By Dr. Arun Mitra
By calling the COVID 19 an act of God, the finance minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman has not only tried to evade responsibility but also sent misleading information to the people and perpetuated myths already prevalent in the society. She said this in the meeting of the GST council on 27th August. Several states have demanded that the GST due to them should be given which the central government is evading.
Every disease has a scientific basis, so has the COVID-19. It is spread by a virus, but unfortunately it is a taken the shape of pandemic. The pandemics are not new. We’ve seen Bubonic plague several times in the history and we had most deadly pandemic of the Spanish Flu in 1918 in which over 5 crore people died the world over and we lost about 1.5 crore people in our country, which is about 5 per cent of India’s population at that time. That was a different time; medicine had not developed so much by then.
The information technology was primitive compared to present level. Moreover we were ruled by the colonial power. So we could expect the colonial rulers to be apathetic to the problems of our people. That in fact lead to death of so many. This also occurred during the Bengal famine in 1940s when 30 lakh people are reported to have died as a result of starvation because the food meant for the famine affected areas was diverted to the soldiers of the British army in Myanmar. Therefore the finance minister must understand that disease has to be viewed on the basis of science.
Scientists are on the job of finding out reasons for the spread of Novel Corona virus in so much intensity. Doctors have already given suggestions about the prevention of the disease by simple measures like hand washing, sanitizing, physical distancing and use of masks. There is all out effort around the globe to find vaccine to prevent the disease and also to find anti-viral drugs to treat the sick. When the Finance Minister terms it an act of God, it means we are helpless and that we cannot do anything to the God’s creation.
Several diseases have come up because of climate change which has led to mutations in the micro-organisms. There is need to find out whether there is any such relationship between the climate change which has occurred due to human activity in the past few years to the COVID. We have already seen several catastrophes due to climate change. Recent enactment of the new Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA) which ignores and dilutes many important environmental clauses for the clearance of projects is likely result into many such happenings in future, which we may again attribute to God’s act to escape the responsibility.
There are also rumbling around the world that this virus was generated with the purpose of Biological warfare, even though this is not proven till date? It is only when we believe that there is a reason for a disease that we look forward to its prevention and treatment. But if we label it as an act of God, then it is sheer helplessness because no one can do anything against the wish of God. In this situation should we stop doing research on the virus; should we ask the WHO do not do anything on COVID; should we ask to ICMR not to do any work on this; should we ask the doctors to not treat the patients but only pray to God?
This is not the time to talk such things and spread myths. Our country was already late in responding to the COVID. To hide its failure the Prime Minister said on 25th March that we will win over the COVID in 21 days because Mahabharta was won in 18 days. Not stopping at that, he made Indian public to clap, beat Thalies, sound Shankha, light candles in the belief that COVID will be taken care of by such acts. During all this there was chest thumping by the government at that time that India has very low number of cases even though the epidemiologists had warned of peak ahead.
Now when the number is rising fast, there are no briefings by the government on COVID. It was said by many in the ruling that the cow urine or cow dung is the treatment. Let us be honest to ourselves. Very senior ministers in the government including the Home Minister are under treatment in big hospitals under modern scientific medical system. They should have spoken against such myths at that time. Ironically even the Health Minister, who is a doctor himself did not counter such myths. It is time to strengthen scientific temper.
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