PM Modi said all the right things about testing, vaccinations and restrictions to stop a second wave of Covid. His government now needs to act. Controls on vaccination should be lifted and everyone encouraged to take shots. Rapid antigen tests should be stopped in high prevalence states such as Maharashtra.
NCP’s Kerala campaign shows it’s a free radical but Congress’ doublespeak on Left is no strategy
Sharad Pawar drafting in ex-Congressman P.C. Chacko to campaign for the Left in Kerala upholds NCP’s image as a free radical in Indian politics. Congresspersons are getting disillusioned as the party lacks ideological cohesion. Fighting against the Left in Kerala and allying in Bengal is political bankruptcy, not a strategy.
I have often wondered what useful purpose is served by a purely regional party straying far from home waters. The BSP had small pockets of influence and support in a number of states adjoining UP, which Ms Mayawati could have leveraged to create an identity of being a tall, pan Indian Dalit leader. Some parties from our state contest elections in large states and end up with fewer than one lakh votes. Within Maharashtra, the NCP would struggle to win 72 out of 288 seats. No strengths in urban areas, led by Bombay, in India’s most urbanised state. The Congress is going through a particularly bleak phase. Being an agnostic, one cannot recommend any yagnas or other Tantric rituals.
Incredible ( that ) India has exported 5.84 crore doses of vaccine while administering only 3.48 crore since 16th January. Clearly the mass vaccination strategy needs a complete overhaul. True there are variants that are proving resistant, expect more mutation, for Nature is on the side of the virus as it seeks dominion over the planet. The lockdowns / night curfews will not work, prove economically disruptive and are a reminder that, after one year, our response is still on a shallow learning curve. Some of the best scientific / medical experts should be driving the strategy.