As massive surge of Covid-19 cases has been wreaking havoc in India, international media paid attention to the unfolding mayhem of the country holding Narendra Modi government responsible for the devastating situation.
Leading media outlets are writing scathing editorials and articles flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for declaring before time the victory against the pandemic, allowing massive election rallies, massive religious gathering at Kumbh Mela and very slow response to the unfolding health crisis.
On Saturday, UK’s The Times newspaper published an article titled “Modi leads India out of lockdown and into a Covid apocalypse”.
“After relatively low infection rates, the country’s crushing second wave is being blamed on its crowd-loving prime minister,” said the article by The Times’ Asia correspondent Philip Sherwell.
Predicting the worse situation in the coming days, the article pointed out that “hospitals are turning away the sick because there are not enough beds, oxygen or staff to treat them. It is likely to get much worse”.
Austrial’s national daily The Australian carried The Times’s article on its world section with the headline “Modi leads India into viral apocalypse”.
“Arrogance, hyper-nationalism and bureaucratic incompetence have combined to create a crisis of epic proportions, critics say, as India’s crowd-loving PM basks while citizens literally suffocate,” reads the short description of the article.
On Friday, UK’s national daily The Guardian carried a hard-hitting editorial with the headline “The Guardian view on Modi’s mistakes: a pandemic that is out of control”.
The editorial pointed out that how failures and negligence of Modi have contributed to the devastating situation of the country.
“The Indian prime minister suffers from overconfidence in his own instincts and pooh-poohs expert advice. His ministers turned on a former Congress prime minister for daring to offer them counsel just before he was admitted to hospital with Covid this week,” stated the edit.
Pinning the responsibility of the situation specifically on Modi and his policies, the edit noted “Mr Modi has put the onus on state governments to clear up his mess. The buck stops with him. He should acknowledge and make amends for mistakes that have caused enormous suffering. He needs to engage with experts on how to uphold restrictions; ensure government delivery matches promises; and drop the sectarian ideology that divides when unity is required. Future historians will judge Mr Modi harshly if he continues with the exceptionalist views that have led to a disastrous public health outcome”.
The Washington Post in its editorial explained how another variant of Coronavirus has struck India which “may be more infectious”. It also pointed finger at the large gatherings like Kumbh Mela and Election Rallies for the situation.
“The sudden wave came after India relaxed restrictions. Tens of thousands of spectators were allowed to fill stadiums for cricket matches; movie theaters were opened; and the government permitted enormous religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela, a festival in which millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in the river Ganges. Also, India went ahead with elections and rallies in four states and one union territory; crowds at election rallies have been ignoring guidelines,” said the edit.