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Op-ED DECEMBER 03, 2021 | The Indian Eye 14

The problem with Vir Das

and Kangana ranaut

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

hat Ranaut and Das have had revealed Covid antibodies in
in common is the smug 67% of the population even when
Wself-regard that drips from single-dose coverage was just 28%.
every syllable they pronounce. Sec- Subsequent serosurveys in Delhi,
ond, both are confidently playing Kerala and Haryana had revealed
to a sympathetic audience, Ranaut over 90%, 80% and 70% seroposi-
with the right-wing hoity-toity in tivity respectively in the general pop-
Delhi, Das with a young, well-to- ulation. But as the Kerala seven-day
do NRI/NRP (Pakistani) crowd in Covid trajectory of over 5,000 daily
Washington. cases, despite 95% single-dose adult
Third, while their class back- vaccination, indicates, only speedy
grounds might be a degree or two universal full vaccination can miti-
different, both Das and Ranaut re- gate infection risks.
ally only see the ‘India’ they choose -- Editorial, The Times of India
to: when Ranaut speaks of “awaken-
ing the dead conscious (sic) of this THe vaCCine maiTri
country which has been (earlier) s is fairly clear, left to big phar-
put to sleep by this fake education ma, the vaccines would not
system, by the doses of anesthesia ahave reached many countries.
being injected into the soul of this India led from the front — the Vac-
country,” she clearly doesn’t see the
huge irony in the drivel she’s spout- cine Maitri programme worked on
the premise that “no one is safe until
ing in the seventh year of the biggest everyone is safe”. Through this ini-
mass-anaesthetizing project in our Congress supporters stage a demonstration against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s tiative, India could supply more than
history. statement on India’s freedom, in Mumbai on Saturday (ANI) 65 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines
For all his invocation of the
poor, Das can actually define his en- to about 100 countries. Besides, In-
tire audience as people who would dy Center by contrasting “two Indi- perpower tag, no?” dia also provided critical medicines,
diagnostic kits, ventilators and per-
have maids and drivers back home, as” as he mixed good and bad state- -- Madhavan Narayanan, sonal protective equipment to more
while sneering at the desis doing me- ments about his country in a prosaic The Quint than 150 countries. Due to New
nial jobs in the US. monologue. Delhi’s pressure, global supply lines
As with Das, the reactions a CauTionarY Tale
The good news is that he does
against Ranaut have been calls to not deserve the blame for what he he Covid surge in Western Eu- have remained open throughout for
key components of vaccines being
register FIRs against her, to put her said because the same or similar rope and the US, including in produced in India and elsewhere.
away for ‘sedition’, for ‘insulting’ our things have been said in the past Tsome countries where around India has significantly contributed to
freedom movement and freedom about India in equally popular/un- 70% of the population is fully vacci- the COVAX facility (which is co-led
fighters. popular ways. There is nothing really nated, sends a message to India – be by CEPI, Gavi and WHO, alongside
The point is, in the democrat-
ic, secular India for everybody that new in what the not-so-funny video very careful. India cannot be swayed key delivery partner UNICEF) as
says.
well. India has also gifted 2,00,000
by comforting assumptions. It must
Ranaut does not want and cannot The bad news for him is that for focus on upping disease surveillance doses of Covid-19 vaccines for UN
stomach, she should be the object
of widespread derision and nothing precisely the same reason, he should and expediting vaccination. Just peacekeepers across all UN mis-
30% of Indians are fully vaccinated;
not be getting much of the cheer that
sions. After the major disruption
more, with even greater contempt he is getting – unless you count a and decisions on child immuniza- with the second wave within India,
being reserved for those who ap- South Bombay re-packaging of old tion as well as booster shots for 2.5 now it seems the decision to resume
plauded her toxic rubbish. chai in a new cup at a landmark ven- crore senior citizens and healthcare exports is being implemented.
-- Ruchir Joshi, The Telegraph India
ue in the capital of the United States workers who received second doses -- Sachin Chaturvedi,
old Wine, neW boTTle of America. over six months ago are still awaited. The Indian Express
Reopening educational institutions
So, what really seems to matter
I to Das’s right-leaning, not necessar- have triggered a few Covid clusters, Every week, we look at what the top
have some good news and bad
news for stand-up comedian Vir
evidence that the virus is transmit-
commentators in the Indian media are
ily right-thinking, critics is: “Chee
Das, who stirred a political storm
of their opinions and comments
this week with a short video based on chee! Why he is talking like this only ting even when unable to wreak talking about and bring to you a slice
in front of Amreekans. They are our
much damage.
his gig at Washington DC’s Kenne- Quad ally as we seek that Official Su- The national serosurvey in July
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