Can the Nation Afford Another Lockdown?
The situation, even after a year since the country went into a lockdown, remains grim with a fresh spike of Covid-19 cases due to second wave of the pandemic. Some states are initiating precautionary measures by implementing night curfews and weekend lockdowns. Last few weeks have been observed as nightmares for reviving concerns over possible return of another nation level lockdown. One more lockdown means signifying immediate jeopardy of people slithering into poverty due to long term shutdown of supply lines or simply going bankrupt.
Fortunately, unlike dealing with the first wave, this time we have ameliorate clinical management protocols, distinct mechanisms and moreover the advantage of vaccination. However, the Government should in effect adopt a revised control strategy with much strict stoppage of crowds and of course accelerating the pace of doses as to defer another lockdown crisis.
If we fail to dodge one more lockdown and act unfalteringly at this crucial time, we would inflict a lethal blow on millions of impecunious Indians.
Dr. Majeed Mulla
Via Email
Stop Supply of Oxygen for Industrial Purposes
The fact that the government took eight long months to float tenders for new oxygen plants since the coronavirus pandemic was declared a “disaster” on March 14, 2020. It was on October 21, 2020 that the Central Medical Services Society, an autonomous institution under the Union Health Ministry, floated a tender online calling for bidders to establish Pressure Swing Adsorption oxygen plants in 150 district hospitals across the country. This undue delay in kickstarting the tender process is beyond comprehension.
However, it is in the fitness of things that the government has decided to divert the supply of oxygen meant for industries to medical use in the country as it battles a record surge in the Covid-19 cases in the deadly second wave of the pandemic. The government’s move is aimed at plugging the oxygen gap in the country, particularly in the severely-affected states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The government should stop the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes to fight the pandemic.
Khalid Rasheed
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Two Wheels of Faith and Hope
Your column Ultimate Success, captioned “The two Wheels of Faith and Hope” (Radiance Viewsweekly 20 March, 2021) is commendable. In the very opening line “Life runs on the two wheels of faith (Iman) and Hope (Ummid) the writer has assembled the sea into a pot. It needs no further elaboration. It is backed by some verses of the Qur’ān. It clarifies that man must equip himself with the armaments of ‘faith & hope’ first and then follow other supplementary qualities.
In the light this column, I mention a few relevant couplets by the poet Allama Iqbal, who has urged men, especially the Muslims, to hold the rein of faith tight and in no situation this ought to be loosened: “Khuda-e Lam Azal ka Dast-e Qudrat tuu Zaba’n tuu hai // Yaqee’n Paida ker aiy Ghafil kay Maghloob-e Guma’n tuu hai” (Almighty God gets His mission achieved through thy hands and expresses His commands through thy tongue. // (what is required here) is to have firm faith in God for thou art victim of despondency and suspicion).
Though there are many verses focusing upon these two arms through which the philosopher-poet Iqbal has urged man to fight the evils, I would like to quote one more here: “Yaqee’n afrad ka Sarmaya-e Tameer-e Millat hai // Yahi Quwat Hai Jo Surat Garey Taqdeer-e Millat Hai” (Man’s belief is the supreme capital which helps the nation building // This is the strength that plays the role of forming nation’s fortune).
Jamalur Rasheed
Salt Lake, Kolkata