India emerged as epicenter of harrowing Covid carnage against the backdrop of country`s perceived ‘victory’ against pandemic. The xenophobic self-enthralled imperial imposter BJP regime was confident enough to declare‘victory’ against pandemic back in January 28, 2021. While addressing virtualsummit of World Economic Forum 2021, the exuberant Modi, masquerading as esteemed messiah, projected himself the inevitable global savior by declaring;
“Wesalvaged humanity from a big disasterby containing the coronavirus effectively”.
His haughty posture was oblivious of ground realities whereby India was on brink of exploding into a simmering hu manitarian quandary. The official deathtoll, which surpassed 208,000 on April 27th, is outrageously soaring. By some estimates, the true figure could be twenty times higher than official figures as government is desperately trying to concealits lethal failure. The genocidal regimewas pre-occupied with crushing farmers protest and the Kashmiri liberation struggle and hence directed the entire state apparatus for its heinous designs. Meanwhile, government`s indifference to propagate corona SOPs or stewardship of health system brought the country at precipice of a medical holocaust. Unfortunately, oxygen is the new currency required to sustain the beleaguered Indian state.
The dramatic tide of events left self-proclaimed emerging Asian economic powerhouse and ‘strategic counter-weight to China’ begging for emergency medical aid. Amid million of shrieks and thousands of pleas, Pakistan was inundated by empathy for fellow brethren in neighborhood. Pakistan stands with India emerged as top trend on social media while its eminent public figures and citizens offered heartfelt condolences and prayers. India`s newfound strategic god-father United States immediately imposed ruthless travel ban while baring its citizens to visit the crumbling country. The fellow apartheid regime Israel also followed this precedent while its news media exploded into naked criticism of Indian government`s handling of pandemic. India`s QUAD strategic partner Australia even banned entry of Australian-Indian dual nationals while its news media launched systematic vilification campaign accusing Modi government of being complacent and indifferent during current corona cataclysm. The scathing criticism of an article published in ‘The Australian’ was so intense that it prompted Indian embassy to formally issue a letter to Australian Editor-in-chief Christopher Doe while calling the content of his newspaper ‘malicious and baseless’.While International media and civil society was busy in castigating malevolent Indian Republic`s mishandling of pandemic, Pakistani media, public, civil society and government officials expressed unconditional solidarity concomitant with unprecedented outpouring of prayers. While closely monitoring unfolding tragedy in India, “IndiaNeedsOxygen’ became top twitter trend in Pakistan for two consecutive days. Pakistan`s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged that humanitarian riddles require spirit beyond narrow political concerns. His proposition to jointly combat pandemic under banner of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) sounds timely salvage South Asia from further health disaster. Apparently, Pakistan`s strategy to express deep concern over grim milestone unfolding in India took inspiration from J.K Rowling`s classic work ‘Order of the Phoenix’ whereby she propounded that;
“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.”
The self-enamored Indian leader`s obduracy is his classic modus operandi as he did not offer a word of solidarity or sympathy when Pakistan was battling with its first peak of corona surge. Likewise, while speaking to World Economic Forum in January 2021, Indian premier`s speech was spectacle of palpable exuberance as he made tall claims about India`s health apparatus and Covid- preparedness.
Pakistan`s PM Imran Khan stressed upon the primacy of humanity over battlefield hostilities by somber reminder that there is need to mitigate this global challenge by joint efforts. He expressed his earnest remarks on
Twitter;
“Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.”
Europe and US were witnessing countless deaths at that time while neither premier Modi nor his government officials offered any help or sympathy to even close allies during hour of misery. His condescending posture was evident when he stated at WEF; “Friends, I have brought the message of confidence, positivity and hope from 1.3 billion Indians amid these timesof apprehension … It was predicted that India would be the most affected country from corona all over the world. It was said that there would be a tsunami of corona infections in India, somebody said 700-800 million Indians would get infected while others said 2 million Indians would die. Friends, it would not be advisable to judge India’s success with that of another country. In a country which is home to 18% of the world population, that country has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively”.The Chief Minister of Dehli Arvind Kejrival conducted an emergency news conference whereby he registered an appeal to world that India is in dire need of oxygen and medical supplies to evade an ensuing tragedy. Pakistan didn`t waste a moment to respond while asserting that both India and Pakistan have to jointly explore modalities of further cooperation to jointly launch fight against pandemic. Marking an unprecedented token of solidarity, Pakistani government on April 24th offered substantial medical support to India. “As a gesture of solidarity with the people of India in the wake of the current wave of Covid-19, Pakistan has offered to provide relief support to India including ventilators, Bi PAP, digital X-ray machines, PPEs (Personal protective equipments) and related items,” a statement from the Foreign Office said. The fascist saffron terrorist Indian organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) meanwhile directed its propaganda arm towards Pakistan, accusing ‘Pakistan-backed’ social media handles of spreading ‘negativity’. Ajay Mohan Bisht, the saffron-robed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who goes by the name Yogi Adityanath, has declared that there is no shortage of oxygen in any hospitalin his state and that rumourmongers will be arrested without bail under the National Security Act and has their property seized. Meanwhile, Indian government successfully ‘deactivated’ myriad social media accounts critical of government. While drains are choked with dead bodies and hospitals ran out of beds, the national security mania of jingoistic regimewas pre-occupied with ‘possible Pakistani mischief’. Pakistani public unanimously urged their government to extend support to India during these taxing times. The humanitarian propensity of Pakistani public and government and public outpouringof sympathy for saffron terrorist Indian regime debunked the myth that Pakistan is illiberal primitive pariah state.
Global media conglomerates and Indian reprehensible tactics have long acted to portray Pakistan as regional reprobate. The scandalous revelations of EU disinfo- lab illustrated that systematic highly funded media blitzkrieg was carried out for years to project Pakistan as extremist terrorist state worthy of boycott. Entire globe witnessed Pakistan`s earnest desire to help its bête noire during Covid rampage through any possible means. While callous disregard of Indian regime regarding handling of pandemic indicated that a self-infatuated regime could become threat to world order.Sardonically, Indian government`s defense spending obsession to coerce Pakistan into submission palpably unraveled inherent weakness of its internal tate apparatus. The haughty defense paraphernalia and persistent brinkmanship didn`t come to rescue the disintegrating health machinery. This depicts that military adventurism and costly foreign policy adventures cannot even circumvent the dwindling popularity of seasoned demagogues. This Indian health cauldron and corresponding Pakistan`s unconditional camaraderie necessitates paradigm shift in South Asia to cajole both nuclear armed neighbours to pool their resources and usher robust people-centric social welfare schemes. Bilateral health diplomacy amid Covid surge could serve as dues ex machine to break the diplomatic ice between these regional goliaths. The time is ripe to let humanity conquer hitherto bleak strategic ambiance of South Asia.
“Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.” Immanuel Kant.
Pakistan`s premier highly revered philanthropist initiative Edhi Foundation set exemplary precedent by offering India substantial help to combat current Covid crisis. Faisal Edhi, son of acclaimed late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and managing director of Edhi Foundation, wrote a letter to Indian government and assured him that ‘they are closely monitoring the impact of current tragedy being unfolding in India”. He further added;
“We are very sorry to hear about the exceptionally heavy impact that the pandemic has had on your country, where a tremendous number of people are suffering immensely,” said Faisal in his letter. On behalf of Edhi Foundation, he offered astronomical help of “a fleet of 50 ambulances along with professional services of staff to assist India in ‘addressing, and further circumventing, the current health conditions’. This constructive engagement with xenophobic Brahmin exclusivist Indian regime exhibits that healthy mindsets revere humanity at highest pedestal while puerile ideologies accord primacy to narrow political interests while utterly disparaging humanitarian concerns. American author Kurt Vonnegut in his work “Breakfast of Champions” rightly asserted that; “We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane”