My beloved country .

Sad and worrying to see India racing up the Covid ladder . Yes we have a massive population too so the number may not exactly be accurate. Nevertheless, this one race I do hope they don't win because it will be catastrophic. A while ago I read that the country was in the top ten in the world and was concerned like everyone else for the teeming millions who live below the poverty line. Now to suddenly be at number four with the infections on the rise daily, is seriously alarming. What was with all the sensless drama of lighting candles, banging utensils, clapping hands and shouting Go Covid go? While most of the world was already taking preventative measures, our beloved country was indulging in these trivial and rather laughable gimmicks. People who had no water to drink were being advised to wash their hands as many times a day as possible. Ten to fifteen people living together in tiny rooms, in unhygienic slums, were being advised to main social distancing. Good nd necessary advice but how? Then there was the rather callous lockdown announcement by the government, with just a four hour warning . Obviously someone somewhere suddenly had a eureka moment . How wise was that ? Whose idea was it ? Was that the best they could do ? Once again, correct decision but poor planning . No planning in fact , no thoughts , no foreseeing potential problems. That announcement took everyone by utter surprise and sent shock waves through the entire nation. Mayhem ensued and it was pandemonium personified. Rather than rationalise and take steps to remedy the impending crisis ,all and sundry jumped on the ' let's find a scapegoat bandwagon'. The press and the Television channels had a field day and compounded the problem. It was then a calamity waiting to happen and happen it did. Weeks later, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers began leaving the cities and walking back to their villages. There were no jobs, no money and they were frustrated and terrified. No one advised them , helped them, or arranged any sort of transportation. So, as expected , we had men women and children attempting to walk thousands of kilometres in slippers , many bare footed , braving the inclement weather, hunger, thirst and sickness along the way. No one is mentioning as to how many died during those arduous journeys , how many women were probably molested or raped, how many children were lost or kidnapped and mind you , all that must surely have happened. Then we heard that trains and buses were arranged. Once again , insufficient planning saw thousands clamouring for elusive seats. Trains set out for one destination and reached elsewhere. Buses took people half way and then made them walk. It must surely have been survival of the fittest and I don't want to even fathom a guess as to the suffering that ensued. One silver lining amidst the squalor and the dark clouds were the good samaritans who handed out food and water. Heartening to see. Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians all united and did their best. That would definitely have alleviated some of the misery. However, it was not enough. Everyone knows that. Don't forget , cyclones, floods, earthquakes , rain and locusts made things worse. Thankfully no direct blame could be apportioned for nature's fury. Then there is China- determined to make its presence felt one way or the other . Today ,as the conditions worsen , hospital beds are scarce in most cities and there is tension , apprehension and utter fear gripping the entire nation. Where beds are available, the costs are prohibitive. It's about time politicians and bureaucrats stopped the blame game and their petty power squabbles and everyone who matters came together to fight this menace. DO IT NOW. It's never too late . This is certainly NOT THE TIME for ruling party vs opposition . It's a time for wisdom and unity in the face of the storm . Let's not blame one person or a few people. That's pathetic. There are many recoveries as well so fingers crossed . I just pray better sense prevails . I guess today we all need to pray for our beloved country . We are all in this together.