Deficit of humanitarian attitude and scientific criteria

The second wave of coronavirus reached its peak and sooner hopefully as per the expert opinion, will flatten and reduce. The situation at the field turned catastrophic in different parts of the country with massive deaths of patients due to leakage and lack of oxygen like Nashik and Vijayawada . News like floating of dead bodies in River Ganges at Buxar, suspected to be of Covid affected people creating scare in the hearts of people. The satellite photos released by NASA where thousands of lighting pyres left a scar in the minds of citizens of this country.

Though not talking overtly everybody is gripped with fear psychosis and are feeling death is not far away. The real reasons for these fearful situations can be attributed to lack of scientific approach by each individual and as the country as a whole. Since the beginning our country has prioritized emotional feelings than scientific approach. When the government says not to flock during the festive seasons and on solemn occasions, the citizens violated the 'appropriate covid behaviour' at large. Now reaping the ill results of what they have sowed without heeding to the requests of the Prime Minister repeatedly.

The authorities also missed the scientific approach while estimating the different waves of this pandemic. Accordingly they failed to properly advise the government and once again proved they are not suitable to encounter unprecedented catastrophes (only best to maintain status-quo). About the massive requirement of Medical Oxygen also the top health officials and top Administrators of this Country miserably failed to guide the Political Executive and thereby belied the people during the historic pandemic.

It is really heart burning to see the medical doctors themselves denied to take jabs of vaccines in the pretext of many unscientific reasons when the vaccination started. I saw such people in my own family. The instances reminded me the days when my grandfather used to narrate the stories how people used to run away and hid themselves in the granaries when the medical staff approached to vaccinate them in the early days after Independence . Means even though the people are studying/studied MBBS but scientific approach has not buttressed into their mindsets. When the doctors are like that one can visualise how a common man thinks about the vaccination.

During my discussions with the Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) it was learnt that, they had to take lot of pains initially to entrench the importance of vaccines to the police forces. Only mild threats like government will withdraw certain benefits from those who were not vaccinated, yielded some results. Perhaps the initial lukewarm response (from the frontline covid warriors and common public) could have been the main reason for the government not emphasized on universal vaccination and went for less massive production.

The civil servants are once again showing their back to the people. Like a layman they are just cautioning each other 'stay safe',' stay healthy' by not venturing out when it is most necessary in the last one century. By their inhuman attitude of timidity and self-centered approach, they left everything to the hands of officials like Municipal Commissioners(MCs) and District Collectors & Magistrates (DMs).

Due to this overburden the system of Commissioners and Collectors may crumble at any time. Instead of being mute spectators to the crisis, the top class civil servants should come forward and share the burden. Else people will remember them as treacherous people who enjoyed life of pomp and splendour, plum postings during normal time and hiding like rats when the crisis surfaced in the country.

( The author is Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Pune)