts when the wail of the ambulance siren fades. Today is the eleventh consecutive day when the death toll has crossed 3000. As the toll races towards 4000, death is palpable by its proximity. People we knew, who could have lived till tomorrow, are dying today and are leaving a void. Sorrow is spreading without a full stop or even a comma. There is no doubt that some states are recovering. Some states are battling. Some stand on the edge of the cliff; off which, Delhi has fallen without a parachute. The Central Government blames the State Government. The State Government blames the Hospitals. The Hospitals go to High Court. The High Courts blame the Central Government which appeals to the Supreme Court which suggests that the IITs and IIMs to take over. Then why do we need the IAS – the non-existent steel frame. We can discuss this after the crisis is over. In this ‘Round Robin’, which started late in April, more than half a lakh have lost their lives. A sound which is louder and clearer than the wail of the death is the ‘Silence of the Elected Government’.

    A lot of govt. supporters and optimists say that in this hour of crisis, we should stand by the PM and the Government. The question is where is the Government to standby? Those affected by the scourge know that the Government is ‘Missing in Action’. Let me remind you of the message our hon’ble PM gave in his last public appearance - ‘Take Care of Yourself’. That is precisely what I am doing. Following his inspired call! Taking care of myself!

    In India when the elected government fails, the ‘Governance by the Unelected’ kicks in. It manifests in two forms – the Black Marketers and the ‘Good Samaritans’. The faceless ‘Government of the Unelected’ is by the people, of the people and for the people. Get on to the social media and you will find countless SOS calls. It is indeed fantastic that many Indians have risen to the occasion. God bless their souls. NGOs, voluntary groups, students, hospitals, social, religious and non-religious organizations have responded to the needs of those in sorrow or panic despite the exalted empowered groups.  Ambulances, lifesaving oxygen, hospital beds, medicines - everything is a call away, even if it has reached after failing with many fake numbers. Makes you feel proud that in India, at least someone will respond. What if the good Samaritans do not respond? Don’t worry. The black market is always there.

    The ‘Government of the Unelected’ can be described in two ways.  First be proud that ‘People Power’ is coming to the fore. ‘Yeh Mera India’ moments and ‘It Happens Only in India’ sentiment. Second. We are tending into anarchy where we are left on our own. Strong words? It has been more than two weeks since this macabre round robin has started. The national capital is still wallowing in this unmitigated man-made disaster with more cities and states to follow.

    I am military enthusiast. Firepower is a precious commodity in battle. Never enough. Hence the overriding principle in Artillery is ‘Centralized Control and Decentralized Execution’. It enables efficient fighting. Why the hell have our brilliant IAS officers and ‘Janta ki Sevaks’ decentralized control or are refusing to take control or ceded control when the need of the hour is to firefight? Paralysis or good old plain incompetence or abdication of responsibility or a mix of everything?

  There is a three-way hoarding of every item and service meant to fight Corona. The unintended hoarding is by the incapability of the government which cannot deliver its capacity. The Good Samaritans have to hoard with the intent to deliver. Otherwise, where will they deliver from? The black marketers anyway have to hoard to profit. So, a hell of a lot of capacity is in hoarding when people are gasping for it. If the government centralizes, opens channels and garners the Good Samaritans, clogged delivery lines will open up. Ideally, the treatment and other services should go to the needy in an organized manner. But how can it go? The government is busy fighting legal battles, right? The deafening silence of the last PM earned him the moniker ‘Maun Mohan Singh’ and ‘Accidental Prime Minister’. What now? Ah! I forgot. Wrong address. The message won’t reach since the Residence is changing and the postman is working from home.

    What about vaccination? We raced past 15 crore and stopped abruptly. Saw it flashing on some TV channel yesterday. Policy paralysis and decentralized control drove the "World’s Largest Vaccination Drive" to a grinding halt. The ultimate weapon to fight the Chinese Virus was to be our humongous vaccination ability – production and supply network. Instead of centralized and prioritized vaccination, we have migrated into a decentralized, competitive and privileged vaccination system. States, private players, central government and international agencies, everyone is competing for a mysteriously shrinking capacity touted as the world’s highest with the owner decamped to London in a private jet, because of the vicious attacks hurled at him, just because he is rich. Capacity lying idle and an own vaccine which is being looked down upon. Maybe I am right. Maybe I am wrong. How the hell do I know? My ‘Elected Government’ has become a ‘Maundhari’ with a double mask. I’m pretty sure that Corona cannot go in to infect it nor can a voice come out.

Falling vaccination rate in India

      Why am I writing all this? Be rest assured, when the time came many of us have stood by the government and nation in true Kennedy fashion. We asked not what the country can do for us, but what we can do for the country.  However, when the time has come the Government has not stood by its people. The people of my country are still fighting the Chinese virus very bravely. I do hope that this cynical and despondent piece of mine is read and shared by some of you and that a clear message will be sent out to our silent leaders who are not even pretending to be doing anything.

JAI HIND!