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Op-Ed MAY 14, 2021 | The Indian Eye 18

repair sarkar and its muddled response

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

he massive second Covid Nor are they all apolitical. Yet, on
wave lays bare how au- the whole, judicial oversight may
Tthorities are often unable be preferable to that of an upper
to effectively marshal even House which can become an in-
those resources available to strument of the majority group.
them. India’s political system Recent experience shows judges
has reached a sharp bend in its are no respecter of persons. They
democratic evolution where the are tireless in their efforts. Many
detritus of bad governance is high courts are hearing Covid19
surfacing alongside great public petitions. Many are responsible
anger. Dependence on obse- for incisive and reassuring in-
quious bureaucrats and on de- terventions and criticism of the
fanged experts who are requisi- executive. The Supreme Court,
tioned only at crisis time stands which directed the Centre to
exposed too. To take command submit a national Covid19 plan
of resources and make them and has questioned the disparity
useful to citizens, governance Prime Minister narendra Modi in vaccine prices, has promised
needs a critical reset. not to curb high courts. The ju-
Before the pandemic, In- which witnessed the reinvention is cruelty. Mass deaths and its diciary wants to play a comple-
dia just had 40,000 ventilators of civil society. Networks of as- imagery has rightly incited ire mentary role because it cannot
and Centre’s sourcing of near- sociational life have enabled against the State. be a silent spectator to what
ly 50,000 ventilators to states in civil society to go further, and Analysts were both quick it calls a “national calamity”.
short time was an impressive battle dictators and military re- and right to take this imagery The Centre has indicated its
feat. But then came inability to gimes, monarchs and fascism in of mass Indian deaths due to dislike of an independent judi-
function as a harmonious whole. major parts of the world. Covid as evidence of a failed ciary’s interventionist functions.
Many ventilators are dysfunc- In India, the last time citizens State. Vaccine shortage, the lack It has already shown its claws by
tional: 80% of 2,025 ventilators connected with each other and of a public campaign on virus not divulging some details the
unused in Karnataka, 47/109 in formed networks of associations prevention and the failure to court had asked for. A faceoff
Bihar, 285/320 in Punjab, and was in December 2019. Thou- build medical and hospital ca- would defeat the very purpose
1,400/1,900 in Rajasthan. Ex- sands and thousands of Indians, pacity during the first lockdown of judicious superintendence.
cuses like lack of trained staff, irrespective of their religious — all point to the failure of the India’s governance needs con-
shortage of medical consum- affiliation, their commitments State. The utter dereliction of sultation, not confrontation.
ables, and fear of malfunction to specific beliefsystems, their duty of political leaders and the A closed system in which the
were cited for failure to oper- identities, their standing in so- casual neglect of danger in their prime minister never dares face
ationalize ventilators. But five ciety, their caste and their gen- holding mass public rallies and the media, Parliament does not
states did solve these niggles. der, came together to protest an religious rituals has been lethal. come to grips with crucial na-
The laggards can’t hide their in- injustice that loomed over the In the face of mass deaths, tional crises, bureaucrats recall
stitutional failure to commission heads of the minorities vide the the powerful State and its other- Nipper, the terrier in old gram-
training and maintenance for Citizenship Amendment Act wise popular leader Prime Min- ophone ads, and television an-
the ventilators. and the impending National ister Narendra Modi are missing chors are caricatures of official
editorial, Register of Citizens. in action. Instead, the various spokesmen can never serve the
The Times of India neera chandhoke, voices of the government are public interest. Such aberra-
The Wire directing hapless and breathless tions reduce the government to
civil society and citizens to remain positive and another moribund Air India ex-
repression Modi and cruelty channel the power of prayer. isting to service only a privileged

umerous individuals eath has once again Silence of the state is but an circle of insiders.
and groups have once dominated the week. act of cruelty. sunanda K. dattaray,
The Telegraph
Nagain proved that when DPictures of bodies float- shruti Kapila,
The Print
governments falter, civil soci- ing in the rivers of north India
ety steps in to create selfhelp are now fast surpassing images taken to task Every week, we look at what
organizations that reach out to of mass funeral pyres that be- the top commentators in the
people who have been held hos- came the global image of the ur courts are far from Indian media are talking about
tage to a malevolent fate. This is pandemic only last week. There perfect. Not everybody and bring to you a slice of their
the lesson of the East Europe- is no mistaking that what these Ohas access to them. Not opinions and comments.
an Velvet Revolutions of 1989, images of dead bodies represent all judges are above selfinterest.

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