Poor Need Food, Not Vaccine
The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution upholding ‘vaccine equity’ and that the availability of Covid vaccine must be increased in conflict-affected and poor countries. This means that the United Nations is demanding that rich countries be stopped from getting the Covid vaccine on priority as it is depriving the poor countries of the vaccine. It appears that the decision of the United Nations is humane. But what are the actual demands of the poor countries in the difficult times of the Coronavirus?
According to the United Nations, poverty has increased across the globe due to the Coronavirus and this is set to substantially increase in the coming days. Similarly, crores of poor people have been kept out of the education system. Developing countries such as India are significantly reducing the budgetary allocation for education. Most importantly, fatal diseases such as tuberculosis have exploded in poor countries. It is already established that the Coronavirus is not a deadly disease. Poor countries are not demanding the Coronavirus vaccine but are anxious about food, education, and other diseases that are exacerbating. The United Nations should have extended a helping hand to poor countries in handling these issues but it appears that it has considered the Covid vaccine as the immediate necessity of these poor countries.
It is a truth that everyone understands that the coronavirus declined not due to any vaccine. Even though our country manufactured the vaccine, even well-informed people are hesitating to get themselves vaccinated. Health workers and even doctors have expressed their reservations. And the government has failed to meet its goal in providing vaccine. Politicians and government officials have not yet come forward to get themselves vaccinated. The government that has spent crores of rupees on the vaccines is trying to impose it on people by trying to spread the fear about the second wave of the Coronavirus through the media. It is also threatening the imposition of another lockdown. Initially, the government announced that poura karmikas would be vaccinated on priority. This meant that it had designed a programme of vaccinating poura karmikas first and based on the results of this drive, provide vaccine to others. But, objections were raised widely against such a design of making poura karmikas guinea pigs. This is the same reason why the United Nation’s decision seems suspicious.
Experts are now suspecting whether the decision has been taken to experiment with poor nations to establish whether the vaccine is successful or not. People are also beginning to question the concern of the United Nations about Covid when lakhs of poor people are dying due to the lack of treatment for fatal diseases such as tuberculosis and Cancer. During the lockdown, migrant workers had openly raised their objections against the government and had said “We are not scared of the Coronavirus but are scared of hunger.” Even now, poor countries are not unduly worried about the Coronavirus because these countries have witnessed more deaths and distress caused due to poverty than the Coronavirus and also due to other diseases for which people did not receive medicines. Yes, we must deal with the coronavirus. But it does not make sense to talk about the Coronavirus by neglecting abject poverty that has haunted the world for several decades.
According to the 2020 data of the World Health Organization, 45 per cent of deaths of children below five years of age is due to malnutrition. Across the world, about 47 million children are suffering anemia, 14 million children are suffering severe anemia, and 144 million children have stunted growth. Areas ravaged by conflict in the world are becoming huge hubs of poverty and malnutrition. Conflict and drought, deficient rainfall are causing deaths due to hunger. International agencies such as the World Health Organizations have warned about a possible increase in deaths (this has specifically increased during the Coronavirus) due to hunger in conflict-ridden areas. All these reports preceded the coronavirus. After the lockdown, the data throws up a very scary picture. The situation of farmers of small land holdings and labourers is very worrying with many losing employment opportunities due to the lockdown.
In the absence of transportation and connectivity issues, farmers have faced losses. Economically destroyed and distraught, they have reached a situation of having to sell their land. The government is also making adequate arrangements for farmers to sell their land with corporate forces using this situation to their advantage. If it is now being projected that the immediate need of farmers is vaccine, how can people believe this? In India at least, several controversies have erupted over the vaccine. The pride that the vaccine is indigenous seems to be working against it. The government should therefore increase the confidence among people about the vaccine. Politicians and senior government officials should first get vaccinated. Then, the poor will also feel confident about the vaccine. Instead of doing this, use of threats of another lockdown, prospects of a rising second wave, and emotional pressure as part of attempts to vaccinate the poor are not right. If the government wants to resort to such attempts, then it must provide insurance cover to all those who get vaccinated. The government should take the responsibility for any side effects due to the vaccine and provide appropriate compensation to the people.
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BJP worker’s 16-year-old son allegedly casts eight votes in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad; Video viral
Lucknow (Farrukhabad): A viral video has surfaced showing a 16-year-old son of a BJP worker allegedly casting eight votes to the saffron party during the ongoing general elections in Uttar Pradesh. The video has sparked controversy, and the opposition has urged for prompt action from the Election Commission of India, reports scroll.in.
The video shared by the Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on micro-blogging site ‘X’, showed the youngster recording himself while casting multiple times in a series of instances. The incident reportedly took place in Khiri Pamaran village, which falls under the Aliganj Assembly constituency within the Farrukhabad parliamentary seat. Mukesh Rajput, the sitting MP, is the BJP candidate in this constituency. Polling in Farrukhabad occurred on May 13 during the fourth phase of the general election.
In the viral video, the youngster is seen casting eight votes in total, all for the BJP, one by one with different clippings.
The youngster in the video has been identified as Rajan Singh Thakur, confirmed his father, Anil Singh Thakur to the Scroll.in. Anil Singh Thakur is the gram pradhan (village head) of Khiri Pamaran and a member of the BJP.
Anil defending his son told the Scroll that the ‘Video misrepresented his son,’ and claimed that the voting was done when the machine was being tested in some instances and other clipping of him voting on behalf of mentally and physically disabled voters was merged and made into a video.
Despite the Anil's caims, the video has drawn significant criticism. Subhash Chandra Prajapati, the additional district magistrate of Farrukhabad, confirmed to the Scroll that the administration will file a case soon. He mentioned that the returning officer is investigating the matter following a directive from the chief electoral officer in Lucknow.
The opposition has been vocal in its criticism, with Akhilesh Yadav demanding action from the Election Commission. In his social media post, Yadav accused the BJP of undermining the electoral process and described the party's booth committee as a "loot committee." The Congress party also called on the Election Commission to take action, in a ‘X’ post the party wrote, “Dear Election Commission…are you watching..a boy is voting 8-8 times ... .at least wake up now.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, took to ‘X’ to express, “Fearing and seeing their defeat, the BJP is attempting to undermine democracy by pressuring government machinery to deny the mandate. The Congress expects all officers performing election duties to remember their constitutional responsibilities despite any pressure from those in power. Otherwise, once the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc government is formed, actions will be taken to ensure that anyone will think ten times before violating their 'Oath to the Constitution'."
Following the video's circulation, Naval Kishor Shakya, the Samajwadi Party candidate in Farrukhabad, filed a complaint with the district election officer. Shakya's complaint alleges that Rajan Singh Thakur cast votes after snatching voter information slips from other voters and that he was assisted by Dinesh Thakur, the local police station's station house officer. Shakya has called for re-polling at the affected polling center.
In a related incident earlier in May, Gujarat Police arrested two BJP workers for allegedly casting bogus votes and live-streaming the act on social media in the Dahod constituency. The Election Commission conducted re-polling at the affected booth following the incident.
The opposition INDIA bloc, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of failing to take prompt action against election model code of conduct violations.
अपनी हार सामने देख कर भाजपा जनादेश को झुठलाने के लिए सरकारी तंत्र पर दबाव बना कर लोकतंत्र को लूटना चाहती है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 19, 2024
कांग्रेस चुनावी ड्यूटी कर रहे सभी अधिकारियों से यह अपेक्षा करती है कि वो सत्ता के दबाव के सामने अपनी संवैधानिक ज़िम्मेदारी न भूलें।
वरना INDIA की सरकार बनते ही ऐसी… https://t.co/fk4wXL8QZy
