Maitri is Liability

 

 

On January 19, 2021, PM started #vaccinemaitri to start exporting vaccines to a number of countries across the globe. Our PM was preparing for this day since September, when India had just about reached the peak of first wave. Our PM at the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session said, “India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID crisis.”

 

In May, 3^rd week, Govt. of India arrests nine people for putting up posters, Modi Ji, “hamare bacho ko vaccine videsh kyun bheji” (Why did you send our children’s vaccine abroad). The fact remains, no country had started vaccinating children across the world. But the question was loud and clear for everybody to ask, Why did you send the vaccines abroad?

 

Our Govt. under Modi went into huddle and always take every question as the personal attack on 56 inches of our PM. What started as diplomacy stunt, actually backfired. As usual, Govt. got a nice Op-Ed by its party member in a leading newspaper. The person chosen to write is none other than gutter mouth, Sambit Patra, who is a qualified doctor. Though he is not practicing his profession, may be because of his irritating personality or his tone to speak.

 

The brief gist from his article is written here for quick reference. I will not post my comments on BJP Spokeperson’s and rather counter it with quotes from our Prachar Mantri (PM) and EAM (in Parliament).

 

Let us look at some facts. As on May 11, India exported 663.698 lakh vaccine doses to foreign countries. At the same time, about three times as many vaccine doses have been administered within India. Out of the exports, only 107.15 lakh vaccine doses have been sent as aid. That is, just about 16 per cent of the total exports. The remaining 84 per cent vaccine supplies fall in two categories.

 

About 54 per cent of the total exports — 357.92 lakh vaccine doses — have been sent as commercial supplies by two vaccine manufacturers (Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech). In addition, 198.628 lakh vaccine doses (30 per cent of the total supplies) have been sent for the WHO’s COVAX facility by Serum Institute of India. Both these categories fulfil the contractual obligations of vaccine manufacturers. While the government may have given the necessary permissions, it is erroneous to suggest that it could have completely stopped these supplies.

 

Out of the 107.15 lakh doses, 78.5 lakh doses (73.26 per cent) have been sent to just seven neighbouring countries. This is not just good diplomacy, but it is also good epidemiology. 

 

India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community. Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead. #VaccineMaitri. First tweet by our PM on vaccine exports, three days after launch of India’s Vaccination Program in January.

 

Towards the end of January 2021, our PM was again applauding himself at WEF, “India had not only defeated COVID-19 but it had also built adequate infrastructure to handle the crisis”. In March, India's UN Representative K Nagaraj Naidu told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that India has supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than vaccinated its own people.

 

In February, Mr S Jaishankar had suggested the need to stop ‘vaccine nationalism’, urged the need to promote internationalism, and had asked to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine, While announcing the gift of 200,000 doses to UN Peacekeepers while speaking at the United Nations Security Council discussions on Covid vaccines.

 

Sambit Patra further adds:

About 14 per cent of the commercial supplies have gone to the UK, which is where the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield in India) licence is from. What would happen if the licence manufacturer refuses to supply the licensee?

 

“Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on January 22. “On the world’s biggest need today, we are completely self-reliant. Not just that, India is also helping out many countries with vaccines.”

 

“Our reputation as the pharmacy of the world has been reinforced,” Jaishankar told the Parliament in March.

 

Patra tweeted the “bulk of the exports were because of contractual obligations rather than goodwill gestures”. Our very own Mr Matru (Dr. Harsh Vardhan), MoHFW, is saying, “Despite shortage of vaccine in India, our government had the magnanimity to export 66 million dosage abroad on humanitarian grounds.”

 

The only lateral hire with adequate experience in the Cabinet, Dr. S Jai Shankar, our head of MEA, said during his speech in Rajya Sabha on March 17, 2021, “the supply of vaccines abroad is based on the assessment of adequate availability at home” and that the process was “continuously monitored and takes into account the requirements of our domestic vaccination programme as it unfolds in different phases”.

 

Sambit Patra also states, Major commercial supplies (about 12.5 per cent) have also been sent to Saudi Arabia, which is home to a large diaspora of Indians which is being administered the vaccines free of cost by the Saudi authorities.

 

According to Jaishankar, the initiative was all about India’s generosity and internationalism that are “so characteristic of our culture”. In March, PM also reiterated, it is because of teachings of Bhagwad Gita that India is helping so many countries around the globe.

 

Sambit Patra explained, The end user simply sees a vaccine vial and assumes that it is completely made in India. But Indian vaccine manufacturers rely on dozens of countries to source various input materials. Those countries, in turn, rely on others to produce the input materials. A vast and complex supply chain spans the globe before a single dose of vaccine can be administered.

 

This explanation is factually wrong, India’s major raw material supplier is US. Even Adar Poonawalla in mid April had also appealed to US Prez to lift embargo on raw material. Unfortunately for India, USA name does not feature in the list of 94 countries.

 

India’s commitment to vaccine exports remained stuck on three points; SII commercial commitments to its license holder (Astra Zeneca), GAVI Alliance (UN) and Vaccine Maitri to our neighbours as explained by Sambit and also narrated by MEA.

 

Sambit Patra concluded, To simply look at the end product, and expect that India can put a sudden stop to exports is juvenile and dangerous.

 

India's last shipment was to Paraguay on April 22.

 

Mr S Jaishankar has said, over and over again, Under the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, “India has exported over 66 million (6.6 crore) Covid-19 vaccines to 94 countries as of date”.

 

Mr Sambit Patra wrote, “India itself is to be the recipient of nearly 97 million doses of Covishield through the COVAX facility”.

 

The order or the sequence of events are not mentioned in chronological order. But it is only to suggest, the game of musical chairs our Govt. is playing on vaccines, which could have potentially saved lives of so many Indians and still it continues to put them at risk.

 

At first, every dose was credited to our PM’s diplomacy skill with every box exported from India plastered with an Indian map and even PM’s photograph as well. MEA taking extra efforts to get its official photograph clicked either on loading of cargo or arrival of vaccine cargo.

 

When the temperature is raised on the query, BJP as the party would take support of lies, is something which is so obvious. But Govt. of India is trying to distance itself from the issue. First they gave the success of the company’s (Serum Institute of India) commercial contractual fulfilment to our PM and our Govt.’s credit, which SII had achieved on its own capability, strength and foresight of vision.

 

Now they are making an immense effort to spin the commercial commitments of a private company as an obligation of the Company with no role of the Govt. Especially when our Govt. is also benefitting from the Covax Alliance. Mr Modi, Mr Jaishankar, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, nobody has expressed its gratitude to Covax (GAVI Alliance) for giving India, 97 million doses. They have not left an opportunity to collect 66 million tweets (if not personal messages) of gratitude about their magnanimity.

 

All the service of friendship on the humanitarian ground termed as Vaccine Maitri by our marketing head, also known as PM is now framed as liability by his party members. Come elections, Vaccine Maitri will be marketed as major achievement of our PM in Corona Crisis.

 

Let’s hope, our PM spends some time to read Bhagwad Gita and tries to understand the meaning and essence of the Holy Book, which is said to be the best book on the relationship between human being, the world and the God.

 

And pray, those nine arrested have been released and not slapped with UAPA or sedition law.

 

CoWIN

 

India’s largest vaccination drive and World’s largest vaccination drive, to be achieved in the least amount of time or as quickly as possible has been named as CoWin by our hard working PM. The politician in our PM, Narendra Damodardas Modi is the best, much higher above the best. The man born with only the marketing (building narratives) bones in his body. Always thinking about marketing in elections, the name of his schemes are always catchy, short for people to remember with a solid punchline; to show he is working.

 

The world was gasping for breath to know when the vaccine will be launched, so that the world can heal and perhaps start getting back to normal life. India kickstarted its vaccination program on January 16, 2021. On April 18, 2021, PM was addressing the election rally with much thunder and boasting about the number of people who had come in attendance to hear their PM. On the same day, India recorded 2.75 lakh new cases with 1620 deaths. On April 19, 2021, our Govt. opened vaccine for all (eligible group), which means everybody who is eligible to vote is also eligible for vaccine and the mass vaccine drive would begin from May 1, 2021.

 

The speed for taking decisions from our Govt. is commendable. Modi is a man possessed to do so much in as little time as possible. He is always racing against time. They have not developed a think tank to make properly reformed, researched decisions but they just sense in which direction, the wind is blowing and the shoot their arrow in that direction, mostly with blind folded eyes.

On April 6, 2021, IMA (Indian Medical Association) had requested vaccine for all and as the virus spread was again going up and vaccination was the only way to save the citizens from the impending disaster, we are staring at. However, the Centre (on the same day) refused to open up coronavirus vaccinations for all age groups, saying the aim was to cover the people who are the most vulnerable at the earliest. “The approach is that those vulnerable to mortality need to be covered soonest,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a press conference. “The aim is to protect the most vulnerable. The aim is never to vaccinate whoever wants, but always on whoever needs.”

 

On April 7, 2021, Rahul Gandhi aka Pappu demanded vaccine to be opened for all age groups. “It’s ridiculous to debate needs and wants,” tweeted Gandhi. “Every Indian deserves the chance to a safe life.”

 

For the past two months, Rahul Gandhi tweets are actually dictating the decisions of the Govt. Whatever the Pappu says/tweets, the Govt. after refuting and mocking his tweets/words makes the exact decision. Decision taking is fast, but there is no planning or thinking whatsoever regarding the execution. I am totally confused, who is Pappu here, our Govt. or Rahul Gandhi or us, the citizens, who are left to die under the able guidance and leadership of Narendra Damodardas Modi. Nonetheless we have to applaud our Govt for making some efforts, even if it's too little too late. May be it is only a charade again to project, they are working and taking care the needs of the citizens for which they were elected with thumping majority.

 

There is vaccine hesitancy, the reason for vaccine wastage in India, wherein States and Centre are playing hockey on data. Distribution is purely and purely States responsibility, it is State Health Department’s responsibility to ensure minimal wastage. 25.35% of 136 Crores citizens were eligible in 45+ category and the number comes out to 34.5 Crs. Total of 12.39 Crs of vaccine doses were administered till April 19, 2021.

 

India remains at number 3 in terms of total doses administered. Well in any case, India cannot go beyond the 10^th place, even if Mexico had covered their entire population. On per capita basis, India is ranked somewhere at the bottom along with some third world country of Africa.

 

When we have barely covered one third in 45+ years category, what was the urgency to open 18 – 45 year age category for vaccination. Was it compulsion for optics or Govt. of India is taking instructions from Pappu? Less than two weeks in May and almost all the States have stated vaccination shortage and closed vaccination for 18 – 45 age until further notice.

 

The decision was fast but no working/study/analysis was undertaken regarding availability of vaccine or it was ensured after checking with States if they can speed up vaccination distribution strategy or not. 45% of citizens in 18 – 45 age group constitute 60 Crs on top of existing 25.35% of population and we have no vaccine. Right now, we are only looking at crashing of CoWIN App.

 

The digital push to Govt. work is another great vision of our PM. The way the Govt. has launched Apps for citizens to avail or take updates on different schemes, programs of the Govt. CoWIN is also part of the Digital India framework. Digital India has more or less failed, except for Jio’s success and the cheaper access of data, they have made for every Indian. But yes GoI has launched hundreds of apps for assistance of citizens.

 

Zero strategy, zero planning, zero execution. When the Govt. knows, they are opening up registration for 18 – 45 age category, the category of people who are most user friendly with smartphone, the same set of people carry the maximum number of smartphones in India or for that matter anywhere in the world. The largest subset of population with 60 Crs (no other country has as much population) number and the Health Ministry didn’t even check with IT Ministry to give them 10x or may be 100x bandwidth for CoWIN App to keep working smoothly.

 

Consultation and planning amongst different departments of the Govt. is null and void, if there is any. This was one of the most brilliant aspect of Modi’s style of working (as CM of Gujarat), he made all Secretaries sit together to sort out the problem instead of files being pushed for consultation and objections from one department to another. Health Ministry cannot complain because they didn’t ask. There are citizens who had predicted the crashing of the App as soon as registration is opened for 18 – 45 age category. And our IT Ministry is busy in blocking tweets, which are critical of our Govt. IT Ministry has its hands full in censorship of information.

 

To get back to Mr Gupta’s tweet, App crashing is a good sign for vaccine hesitancy. But it also implied it was hurried decision from the Govt. without proper thought, knowledge and information or lack of all stated here.

 

The stories amongst the citizens remains the same. Majority of the population is under lockdown, not by Govt. of India; GoI is shit scared about the image of its bearded babaji. Almost all States have imposed lockdown and hence crores of citizens are spending morning to evening on App to get a slot booked.

 

Almost all 18 – 45 age category couldn’t land on the booking page. CoWIN was overwhelmed with issuing captcha(s) or sending OTP(s), which in some cases took a day or two. But as usual Govt claims victory before the race has started by throwing numbers, which possess zero significance to vaccination drive. 80 Lakh registrations in first three hours of opening the booking.

 

If the Govt. couldn’t plan, anticipate the App’s workload, I sincerely and earnestly doubt if the ground situation has any hope of improving. Citizens can look at the slot available and press their choice and App starts processing and all slots gets filled. It is the story across the India. Now Citizens are betting, 70 slots available, booked in a minute, another says 120, third 200.

 

A large subset of marginal population who cannot afford smartphone is left out by CoWIN considering only 55% of Indians possess a smartphone. Is it Govt.’s feeble attempt to generate employment that the computer centre/operators around the country, get the work for getting the poor citizens registered at nominal charge of Rs. 50 – 100.

 

It has always been the essence of Modi Govt. make decisions at lightning speed without any thought process or planning and make crores of crores of citizens of this great Nation suffer. It all started from Demonetisation. A humble reminder to citizens to not fall for fake platitudes of PM but make him accountable for his actions and his lop sided policies and not only the boldness or the intention of the scheme.

 

Right now only WIN remains secluded in the CoWIN. Citizens who have been lucky to get a slot can actually claim victory over the App if not the virus by posing for a selfie with a V sign. We shudder to think of what will happen to CoWIN, when Govt. aims to clock One Crore doses/day in July/August. Will CoWIN go the Aarogya Setu App way? Redundant when its needed the most.

 

 

 

Where are the Vaccines ??

 

In December 2020, my father was giving his remarks that why our PM is only talking about vaccines and not focusing on economy. I replied, vaccine is most important. He knows this is his chance to wipe the slate clean for all his previous blunders. All will be forgotten, the pain of lockdown, the farmers agitation, economy will perhaps also start healing.

 

The only area where PM Modi has shown remarkable performance is distribution services. No matter whatever anybody says, our Govt. has no clue how to develop policy, how to formulate plans/schemes to make it better for development of India. Be it demonetization, GST or the declining economy for last 20 quarters which in resultant has tanked, every policy, every plan is a dud from the word go.

 

By distribution, we mean DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), Toilets, the speed and scale given the size of population of India. It is beyond phenomenal, Congress might have taken quarter a century to achieve the same. Now with the pandemic, there is a sense of urgency in the world to vaccinate as many people in the world as much is possible, that too quickly without wasting time, without lagging for a day.

 

On May 28 2021, RaGa is asking, What is India’s Vaccination Strategy? To answer, nobody has a clue, because we know our Govt. has socially distanced itself from all issues relating to virus to preserve the image of our Prachar Mantri (PM). But Pappu tweets/video clips have always had impact on the Govt. to make us wonder, who is the real Pappu here, RaGa, Govt. or the people? Every time he tweets, two or three Ministers from the Cabinet come with all guns blazing in a Press Conference (the only time it is important for our Govt to address the Press) to berate Pappu. Our Govt.is more conscious of Pappu than even Supreme Court.

 

Ideally it is one amongst the three, I & B Minister, Textiles Minister, IT & Telecom Minister. So this time, Prakash Javadekar did the honour of handing us over the deadline to complete Vaccination for ALL by December 2021 in India. When the Govt. of India had given an Affidavit in SC with a different number of population to be achieved by December 2021. We know, our Govt. is playing a game of musical chairs.

 

I fail to understand why our I & B (Information & Broadcasting) Minister is giving us target date for vaccination instead of MoHFW (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare), Dr Harsh Vardhan. May be he is busy eating dark chocolates due to Covid stress. MoHFW Minister had clearly stated in Parliament on the floor of the House, not all need to be vaccinated for Covid 19 on March 19, 2021. The same Minister who had stated, Corona is not a Health Emergency on March 13, 2020, and Prachar Mantri put India under complete strict lockdown on March 23, 2020.

 

Though Mr Minister’s Statements leaves more questions to be answered rather than giving solution to the problem. Vaccination for ALL includes two jabs or a single jab. Is Govt. considering vaccinating under 18 population? No developed country has given the target or deadline to populate the entire population. Majority are looking at 60%, 70%, 80% of the population by June, September or whichever month. No Govt. is taking the responsibility of inoculating 100% of the population as they realize, not all citizens are willing to be vaccinated. Hence they are targeting as much population as possible with the speed to be achieved as soon as possible.

 

PM Modi said that he is confident that India will realize its dream of becoming self-reliant (Atmanirbhar). “I am confident of the abilities, confidence and potential of my fellow Indians,” the prime minister said. This was Prachar Mantri (PM) delivering his anecdotes on last Independence Day (August 15, 2020). Following points are excerpts from his anecdotes on Vaccination.

 

Þ   India will start mass production of vaccines once we get a green signal from scientists: PM Modi

Þ   The strategy to ensure that coronavirus vaccine reaches every Indian in the least possible time is ready

Þ   There are 3 vaccines under development in India: PM Modi

Þ   Every Indian will have health ID card: PM Modi

Þ   National Digital Health Mission will begin from today. This will bring in a new revolution

 

Post Independence speech, Prachar Mantri has spoken a lot number of times on vaccines from behind his teleprompter. On April 7, 2021, PM made the Statement while addressing the Chief Ministers of all States that India has defeated Corona virus without vaccines. I don’t know if this statement was made under Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission or some Jan Kalyan (plus some nice Hindi word) Mission. Yet the reality is stranger than the fiction story of our PM, because on next day (April 8), our PM announces Tika Utsav from April 11 – April 14.

 

In hindsight, I don’t know even know, the need to incorporate vaccines in the speech was the resultant of RaGa’s tweet on August 14, 2020. India will be one of the Covid – 19 vaccine producing nations. It needs a clearly defined, inclusive and equitable vaccine access strategy ensuring availability, affordability & fair distribution. GoI must do it now; said his tweet.

 

A large number of analysts or Op-Eds are crunching data on the number of Covid vaccines to understand the perspective. Almost every citizen of India is asking where are the vaccines? But the fact remains the Govt. of India never knew/saw/visualize the urgency to order vaccines.

 

Now when the question needs an answer, where are the vaccines? Our Prachar Mantri has been officially quarantined from vaccines issue. Because he knows, when you need a number (doses) and a date (comprising of numbers), the mere platitudes with a punchy tagline are not going to help.

 

Independence speech was home delivered by our PM after GoI had appointed a Vaccination Expert Committee a week before to work on the vaccine distribution and other aspects of the vaccine. The most this expert committee achieved in first 6 months is quarantined India from vaccines.

 

Until then wait for an update about vaccination from Information Technology Minister also known as Resignation Prasad. In the meantime, bask in the glory of Atmanirbhar Mission, because our Govt. has left citizens to fend for their own.

The Govt. had set a target of vaccinating 300 million healthcare and frontline workers, and those above the age of 45 till August on the launch of India’s Vaccination drive on January 16, 2021.

Aapda mein Afsar

There are many qualities of great leaders with which normal people cannot relate and a large number of their personality traits are debatable. The one thing, that makes a leader great is his power within himself to deliver speeches, to deliver speeches which moves people, which inspires people. For some, it is the words they use, for others, it is their sheer voice, which delivers. Modi, as a great leader, chooses his words for his speeches wisely and mostly his power to connect with his audience. I am in awe of those speeches, when he is so controlled even with his tears, how much heaviness, should be laced in his voice.

 

Just when he realized there is not much for Govt. to do, there is not much Govt. can do, in a lockdown. People were getting tired and restless of sitting at home, PM Modi addresses the nation to inspire the people, that what lies for the country on the other side of lockdown, looking at the positive, with what we can build for our future. Let past be in the past.

 

To all the media people or some citizens like me, who feel PM does not address the Press Conference, this is the reason why PM chooses teleprompter instead of Press Conference. Media would have barraged him with the range of questions and would have killed all the excitement and energy from his uplifting message.

 

As PM, he is aware of the circumstances, he understands the problems, but as a politician, he knows his limitations to deliver on ground, yet he provides the words, which can offer comfort to his voters. PM Modi knew the economy will definitely go for a toss with lockdown, but he was determined to extract the health dividend from this investment, yet the economics tells us, there can never be dividend from the loss in investments. Initially the battle was projected to be won in 21 days but the war took 68 days to be fought with everything and everybody emerging out as a loser or everything was ravaged in the process.

 

When the pandemic gathers momentum and how, will be taken up when the time comes. But in the meantime, let’s try to seek direction for the economy. Everybody was demanding from Govt. to deliver package for the industry and the economy. The Govt. of India was already jostling with GDP growth contraction for last 7 quarters, the Govt. is totally unaware for how to make up (because it has been dwindling because of Govt.) the increase in GDP or its own income. All the opportunity that was hoped and hyped to be encashed with GST was the loss of the Govt., industry, economy and the nation. The complexity of paperwork of GST meant GST is also a tribute to its previous legacy, which it wore in the garb of 16 different tax laws.

 

Modiji, like the greatest leaders, had to deliver an impeccable speech to bolster the morale of the people. Gave the thunderous and eye popping figure of Rs. 20 Lakh Crores for the economic package for India. Most of the Indian population was displaced even to know, the number of zeros, which make this figure. For the large poor population, who have never even seen Rs. 20 Lakhs, couldn’t even comprehend this figure. Naturally the expectation of every Indian is fulfilled with such large figure, which they have never ever heard before and nor will in the future.

 

Aapda ko avsar, crisis as an opportunity, was what PM quoted, especially in terms of building on inclusive economy in terms of production for domestic consumption. The reality is not lost on PM; PM knows all the big bang reforms in their previous budget or first budget of Modi 2.0, were rolled back within 90 days of announcement. Second Budget of his tenure was also lackluster. Before the onset of the Budget, the ground realities have shifted like tectonic movements, so Govt. has to re-allocate all the resources, meant for development to be reallocated in the pandemic world.

 

Aapda ko avsar for our Govt. was reallocation of the Budget. Rs. 20 Lakh Crores was not optimistic or great or thunderous, but it was realistic, the Govt. knew, the economy will shrink, the Govt.’s income will shrink. This figure is simply the Govt.’s figure available from earnings for expenditure. The Govt. just negated the whole Budget, its such a gargantuan exercise on its own. Modiji, as a great leader, just announced the total earnings of Govt. as economic package and also re-adjusted the whole Budget of the Govt. of India. Which global leader can deliver with such poise and elan, and the public does not even realize, they have been fooled at en masse in broad day light.

 

In Budget 2020, the Govt. was planning to spend Rs. 30.42 Lakh Crores ($ 430 Billion) after taking debt of Rs. 8 Lakh Crores ($110 billion). Barely 2^nd month into the financial year, the Govt. knows its compulsions and its weaknesses and the loss of revenue, which hampers the glaring development of India. The Income Tax from Corporates, the biggest source of revenue will take maximum hit, not to mention the flat GST collection of 2 months. PM is far sighted, he can visualize the problems after announcement of decision, hence Aapda mein Avsar is called Atmanirbhar Bharat.

 

The reality of all the schemes is never lost on the politician Modi is. He knows, he has to blow his own trumpet at elections, so he needs one word to market his schemes. Always the inspiring slogan with the catchy rustic name, which especially communicates with the poor and the illiterate. Aapda ko Avsar was the caption, of the great scheme that PM announced as Atamnirbhar Bharat (Self Reliant India).

 

From the nationalistic point of view, without using the words, PM was inspiring Indians to produce as much as possible at least for India and look at covering the areas, product and components, which we were importing. May be it is his way of laal aankh (red eye) to Chinese.

 

Atmanirbhar Bharat, is in itself an Aapda mein avsar; wherein the Govt. is trying to relaunch the Make in India scheme, which again PM had launched with much fanfare, addressing business Conferences across the country, with the lion as logo built from mechanized components of machines to indicate the lion is ready to unleash under the new PM with new policies.

 

The Govt. of India knows they have unleased the lion but it went back to the jungles where he is comfortable in his surroundings, which recognizes which belong to him.. I mean there were stray incidents of investment here and there, which is more or less in line with his predecessor, or may be always better but certainly the results were not worth the hype. Atamnnirbhar Bharat, just spread the earlier version, from Make in India to Make in India, Make for the World.

 

Make in India can be launched in India every quarter with a different name, but when the whole world has been questioned for how it shaped itself under WTO for last 3 decades is put to test. We know for the fact, PM himself is aware, we cannot take away the piece of pie, which is seen as advantage, due to negative sentiment against China, globally.

 

The Govt. of India has demonstrated to the world, that we change any law arbitrarily without any thought, without consultation, without warning, the thinking and changing of rules every day is how the Govt. of India functions. There is no predictability in our words or our actions. Demonetisation can be the example, when businesses didn’t know, how to run their business for more than a month. A month’s disruption in business without planning, without notice can be the recipe for disaster.

 

GST, the lopsided quandary of paperwork, which gave a fitting nightmare to the whole of business community of India. All the businesses which were dealing in cash, are still operating in cash, the difference, earlier they were part of the system, now they are totally out of the system. The black market for purchasing and selling GST bills is thriving more and is more open and transparent in its operations.

 

Now the lockdown, again pet peeve of Modi administration of announcing a decision with zero planning, zero warning, zero consultation. Modi hugging the world business leaders is good for the country’s image or perfect posse for him to be used in elections. What is the signal, the Govt. is sending to the world with the new play book, they have invented of making rules, which change every hour. The laws and the rules are subject to change, when the need arises, not when the industry wants it.

 

Atamnirbhar Bharat is inspiring, it is Aapda mein Avsar, especially for the political career of our PM, to bolster his image in a pandemic. What is different this time from the previous time? The industry wanted to know, the package or the support, the Govt. of India is willing to offer to the industry, for which everybody was returned empty handed. MSMEs with existing banking exposure were given more money in their hands, which again comes from the books of the Banks and not from Govt.

 

What is Atamnirbhar Bharat, trying to do, to ensure that the factory, industry, which are facing closure, due to lockdown (not due to pandemic) can survive? Atamnirbhar Bharat is an Govt.’s message for them to strike it out on their own from this crisis and also remember it for future. Does Atamnirbhar Bharat, ensure the consumption cycle, especially for the poor, which has been cut in the middle with the little that they had, will start or be tied together. What is Govt. doing in the process for poor to sew it together?

 

Standing ovation for our PM to deliver an aspiring message amidst the pandemic for the people, also Aapda mein Avsar to remind the citizens of their duty towards themselves and the nation. Though I was expecting a line from his side on the migrant workers walking back home or dying on the roads/railway tracks. Perhaps the reality of the Atmanirbhar Bharat is lost on people, where it is the warning of the Govt. for the people to strike our on its own to earn their livelihood by whatever means.

Rhetoric of a Comic

Kunal Kamra, the not so famous and OK comedian, who erupted into the Indian Comedy scene, which largely developed from 2014 – 2019. Kunal’s face was amongst the thousands amateurs, who take a dig at being a comic, though when he started, there were only hundreds. He definitely is part of the first few artists, who broke out. One of his comic form was taking jibe at the Govt. Of course, we have to understand the Chronology, in which Govt. and PM and BJP party members shoot the Statements, to make sense of the satire that a comic presents in a situation.

Now suddenly, he is a national sensation that everybody wants to know, who is Kunal Kamra?

Not because he was doing his job as a comic or a satire, but he became a Journalist to a Journalist. Imagine the times, we are living in; that we have to question journalists. Trust me, following Kunal Kamra on Twitter is no content, following #kunalkamra is where the comedy and satire is laced and swooped on Twitter. Eventually, when a comic is serious is greater comedy.

Arnab Goswami, is so damn right in his response, by staying silent as he does his job on television by questioning the Opposition or building a false/deceptive narrative for the Govt. Arnab Goswami, was India’s finest journalist before 2015, till the time, he raised and asked questions from the Govt. Though many a times, it was his personal tirade against the Govt. instead of the learned panelists, he called on his show, but he was right. Particularly, his provocative style of delivery, delivered with expressions, disgust and hunger to get his point across. If he is condescending to his guests in the show, the choice lies with the guests.

Somehow, Indian Govt. saw talent of Arnab Goswami to act on live television and channelized his energy and anger on the Opposition instead of Govt. or to build the false or deceptive narrative around every story, every day. It is not easy, you really need to possess that highest level of talent to do it every day. Not even the finest actors (whether Hollywood or Bollywood) act everyday, that too by writing their own script. People forgot how he danced in his studio, when PM Modi was re-elected in 2019, even Modiji, himself or none of the BJP party members danced liked he danced. He was the only one to be seen live dancing on his channel by so many people. To compare, Kamra’s talent hits the line from where Arnab’s talent starts the process. Arnab’s silence needs to be supported and appreciated as a graceful citizen of democracy especially in public space.

The Govt. needs all the support it can garner from media, because today more decisions are taken on media than in the hallowed halls of bureaucracy. So much so, that the libtards (it is new term devised for liberal bastards like me) have started mentioning, Arnab Goswami and his gang as MODIA; because they build a propaganda to advantage the Govt. even if it is speck in the dirt but they spend their prime time show on it. Prime time is the most expensive real estate of television in any country.

The 100 seconds video relayed on Kunal Kamra’s twitter account, which he posted at his own discretion is not the huge piece of the tale. It becomes interesting, as soon as the Aviation Minister, tweets to ban Kunal Kamra from Air India flights as the Minister recommends on twitter with his tweet. Why are rules and regulations made for, if they are not to be followed? Kunal Kamra is banned for flying for his comic post in flight. Neither there is a complaint, nor a restraint, that a flying ban was imposed on him. The Govt. is so serious when a comic became serious; why can’t it be brushed off as sad post from a comic.

It is interesting the Govt. and its Ministers are able to conduct business on Twitter. Shouldn’t the Minister have requested the appropriate authority to investigate the matter and take action accordingly. Ideally, the crew members of the Airline make a complaint against a particular passenger on the request of other passengers. But let’s not talk about the Govt. of India subverts its own rules to justify an action and a decision. We have seen always; whether its demonetization and Article 370.

Our Hon’ble Aviation Minister is the one, who pulled the satire in this whole episode of a comedian, when the comic became News Reporter. And the news reporter did the full scoop of comedy in the days that followed on 30^th January, 2020 by building a false narrative of the news, which is available in black & white for everybody to witness. As if Arnab Goswami should have put a disclaimer, this is the rough class of my comedic act that I am presenting with the authority given to me by the I & B Ministry to twist and magnify the process of reporting as it deems fit to his thought process or the defiant mandate from the Govt. to Modia (Media will be gross injustice).

Still nobody has stated about what Kunal Kamra’s crime is and under which rules and regulations, he is penalized. He is pulling the pun all on himself to be the master of comedy he pretends to be but certainly he is now, do not assume, the ticket prices of his shows are not shooting up. Aviation Minister should be busy in ensuring Air India is sold and the honest tax payers money is saved and not looted further, when his Hon’ble Minister could have tweeted, appropriate authority will take action on the complaint (if lodged).

Aviation Minister had to show the power of his Govt. and the authority Modia possesses not only on channel (under I&B Ministry) but even on streets. You cannot heckle them and get away with it and be proud of it. Who pulled the pun on whom? When the comic became the journalist, journalist is the authority and authority became the comic.