There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats children, said Nelson Mandela during the launch of the Nelson Mandela’s Children’s fund.[1] There are two sides to this statement. One is how the society in general treats the children, and what rights does it give them. The second side is how society’s most powerful agent- the state- treats children. The Latin maxim parens patrie is of significance in this context. It refers to the power of state to the intervene against an abusive or negligent parent. For children who have been abandoned or who saw the death of their parents, it is the state that becomes the natural protector.

Out of the approximate 147 million orphans in the world, 30 million orphans are there in India.[2] UNICEF states that there are three distinct kinds of orphans- paternal orphans i.e., those who lost their father; maternal orphans i.e., those who lost their mother; double orphans i.e., those who lost both their parents. The passing of a parent(s) brings significant changes to a child’s life, including potential changes in living arrangements, influenced by factors such as cultural customs, decisions made by guardians or caregivers, and existing plans for raising the child after the death of a parent(s).[3] Education plays a crucial role in shaping both personal growth and the advancement of a nation. It is the primary tool in instilling cultural values in children and is the most powerful force in moulding them into responsible, intelligent, and capable citizens. The loss of a parent can negatively impact a child’s educational enrolment and this can particularly impede the transition from primary to secondary education, as spending on education is significantly reduced.[4] In this context, this article presents an overview of what framework guides the orphan protection regime in the country.

Legislative Framework

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection Of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) is the prime legislation dealing with children and another legislation that is part of the regime is the Orphanages and Other Charitable Homes (Supervision and Control) Act, 1960(Orphanages Act).

The JJ Act

The JJ act mandates that whoever is handed over a child who appears or claims to be abandoned or lost, or a child who appears or claims to be an orphan without family support shall within twenty-four hours (excluding the time necessary for the journey), give information to the Childline Services or the nearest police station or to a Child Welfare Committee or to the District Child Protection Unit, or hand over the child to a child care institution registered under this Act. Not reporting such fact is an offence. (Section 32)

Under JJ Act, “orphan” means a child—

(i) who is without biological or adoptive parents or legal guardian; or

(ii) whose legal guardian is not willing to take, or capable of taking care of the child;

To counter the abandonment of children, which is prevalent in the country, the JJ Act stated that those parents, who for physical, emotional and social factors beyond their control, wish to surrender a child, shall produce the child before the Child Welfare Committee and the Committee will decide as to whether child should be with parents or with a legal guardian or be sent to a specialised adoption agency or to a children’s home if the child is below 6 years of age. (Section 35)

The act also forms a Child Welfare Committee for each committee which will look after the welfare aspects and the Juvenile Justice Board for looking into the aspects of those children who are in conflict with the law. (Section 27)

While the JJ Act is designed to provide a legal framework for protecting the rights of children, it is not sufficient to solve all the problems faced by orphans in India.

Orphans in India face a wide range of challenges, including poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, and discrimination. The JJ Act does not address all of these issues and does not provide a comprehensive solution for addressing the needs of orphans. Additionally, the implementation of the JJ Act is often inadequate, and there are reports of abuse and neglect in institutions for children. Furthermore, the JJ Act focuses mainly on children in conflict with the law, and not on children in need of care and protection, which are the majority of the orphan population.

Orphanages Act

The Orphanages act empowers the state governments to monitor orphan homes and child care institutions. For this purpose, the state government can form a board and that board will be the authority to frame rules and regulations for the orphanages and child care centres to follow. The boards also have the power to issue certificates without which the centre is not supposed to run. (Section 5, 15).

Additionally, the Constitution, in the form of Directive Principles, directs that state shall secure, with its policy, that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.[5]

The Bill that never saw light- THE ORPHAN CHILD (PROVISION OF SOCIALSECURITY)BILL, 2016

The Orphan Child Bill, 2016 was a private member bill in the Lok Sabha, and had progressive provisions such a 3% reservation for Orphan Children within educational institutions and in posts and services under the Central Government.[6] The bill was however very loosely worded without any particular framework. For example, it stated that the central government shall have initial Orphan welfare fund with corpus of Rs. 2000 Crore rupees and more money from the ratio as decided by the states and the centre mutually be added to the fund. This was merely directory and in that too, there were no directions as to how to arrive at the ratio of contributions of state and the centre, to the fund.[7]

One important aspect of this bill is that one of the provisions mandated the conducting of a census every decade, of orphan children followed by the formulation and adoption of a National Policy for welfare of Orphan Children based on the findings of the census.[8]

Covid-19 and Specific effects on Orphan Children

Supreme Court, in its suo moto matter dealing with the social and economic impacts pf the Covid-19 pandemic within child protection homes, asked the government to “help” the children affected during the pandemic.[9] The union government has launched a website called Bal Swaraj under the aegis of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to record the orphan children and provide them care. The Bal Swaraj portal does not show the statistics of ‘Covid Care and Children’ while it shows the statistics of ‘Child in Street Situations’. However, a Ministry of Women and Child Development’s press release, which countered the Lancet Journal’s finding that there are 19 lakh children who were orphaned due to Covid-19, presented the Covid affected Children members, i.e., the statistics of those who lost their parents. The ministry data was released on March 2, 2022 and by then 1, 42, 949 children admittedly lost one parent and 10386 children lost both their parents, according to this data. The government launched the started a PM CARES- Children scheme provides support to these children through a ‘convergent approach’, gap funding for ensuring education, health, monthly stipend from the age of 18 years, and a lump sum amount of Rs. 10 lakhs on attaining 23 years of age.  While the numbers contained in the union government press release reflect in the numbers that are registered on the portal Bal Swaraj, NCPCR figures on a sworn affidavit to the Supreme Court (June 2021) underestimates the total and states that only 30,071 children are orphaned. The exact data of how many children may have been orphaned is not just vague and certain, but the situation is exacerbated due to any lack of a framework to effectively maintain a database of those children who need protection.[10]

Being an orphan can lead to multiple forms of discrimination, as they may not have the same access to resources and opportunities as those who come from a traditional family structure. They may also face emotional and psychological trauma due to the loss of their parents. Furthermore, if the orphan is also from a marginalised group such as a depressed caste group or other minority groups, they may experience discrimination on that basis as well. This can create a compound effect, as they may not only face discrimination for being an orphan, but also for their caste, or identity status. This can make it even more difficult for them to access education, employment, and other resources necessary for success.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on orphans, as it has disrupted their access to education, healthcare, and other essential services. Many orphans live in institutions or group homes, which have been forced to close or limit access as a result of the pandemic, cutting off their access to the support systems they rely on. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic has led to increased poverty and food insecurity for many families, further exacerbating the challenges faced by orphans.

The pandemic has also made it difficult for international adoption and foster care processes to take place. This can prolong the time an orphan has to spend in an institution. Furthermore, the pandemic has limited the ability of social workers, volunteers and other helping professionals to check on them, increasing the risk of abuse and neglect.

Conclusion

While the situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic may be a special or rare situation, the lack of specific protections for orphans under the JJ Act necessitates a separate framework for orphans in general. Such a comprehensive legislation would ensure that the government and other organisations take responsibility for the welfare of orphans and other vulnerable children and provide them with the necessary resources and support to help them succeed in life. It would also ensure that the rights of these children are protected, and that they are not subjected to abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

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Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar mandated on January 15, 2022, that all those who buy self-test Covid kits must show their Aadhaar card number to chemists. She further called upon the people to take responsibility for their self-test and report to authorities if they are Covid-positive.

“Mandating Aadhaar card number for buying the kit does away with the question of where a person bought the test and when. Manufacturers will also be similarly monitored,” she said during a media briefing.

As per official data, as many as 3,549 people tested Covid-positive out of the 1,06,987 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) distributed in the area by January 13. However, by January 14, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) voiced a concern about Covid cases going unreported.

For this reason, the authorities have mandated registration of Aadhaar card numbers for the procurement. This may complete RAT for workers or individuals who do not have Aadhaar cards. However, Pednekar assured that the move will also prevent the illegal sale of such tests that may be “unhygienic”. On questioning, she also said that the sale of online RATs will also be monitored, although she did not elaborate the details.

Regarding Covid-19, the official said that the situation was improving with most people having to quarantine at home for seven days with mild symptoms or sans any symptoms. However, she urged people to inform authorities or upload their positive reports on the portal to ensure that proper data is maintained.

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The post Mumbai: Aadhaar card mandatory for Covid self-test appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The national capital has been witnessing a steady rise in the number of Covid-19 cases over the last week. Delhi is nearing 1,000 Covid cases a day, and has so far recorded 238 Omicron cases, mostly from travellers coming from abroad. The positivity rate now climbing to 1.29 per cent, on Tuesday Delhi reported 496 new Covid-19, and 923 on Wednesday, a 86% rise in a day.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) ordered closure of schools, colleges, cinemas and gyms, as well as restricted timings for shops and limited number of passengers in public transport while announcing a “yellow alert” sounded under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Delhi government claimed it was “ready to fight Covid-19 on all fronts; have made arrangements for sufficient oxygen, medicines and beds.”

According to Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain, there is “no need to panic because of Omicron, but need to be careful; everyone must wear a mask and follow social distancing at all times.” Jain issued a statement on the developing citation in the national capital and stated that “if the number of corona cases increases, the Delhi government may impose additional restrictions. If the infection rate (positivity rate) remains above 1% for two days in a row, Delhi will be issued with a level two amber alert.” In an Amber Alert, all schools, colleges, parks, restaurants (except home delivery), are shut down and only essential services are exempted. The night curfew is also tightened in that case. 

While the Health Minister urged Delhiites “strictly adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour, wear masks and practise social distancing in public places,” the scenes on the city’s streets and markets show the real picture. 

Implementation of the national directives for Covid-19 management will be extended until January 31, 2022 throughout India in light of increased cases of the Variant of Concern – Omicron, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on December 27, 2021.

As per the earlier December 21 directions, every state and union territory was instructed to prescribe a normative framework for taking evidence based containment measures at the district and local level if the area reports over 10 percent positivity rate for the virus or if there is more than 40 percent hospital bed occupancy. “For the enforcement of social distancing, state/union territory governments may, as far as possible, use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973,” said the order. The news came on the same day that NITI Aayog’s Health Index report ranked Kerala as the best performing state in terms of health.

Overall, 9,195 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours across the country as per the Union Government’s data, and the overall  Active Caseload is at 77,002. 

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The post Delhi: 923 new Covid cases reported in 24 hours, an 86% rise  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Implementation of the national directives for Covid-19 management will be extended until January 31, 2022 throughout India in light of increased cases of the Variant of Concern – Omicron, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on December 27, 2021.

As per the earlier December 21 directions, every state and union territory was instructed to prescribe a normative framework for taking evidence based containment measures at the district and local level if the area reports over 10 percent positivity rate for the virus or if there is more than 40 percent hospital bed occupancy.

“For the enforcement of social distancing, state/union territory governments may, as far as possible, use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973,” said the order.

The news came on the same day that NITI Aayog’s Health Index report ranked Kerala as the best performing state in terms of health.

The Health Index

While the fourth round of the report for the year 2019-20 does not capture the impact of Covid-19 on health outcomes or any of the other indicators, it assesses the condition of state healthcare just as the global pandemic began. The fourth round of the index considers Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), proportion of pregnant women who received four or more antenatal care checkups (ANC) and level of registration of deaths as indicators.

Particularly, it showed that Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana emerged as the best three performers in larger states in terms of overall performance. Uttar Pradesh with the lowest overall reference Year (2019-20) Index Score ranked at the bottom – Rank 19 – in overall performance. However, it topped the category of incremental performance by registering the highest incremental change from the Base Year (2018-19) to Reference Year (2019-20).

To put this in context, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the top two performers in Overall Performance with the highest Reference Year (2019-20) Index Scores, ranked twelfth and eighth respectively in Incremental Performance. Meanwhile, Telangana performed well in both categories, earning the third position in both instances.

Among the smaller states, Mizoram ranked first for overall performance as well as incremental performance while union territories like Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir ranked fifth and sixth for overall performance in UTs albeit ranking first and second for incremental performance.

Among its findings, the report said that the gap between the worst and best performing states has narrowed. This along with fresh guidelines calling for the vaccination of 15-18 years age group from January 3, 2022, will hopefully bring new tidings for the healthcare sector.

Guidelines for vaccination

As per fresh guidelines, children in the 15-18 years age-group can only get the Covaxin vaccination. Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs) who have already received two doses, will be given another dose of vaccine from January 10. At least 9 months (39 weeks) need to pass between the times when the second and third dose are administered. All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities will also avail this precautionary dose provided they were double vaccinated at least nine months ago. When the precaution dose is due, the Co-WIN system will send an SMS to eligible people.

Similarly, all those aged 15 years or more can register on the Co-WIN website online through an existing account or register by creating a new account through their mobile number.

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2021 was a particularly daunting year for India’s healthcare sector. Barely recovering from the first wave of Covid-19, hospitals, medical colleges and healthcare workers reeled under the onslaught of the second wave. And the battle is far from over.

On December 14, 2021, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned all nations about the dangers of the new Omicron variant, especially warning against people’s dismissive attitude towards a so-called “milder” variant that is actually more infectious than its predecessors and spreading at a speed not seen before.

“Surely we have learnt by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” he said.

India has already paid the price for its complacence earlier this year, when after a significant drop in cases, people began to take a rather lackadaisical attitude towards Covid-19 protocols pertaining to hand hygiene, wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. 

At present the efficacy of existing anti-Covid vaccines against new variants is still unclear, with some countries asking citizens to get booster shots. Let us take a look back at this year at key mistakes, we must strive to avoid in the coming year. 
 

January

As the first wave of Covid-19 subsided, India focused its attention on its vaccination programme that began from January 16 with two options for vaccines – Astra Zeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biocon’s Covaxin. 

However, even before that, several concerns were raised during clinical trials. It was alleged that in some cases, people were being used as guinea pigs, particularly when the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) pointed out the hasty manner in which the vaccines were made public. Prior to January 16, Bhopal Gas Tragedy survivors and other city residents alleged that they were forced into participating in the third phase of the Covaxin trial without receiving a consent form. Moreover, they were allegedly neither informed about the trial, nor were they told about side-effects. 

The first group of people to be vaccinated were healthcare and frontline workers, followed by the elderly. The vaccination was made available to younger people in stages. By January 25, India vaccinated more than 1.6 million healthcare workers. On the following day, India reported a record low of 9,100 new cases. During this month Modi even addressed the World Economic Forum’s Davos Dialogue and boasted about how India successfully averted the “tsunami of Covid-19 cases”. He hailed the country for the rapidly declining cases.
 

February

The first half of the month further placated anxieties, with an average daily new case count of below 9,000 cases. According to WHO, India had recorded total of 1.10 crore cases by February 22, with only 10,584 confirmed cases on that particular date. With such favourable data, the BJP-led government at the Centre as well as some states, decided it was safe to permit holding of religious festivals like the Kumbh Mela, and event that sees lakhs of devotees congregate together at one spot. Though this is certainly dangerous as it can enable quick and easy spread of the virus, the regime had its eye on upcoming elections in key states. 

On February 25, the State of India’s Environment 2021 report said that 375 million children in India will suffer Covid-19’s after-effects such as being under-weight, stunting, loss of education and work productivity.

March 

The upward trend began once again, as WHO data recorded 26,291 confirmed cases over 24 hours on March 15 and 1.13 crore confirmed cases cumulatively. Overall, 1,58,725 deaths were reported by then.

The WHO claimed that nearly 3 crore vaccine doses were administered in India halfway into the month, with the highest single day vaccination of over 20 lakh doses. However, a parliamentary panel on March 16 noted that less than one percent of the Indian population was vaccinated till date.

By March 29, India reported 1.20 crore total confirmed cases and 68,020 confirmed cases within the previous 24 hours. As many as 1,61,843 people had died in India due to Covid-19 by that date. The five states of particular concern were Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, contributing more than 54 percent of total cases. 

In reaction to this resurgence, several states jumped into action. Parts of Maharashtra declared night curfew by March 11. Later, a fire at Sunrise hospital in Mumbai on March 26 killed 10 patients, highlighting other failures of the healthcare infrastructure.

Punjab and Uttar Pradesh closed various educational institutions till March 31. However, Islamophobia shone through the latter state even during the second wave when 40 mosques in Shahjahanpur were covered with plastic sheets ahead of Holi to “maintain peace”. 

Of course, all these efforts proved futile once the Centre directed the Uttarakhand government to follow “strict Covid-19 spread prevention measures” for the upcoming Kumbh Mela instead of cancelling the event. This was a body blow to both, healthcare and secularism.

April

By April 5, India recorded over one lakh cases in 24 hours. Maharashtra government and activists called for stringent lockdown guidelines after reporting high number of Covid cases. The decision brought on the ire of many local businesses that suffered greatly during the lockdowns and demanded a long-term solution from the government.

With anxieties rising and as many as 71 vaccination centres shutting down in Mumbai alone, it would have been desirable if the Centre had worked with state governments to address concerns. Instead, BJP, Congress and other state governments engaged in an enthusiastic blame game with even Union Minister Harsh Vardhan – a public service official – criticizing the Maharashtra government and citizens for the rise in Covid-cases. Political parties continued rallies around the time of the Assembly elections and ignored Covid-19 norms while the country suffered a shortage of Remdesivir, vaccines, oxygen supply and beds.

Meanwhile, the Centre stayed mum on the massive Kumbh Mela gathering where devotees went for holy dips in large groups, abandoned their masks and then returned to states where hospitals struggled with further spread of infection. Many hospitals also faced the ire of the very families who came seeking medical help for their kin, when people could not be saved due to shortages of essential medicines, oxygen or non-availability of beds.

In Uttar Pradesh, primary school teachers were forced to engage in gram panchayat election duties that resulted in the death of 1,621 teachers and workers.

Tired of government failures and rising concerns of Covid-variants like the Bengal virus the public took matter in their own hands. Minority communities and people active on social media worked together to provide oxygen to at-home patients. But UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saw this as the exposure of his administration’s failure to help people, and instead of improving the quality of services or arranging for adequate resources, threatened that a First Information Report (FIR) will be filed against any person asking for oxygen supply over social media. 

In other regions, farmers at protest sites provided food to migrating labourers. The Tamil Nadu government on its parts allowed the partial reopening of the Sterlite plant to address oxygen shortages.

As India moved into the next month, news reports started focusing on the unsettling fact that Covid-deaths in India were grossly under-counted. Using available data and on-ground voices, SabrangIndia covered the sorry state of affairs in cremation and burial grounds in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka among other states.
 

May 

With 3,78,075 (Day Moving Average) new cases, the WHO reported India accounted for 47 percent of new cases globally on May 5, 2021 with 2.22 lakh deaths in the country. Oxygen shortage became a concern to the point that the Supreme Court and high courts were instructing governments about distribution of medical supplies and essential drugs, and questioning the Centre about exorbitant prices. 

The apex court even asked the Centre to revisit its vaccine policy so that it withstood scrutiny of Articles 14 and 21. Meanwhile, anger against the BJP government was rising. In Uttar Pradesh, the party lost panchayat polls in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi. In response Adityanath focused his attention on the protection of cows, providing help desks, oximeters and thermal scanners in gaushalas.

CJP Team’s ground reports in Purvanchal presented how the eastern region was struggling to survive the second wave, highlighting the callousness of the government. Around May 12, the situation worsened to a point where bodies from various states were being thrown into the Ganga river and even as some people working in Gujarat’s cow shelters were encouraging people to consume cow urine and dung.

At this point, the Centre decided to allow state governments to procure 50 percent of vaccine doses directly every month from private players. The move threw the “tika mahotsav” into complete turmoil with doses now becoming a distant possibility for the disadvantaged groups.

In light of all this, the Bombay High Court responding to a PIL, slammed the Centre about faulty ventilators that were reportedly bought with funds collected under the PM CARES Fund. The Bench also criticised officials for defending the incident in the government’s affidavit. Similarly, the Uttarakhand High Court berated the state government for its lack of planning for the second wave. The Allahabad High Court called the Covid-related deaths, “not less than genocide”. 

Among the few governments that avoided public ire was the Kerala government that decentralised its Covid-19 management, with local bodies and found novel methods of bringing down the upward trend of cases. 

As CJP had reported during this period, the State Assembly elections became the hindrance in the continued efforts of the administration to keep Covid spread in check and compelled the newly elected governments in these states to enforce a lockdown. It is noteworthy that Kerala was one of the few states, which had not faced oxygen shortage until May 2021. In the past year, Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation has made concerted efforts to set up oxygen plants and maintain the existing ASU (Air Separation Unit) plants and manufacturing plants both in public and private sectors.

Finally, life returned to some degree of normalcy by May 26 when less than 2 lakh new cases were reported for the first time in 40 days.

Summarising the second wave of Covid-19 in India, CJP reported in May 2021, that the second wave caught the Centre as well as States completely unawares. It also revealed an absence of scientific and rational understanding of a worldwide pandemic among members of the administration. Worldwide, even as other countries and societies experienced a second wave, India gloated about coming out of the pandemic. This attitude showcased the unpreparedness of governments and the callous complacency that set in due to a brief dip in cases which was not in tandem with increasing administration of vaccination doses to the maximum number of people. 
 

The road ahead

As 2021 draws to a close, one must pay heed to Dr. Ghebreysus’s warning that the battle with the virus is not over. However, it is more important for citizens to reassert their right to public health. The Supreme Court interprets the Right to Health as a part of Article 21 and thus a part of our fundamental rights.

Before the Omicron wave arrives in full force, the Centre must ensure that this time we are not crippled by a severe shortage of hospital beds, oxygen and life-saving medicines. More funds need to be allocated for India’s healthcare, especially in the rural regions. Most of all, India needs to learn from its people, who came together to help each other in times of crisis, and the regime must put aside its communal agenda and the tendency to blame and marginalise minority communities in India.

After consulting with experts, CJP volunteers agreed that one of the most important strategies to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for people who do end up contracting the virus, is to strengthen the primary health care system. Rather than privatising healthcare, the administration should focus on strengthening primary healthcare services and improving public health infrastructure.

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The post Covid-19: Have we learnt anything from challenges faced in 2021? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In a disturbing display of data discrepancy, the Education Ministry declared that only 327 teaching and non-teaching staff from centrally-funded schools due to Covid-19 none of whom died during Covid-duty. This also amounts to an underplaying of deaths caused by gross medical negligence by the state and paucity of health services including oxygen cylinders in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister of State Subhas Sarkar answered on December 22, 2021 queries regarding death of government and non-government teachers while on Covid-duty. Already, the number presented by the government dwarfs in comparison to the 1,621 deaths reported by the Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers Association (UPPTA) during the Panchayat elections in the state.

However, to make matters worse, Sarkar said, “None of these [327 staff] teachers died during COVID duty.”

According to the Minister, the data was collected from Kendriya Vidhyalaya (KV), Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyalaya (JNV) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) but not from state-funded or private schools.

“Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and schools, other than those owned / funded by the central government, are under the jurisdiction of state governments,” he said.

Further, Rajya Sabha members Manoj Kumar Jha and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan asked about the Centre’s contribution in the compensation to be sent to teachers’ families. They also asked how many families whose kin died during COVID duty are eligible for compensation and the state-wise status of receipt of the same.

On both these accounts, the government response was sorely lacking. The only related information provided was that non-central schools and their functioning are under the jurisdiction of the state governments. Accordingly, there was no state-wise break-up of the 327 deaths announced by Sarkar.

Earlier, when the UPPTA listed the 1,621 deaths between April and May, the state government acknowledged only three deaths between April 12 to May 16. Such contradictions in data keep affected families from availing the Rs. 1 crore compensation demanded by the Union and directed by the Allahabad court.

In September, Sabrang India talked to families of deceased staff members who said that while the administration had increased the number of acknowledged deaths from three people, it still hadn’t sent the Covid-compensation of Rs. 30 lakh.

This despite the UPPTA sending a detailed list of deceased people, their family contact and the district where they lived in. Geographically, the following regions lost their primary teachers and staff workers: Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lucknow, Raebareli, Sitapur, Unnao, Azamgarh, Balliya, Mau, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Kushinagar, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandoli, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Amethi, Ambedkarnagar, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Kanpur, Farukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Agra, Mainpuri, Mathura, Firozabad, Muradabad, Amroha, Bijnor, Rampur, Sambhal, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Bareli, Shahjahanpur, Budaun, Pilibhit, Mareth, Bagpat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Aligarh, Kasganj, Etah, Hathras, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Santakbir nagar. It may be noted these are districts in UP alone.

While this list may include non-teaching staff, it may be worth questioning how the Centre counted a little more than 300 deaths in centrally-funded schools all over India when UP alone talks of over 1,600 deaths.

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Will it be a mild variant as in the first wave, or will it be a killer virus as in the third wave? From Alpha to Delta to the next one, what is it going to be like in its multiple mutations? Or, truly, and magically, and happily, has it finally disappeared from the scene in overcrowded India? If it is so, is it back to normal as in the pre-pandemic days?

And that is the dilemma, and there seems no clarity. In other countries, especially in Europe or the Scandinavian countries, governments have formally announced the end of lockdowns and how and why life can be resumed normally. In France you need vaccination proof to enter restaurants. In Norway, people celebrated all night in the pubs and streets recently after the lockdown was finally lifted and Norway was declared safe and sound by the government. Ditto with Sweden etc. Many parts of America, which are fully vaccinated, like Boston, have allowed public spaces to reopen with Covid protocol.

However, in India, the confusion hangs, like much of the other things which are forever in limbo. There are no clear instructions or clarifications offered by the government – the states seem to be simply following this tacit cue from the Centre, with absolutely no clarity. Are we still living in the pandemic times of isolation, with fear and uncertainty in the air, or, is it all hunky dory now, back to business?

The metros in Delhi are packed, more so in peak times. Physical distancing is impossible though most passengers are wearing masks. The shopping malls are throbbing in all the metros with thousands of footfalls. The Press Club of India is regaining its old reputation as a watering hole and a shared space of camaraderie and exchange of ideas – even as it hosts press conferences. Local markets are bustling with people. There are routine and regular traffic jams in Delhi and Kolkata, and other cities. Domestic flights are apparently full – even as fares have been hiked during this festive month.

As in recent times in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, when thousands of tourists from Delhi etc, following no Covid protocol, thronged the tourist centers such as Shimla and Mussorie, thereby apparently creating fears of another wave among the local hill-people, the tourist flow might yet again boom. Will the boom bring another wave across the different tourist destinations? There is indeed a huge section of rich people who just don’t care – for them the pandemic is just a minor obstacle to the insatiable hedonism of their daily life of excess and consumerism. So, it was normal for them to take selfies with no masks, and walk around the markets with no physical distancing. Many of them actually were collectively jumping into a water body near Mussorie.

In the pre-election phase in 2019, India was stalked by unemployment which was stated to be the highest in 45 years. Efforts were made then by the central government to hide and fudge the data. With over approximately 140 million people jobless in India in the post-pandemic scenario, including in the corporate sector, and thousands of unemployed migrant workers refusing to return to the cities which are yet to offer full-fledged employment, some sections of the working class are back to work, including daily wage workers. According to a Pew Research Centre study, millions among the middle class have been pushed into low-income groups.

The number of the poor in the post-pandemic era has increased by 75 million in India, according to the Pew study – which means a huge crisis among a huge population trapped below the poverty line. The poor constitute now about 130 million of the population, and the number has increased massively during the pandemic. Almost half of the women workers in the unorganized sector seem to have disappeared, even in cities like Delhi; they are now being called the ‘Missing Women’. Almost 47 per cent of women in the organized sectors have lost their jobs permanently.

This is an unprecedented crisis of unprecedented magnitude. It seems there is mass malnourishment, hidden hunger and invisible suffering around the remote rural and small-town interiors and in urban ghettos, especially in the Hindi heartland. It needs strong and emergency measures on a war-footing.

However, only some states seem to have moved in with great efficiency and effective relief measures to combat this social and economic crisis, especially among the poor, such as West Bengal and Kerala. In UP and Bihar, the condition remains as abysmal as ever.

Except for PR exercises and image management, there seems no effort from the Prime Minister and his government to tackle this massive national crisis. Indeed, the Prime Minister seems more concerned about this grandiose multi-million Central Vista project, then this mass economic and social crisis stalking the vast Indian landscape.

There are reports of malnourishment and hunger among the poor, especially women and girl children. There are fears of child marriage increasing among girls and a vicious spiral in child labour and human trafficking due to abject poverty and economic deprivations. The working class and daily wagers, including the likes of street vendors and small shopkeepers, have no option. They have to come out and work, and look for job opportunities, and earn something for their daily survival after such a prolonged phase of unemployment and scarcity. “If Covid does not kill us, hunger will,” is a common refrain among the unorganised working class.

In this largely bleak scenario, in Kolkata, and West Bengal, people seem excited about the Durga Puja this time though the thrill and the chill is missing in the air. It was so quiet, subdued and restricted last time, hence the manifest anticipation and great expectations. Popular markets like Garihata, or the shopping malls, and the famous Park Street, are jostling with people – a large number of them without masks. In local markets like the Garia vegetable and fish market, thousands of people are out on the streets, while shared autos are working full-time with packed passengers, some without masks.

In Kolkata, the night curfew has been suspended for 10 days during the Durga Puja, so, everyone seems happy – the shopkeepers, the food-joints, and the nocturnal creatures looking for celebration. The concept behind the suspension of the night curfew is interesting: this will lead to less overcrowding in the day time – and some people will thereby choose to only come out in the night. Even before Puja, restaurants and bars are back with customers, while people are on a shopping spree. Largely, most care a damn for any Covid protocol.

However, there are large number of people still living in isolation, or refusing to go out into public spaces, including senior citizens. Many offices across India are shut and it is still work from home. Others are only going out if and when it is of utmost importance. Many have not moved out of their homes since summer and the second wave. Others are waiting for the festive season to end. Most others are still in a dilemma – because there were warnings that the third wave might arrive in September-October.

“What is the point of buying and wearing new clothes during the Durga Puja, if there is dying and death everywhere once again due to Covid,” said a senior woman consultant in a multinational company, now living in home isolation in Kolkata for more than two months since March 2020. Her doctors have categorically told her to be patient and stay at home. The doctors are also cynical – the manner in which thousands of people are crowding the markets in Kolkata, who can stop the third wave?

A 70-year-old retired professor in Bangalore, has postponed his plans to travel to a loved one in October. Covid cases have been rising in the building complex where he lives. He wants to go out, since he is fully vaccinated, but he is hesitant and not sure. Restrictions have been imposed in his apartment complex. No one is sure, really, especially those who are senior citizens, or, those who want to take precautions since they are aware that this disease tends to spread in crowded places. 

A social activist said, “In Kerala the cases might be rising now. It is now being called the second wave in Kerala. This is because they tackled it so well during the first wave and when the entire country was being ravaged by the second wave. They had functioning oxygen plants, fully equipped and totally free government hospitals, a chain of medical, community and social networks across the towns and villages, panchayats and local collective networks always ready to help, an efficient information system, organized and mass-testing, and a highly sensitive and responsive health ministry and government machinery. People were not afraid that the private hospitals will fleece them, or, that they will die due to lack of oxygen, beds or specialized medical support. That is why they were confident that they could cope with the killer Covid. This is how they controlled Nipah even now, and earlier. Even in Kolkata, where private hospitals charged exorbitantly high rates during the second wave, the free government hospitals were fully-equipped and effective, with the best doctors and health workers. This is not the case with many parts of India, including in Delhi, as it was witnessed during the second wave. Hence, the fear of an impending catastrophe with no government or community support system stalks large parts of the nation. Treatment in private hospitals have financially ruined so many people.  Many people fear that they will be left to their fate if they get the disease.”

So, what to do now? Stay in isolation? Wait for the third wave? For how long?

No one seems to know and while others don’t seem to care. The central and state governments are mum. The medical authorities are silent. The doctors and frontline health warriors are worried, and so are those who are facing a tough and depressing task in tough and prolonged isolation, especially single men and women, or, the elderly, who live all alone in alien cities, often, with no support systems. The jobless are broke, jobs are not coming by even in the corporate sector, instead, there is mass retrenchment; and savings are fast dipping. Only those employed in the bureaucracy, in universities and colleges, and government jobs, seem to be having a nice time with regular salaries.

Interestingly, in late August, news reports came out which were a warning, and rather alarming. Surprisingly, there have been no follow-up on this important revelation in the media, and even the authorities in Delhi, or, in the states too, have chosen to keep quiet for reasons still not known. A panel of experts, constituted by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), predicted a third wave of Covid-19 across India between September and October. It seriously recommended rapid mass vaccination as the only effective way to stop it. The reports stated that the panel was instituted under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). That means, this expert committee was reporting to the highest authorities in the country – namely, the home minister and the prime minister. The report was apparently submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The experts expressed the fear that children might also face a risk as the adults did in the second wave. It was stated that the pediatric infrastructure in the Indian hospital and medical establishment, both in the private and public sector, is still not fully equipped to tackle a major health crisis in terms of Covid among children.

The report categorically stated: “Leading experts have repeatedly warned of an imminent third Covid-19 wave in India. Epidemiologists predict a series of surges till we achieve herd immunity through infection or vaccination and the disease becomes endemic.”

The report quoted the predictions made by IIT Kanpur earlier which had posed three likely scenarios, apparently based on a mathematical model. First, the third wave could peak in early October with 3.2 lakh positive cases every day. Second, if new, virulent variants emerge, the third wave could peak in September with likely five lakh positive cases per day. (These two scenarios have, as of now, proved wrong.) And, third, the third wave could make a late surge in late October with two lakh positive cases every day.

This report had also presumed that herd immunity could be achieved if around 67 per cent of the population become immune – by infection for a certain period, and by vaccination. However, what will happen if unpredictable, much more deadlier and virulent variants mutate, especially when a large population is not vaccinated, remains in the realm of uncertainty and speculation. In that case, only full vaccination of 80 per cent of the population could stop the killer virus.

The good news is that under a new and more actively engaged Union Home Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, the frustratingly slow and uneven process of vaccination, and the acute lack of vaccines across many states, prevalent till recently, has been overcome now. Free vaccination has been initiated in a mass scale and there seems no shortfall of vaccines as of now. Almost 65 per cent population has got one dose and around 25 per cent have been fully vaccinated. This percentage seems to be rising with a daily count, though it can be multiplied many times more on a war-footing. At this count, the challenging task of total and full vaccination across India for adults by December might seem a not-so-difficult target. According to official statistics, critical cases have plummeted to less than 25,000 per day all over the country.

The confidence level in the Union health ministry is also high given the fact that it has stated that vaccine production in the country has shot up. So much so, there are efforts to rectify the failed international promise made by the Indian government to supply vaccines to African countries. It failed the promise because it was running terribly short of vaccines since April 2021, despite the lofty claims made by the prime minister at World Economic Forum’s Davos Dialogue in January 2021.

However, the ministry is of the opinion that the vaccine supply to the African countries and elsewhere can be started by October, given the high level of vaccine production in India in the current scenario. This is part of the global deal under ‘Covax’ signed by India. Covax is a vaccine-sharing global body.

The Serum Institute of India has apparently doubled its output of the AstraZeneca shot to 150 million doses, according to reports. Earlier, surprisingly, before it had stopped exports in the summer of 2021 due to what seemed a total botch-up and acute shortage of vaccines, the central government in Delhi had donated or sold 66 million doses to around 100 countries.

Reuters has reported that the African Union has accused the manufacturers of denying the African nations a fair chance to buy vaccines. The African Union has asked India, and other manufacturing nations, to lift export restrictions. Over 5.7 billion plus doses of vaccines have been reportedly administered globally. However, only 4 per cent of the African people have got vaccination till now. Only 9 African countries have vaccinated 10 per cent of their population. The rich nations, predictably, despite promises to Covax, has betrayed the poor nations and chosen to only prioritise their own population, though it is an established theory that this is a global disease and will continue to spread if any part is left unvaccinated.

Indeed, in India now, it almost seems like the pandemic has disappeared and so has the virus. Is it really so? Or, is it a mere deception?

Several parts of the world have been under lockdown. Auckland brought in a shockingly hard lockdown after only one case of Covid which arrived from neighbouring Australia apparently, because New Zealand was in a literal bubble with a zero case scenario, though vaccination, surprisingly, had been low. As the cases started rising in this efficient and small country, run by an equally efficient, pro-people, and democratic Labour Party leader, Jacinda Ardern, Auckland was put under tough restrictions. 

Australia itself has been going through strong phases of lockdown in what is called its ‘second wave’. In Vietnam, which literally started with a zero case scenario last year, lockdown is back. Indonesia suffered mass deaths and mass cremations in burial grounds in recent times, perhaps as worse as the cruel Indian summer, and, yet, it is still struggling. In Europe the prosperous ‘western bloc’ such as Germany, France, Denmark etc have had mass vaccination, while the ‘eastern block’ such as Poland, Slovenia, Hungry are lagging behind.

South Korea, Japan and Malaysia have given more vaccine doses per 100 people – it is much better than what the US could do. In South Korea, vaccination has stopped hospitalization for most people. In Japan, crucial cases have lessened by half in September, to just about 1,000 cases a day. However, the situation in Japan is still not safe — 31,000 cases of hospitals have been reportedly recently. It was as high as 230,000 in late August.

In America, the supporters of Donald Trump and the ‘Red Republican Areas’ in the map are still witnessing a surge of Covid cases with a large number of hardliner Republicans and others refusing to get vaccinated. After his post-presidency promise to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days, Joe Biden has announced stricter measures – compulsory vaccination of 100 million health workers, federal contractors and others in the private sectors, and most CEOs have come along with him.

The New York Times in a survey has created graphs which show that all those states which voted Trump have high Covid cases and are unvaccinated, unlike those which voted for the Democrats. Biden has said that the section of the population not getting vaccinated are allowing the virus to spread and thereby threatening those who are already vaccinated and stopping the process of economic and social recovery. He has said in a press conference at the White House that other critical patients like those with heart and other ailments are not able to get treatment because the unvaccinated people are now over-crowding the health centers and hospitals after being afflicted with the virus.

He has now pushed third booster shots for those above 65, health workers, frontline workers like grocery store owners, etc, and there are 80,000 pharmacies giving the shots free of cost across the country. Biden, 78, has himself taken a third booster shot. However, his opponents are calling him a dictator saying that not getting vaccinated is in an individual right and he has no business to interfere in their individual decisions. Surprisingly, several frontline health workers are refusing to take vaccination in America, so they are being replaced by other professionals, including from the security apparatus.

Given the global circumstances, India still remains in a twilight zone. There is still no clarity. While thousands are out in public spaces, there is no roadmap about the future, or, what is the action plan for the nation. If another surge of the deadly virus suddenly arrives, there will be perhaps less panic this time, and there will be more preparation, but, yet another phase of lockdown and collective and individual crisis will stalk the nation. People will continue to suffer across the spectrum, especially those in the margins.

If it does not arrive, then, will the nation’s economic and social life continue as usual – with absolutely no clarity or future course of action? Will there be a massive economic boost and mass job creation? Will offices, cinema halls and campuses be forever shut? Will travel become safe and secure? Will the private hospitals stop fleecing? Will government hospitals take charge and give free treatment, and total and full confidence to the people? Will the millions of jobless get back on their feet? Will the social and personal isolation, the depression and emotional crisis faced by millions of people, who are compulsively avoiding public places and crowded spaces, ever end?

The answer is not blowing in the wind. Only the questions loom large. 
 

The post Is a third wave of Covid-19 coming this festive season? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Reopen college campus with proper Covid-protocol and safety measures, demanded prominent student leaders and the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) on September 9, 2021 at the Press Club of India.

After one and a half year of the Covid-19 pandemic, student leaders from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) voiced the need to normalise physical classes and education once again.

Their demands include: 

• reopening of campus with due protocol to reintegrate dropout students
• fee waiver from the government to help students still dealing with the economic impact of Covid-19 
• issuance of a comprehensive special package to address financial issues and loss of an academic year
• on-campus vaccination drives to immunise students and faculty

“Governments are coming up with economic packages to revive the economy. But education is not the focus even though the same is central for development. India’s socio-economic-political future is intertwined with education,” said SIO Secretary General Syed Muzakkir.

Citing observed examples of this, JNU Research Scholar Afreen Fatima spoke about how students were thrown out of the campus when the first nationwide lockdown was announced. Students were unable to access research material for their dissertation and were unable to submit their coursework. Scholarships and fellowships were suspended. Non-teaching staff are yet to be paid their dues.

“The government does not consider education a priority. Online classes are not good enough. Three-four batches of students have no idea what their coursework is, what their degree means. Institutional education system has silently crumbled. Marginalised communities students have suffered the most,” she said. Fatima emphasised that if campuses are not opened soon, student communities will come out on the streets to express their rage.

JMI students staged a protest on Thursday outside university campus to demand its reopening. A delegation of SIO JMI leaders submitted a memorandum to the proctor asking for resumption of off-line classes and opening of campus, especially reading halls and libraries.

According to the SIO, similar protests have already begun in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Telangana.

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Speaking at the event, JMI representative Asif Iqbal Tanha pointed out that the JMI campus has not been opened since February 14, 2019. He condemned the university administration for not considering the campus issue seriously enough.

Regarding online education Tanha said, “When I was in jail, I remember the online court sessions. Advocates were not in uniform, others could not turn on their cameras, and others struggled with their internet. This happened in a government area. Then outside, where there are great divides between the rich and the poor, how will a poor person’s child study? People are being distanced from education.”

Building on Fatima’s point of student anger on the streets, Tanha said education is a basic right. Students will fight to keep education from being divided. He further said that students will send the memorandum to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as well if their demands are not met.

“Since 2014, the government talks to students about pakodas but not education or actual issues. Student bodies are targeted. The government wants to decide what students will learn in schools. Like selling buildings, they’re selling institutions. They want Adani and Ambani to decide the school plan,” said Tanha.

The group of leaders as a whole emphasised the need for Covid-care facilities in all campuses, vaccinations for all students and immediate reopening of universities to alleviate student distress.

AMU student leader Abdul Wadood particularly spoke about the youths suffering mental problems due to the state of education during the pandemic. “We’re seeing how campuses are closed in the name of the pandemic and students are being swindled. The administration takes full fees from students but does not provide necessary facilities,” said Wadood.

He pointed out that many AMU students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and therefore needed campuses to be opened. He also said that campuses needed to be reopened so that women students can have safe accommodation.

“The administration asks us who will take responsibility if the students fall ill. Then, get students and faculty vaccinated,” said Wadood.

He said that the lack of lab and field work posed a problem for PhD students who availed jobs based on work experience. The lack of research material also hinders their thesis writing.

Disconcerting data on Indian education

Another speaker, Centre for Educational Research Training Director Fawaz Shaheen, said that Indian education is in a deep crisis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, experts have raised questions about the fundamental issue of online access and the use of the access for education.

“There is no training for that. How will they ensure the quality of online classes? We’ve been asking questions about infrastructure and training to consider the government’s investment in education,” he said.

Stating that the current regime is scared of student mobilisation, Shaheen said there is no budgetary plan from the government’s end. He cited ASER and similar reports on online education that said 37 percent of students dropped out in rural India and 19 percent of children dropped out in urban regions. Meanwhile, regular school-going children were only 47 percent in urban areas and 28 percent in rural areas. Further, children’s socialising capabilities also suffered due to the lack of classroom interaction. He said that students are expected to survive on the basis of coaching classes when only economically privileged backgrounds can afford classes.

“None of our demands that we voiced from the first day have been satisfied. A racketeering of online education is going on. It is necessary to reopen campuses and plan to recover the loss to education,” he said.

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The post Student leaders demand reopening of colleges, deem online education inadequate appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Gorakhpur’s primary school teacher Vivek Prasad has resigned himself from expecting the Covid-compensation of Rs. 30 lakh from the Uttar Pradesh government anytime soon. For over four months, Vivek tried to have his father Keshav Prasad’s name included in the list of teachers who died during panchayat election duties amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, like 300 other families, Vivek was horrified to find his kin’s name missing from the July 13 list. The news added to the pressure of being the sole earner for a family of seven people after his father’s death on April 28, 2021.

“He [Keshav] was perfectly healthy at first. But after two days of election duties, he developed a fever and started coughing. We admitted him to the Garg Hospital on April 25,” Vivek tells SabrangIndia in a tired tone.

During elections, Vivek travelled for 40-45 km while Keshav travelled for 50-60 km every day to carry out his responsibilities as a presiding officer. Keshav worked from 8 AM to 2 PM, equipped with only a mask that he brought from home. At the hospital, the family was informed that Keshav’s oxygen level had plummeted to 26-28 percent. An RT-PCR report showed he was Covid-positive. Yet, to Vivek’s shock, the same report, for which he paid Rs. 1,200, was not given to him when he needed to submit his application for the government compensation.

“I paid the hospital fees. I saw them write 70 percent Covid-affected. But they did not give me the report. It’s required when applying for the government money,” says Vivek adding that the entire medical cost amounted to around Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 90,000.

The lack of a positive RT-PCR report was one of the prime reasons why people did not see their relatives’ names included in the government list detailing each Covid-death during election duty.

However, Keshav was the only teacher excluded from the list in his block. His son wrote multiple letters to the District Magistrate, sought help from the The Uttar Pradesh Primary teachers Association (UPPTA) and received no response.

“I have been waiting for a month now. My mother is ill. Two of my siblings are studying and nobody is listening to us. The government forced us to do election duty and put us in trouble. Even if I think of voicing my complaints now, I wonder who is listening,” he says.

In another part of Gorakhpur, Ajay Tiwari remembers his late brother and primary teacher Vinay Tiwari. The latter was proud of working at a government school in Jangl Tinkoniya village, says Ajay. Even when the Uttar Pradesh government declared election duty for teachers amidst a Covid-19 pandemic, he did not shy away from his responsibilities.

Remembering Vinay’s exact time of death, April 26, 2021 at 2:10 PM, Ajay says, “My brother must have worked for 36 hours during election time. He remained there relentlessly. He used to tell us that this is Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s own constituency. So, we should ensure that his image is not tarnished.”

Vinay’s family is also among those who are waiting for the government relief despite making the government list. The UPPTA noted during the latest state budget in August that the monetary relief was slotted for the families. Ajay’s account narrates the severe consequences of the delay for the families.

“Covid has ruined us. We don’t blame the government but we would’ve been grateful if the compensation would have come on time. We had to sell our land to pay our dues. My family is devastated,” says Ajay.

It may be mentioned that even the Allahabad High Court declared the government’s monetary relief of Rs. 30 lakh to be “very less”.

While Vinay’s home-quarantine saved the family from excessive medical expenses, the children are eagerly waiting for the government job guaranteed to the next of kin. For now, Vinay’s son works at a private company to take care of his ill mother.

While Tiwari’s family sticks together in Gorakhpur, two siblings in Amethi are left to fend for themselves. 22-year-old Rajvijay Yadav nowadays tries to run the house after his mother Vimlesh Yadav succumbed to Covid-19 on April 23.

Having learnt about the ex-gratia amount offered by the state government, Rajvijay ran around to submit the application form complete with a death certificate and RT-PCR report. He is still waiting for the money to help him and his sister survive.

“Our relatives give us food sometimes. I am still finishing my B.Sc. studies. I want to ask the government to give the compensation as soon as possible, especially the jobs guaranteed to kin. My mother died while doing election work. We need a means to survive,” he says.

Earlier, the UPPTA has demanded that dependents appearing for BTC, B.Ed, D.L. Ed, be given teachers’ posts while the rest are to be appointed as clerks.

Three days before Vimlesh’s demise, her son admitted her to the district hospital where doctors told her she had extremely low oxygen levels. She was shifted to an L2 hospital but never got sufficient oxygen.

Between chaperoning his mother and arranging for an oxygen pipeline, he spent around Rs. 1 lakh. He only received help from the UPPTA in all this. Previously, the organisation said that the government should employ the pre-April-1-2005 pension system for aggrieved families. Families of teachers who were 60 years or younger should get gratuity. Meanwhile, Rajvijay implores to the government to give him the compensation amount quickly.

While one son puts his faith in the administration, another son in Sitapur scoffs at the government machinery. Saurabh Varma still remembers when his mother Bina Varma went for an election briefing on April 14. At the time, she was already suffering from a disease that was first diagnosed to be typhoid then called pneumonia but showed all tell-tale Covid symptoms.

“Her oxygen level was 53 percent. This happens in case of Covid-19 not pneumonia. Her first RT-PCR came negative but after her meeting, we tried to get another test done. She died on April 15,” says Saurabh.

The family applied for the compensation but were informed that only those with a positive RT-PCR test could apply. Moreover, Bina’s work was to begin from April 28 but her son claimed that she was put to work right from the conclusion of the meeting.

“Even when she was ill, authorities told her she had to show them a Covid-positive test. Even for excusing herself from election duties she had to prove that she had Covid-19. Otherwise, she would have lost her job. What can we say? It’s on the government now, if they want to give us compensation,” says Saurabh.

Despite her committed work, she was hard-pressed to get a ventilator in the hospital. At the time, Lucknow hospitals were suffering from a severe dearth of such infrastructure.

The medical crisis cost the family at least Rs. 20,000. Saurabh’s father is a pensioner. Bina was the sole earner of the family. Although Saurabh has completed his B.Tech degree, he is currently studying for a job in the banking sector. He criticises the government for privatising every sector because of which he could not even find a job in his chosen field.

“At the end of the day, we all want jobs,” he says, in an even tone.

However, Tabassum’s husband Shahid’s voice falters as he counts every month since he lost his beloved. Living in Prayagraj, the couple lived without any other family members. Tabassum was the breadwinner, while Shahid made her tiffin every morning.

On April 15, after a day of election work, Tabassum said she suffered from nausea and vomiting. She developed a fever of 102 degrees and Shahid went to nearby doctors for a prescription to break the fever. On April 18, she died.

“Her health suddenly took a turn for the worse in the morning. I took her to three hospitals. They all refused to take her in. This was when Covid was at its peak. One hospital checked her oxygen level and told me it was 30 percent. But nobody took her in. They told me to show an RT-PCR report but nobody did the test,” says Shahid as his voice cracks remembering the day.

He rages against the government for persisting with the panchayat elections at the time. Shahid argues that his wife was committed to her job and her school and did not shirk her work. Yet, he only learnt about the government’s compensation scheme from newspapers and WhatsApp groups. When he tried to submit an application, he was told he couldn’t apply due to the lack of medical documents.

“We tried a lot to keep this election from happening. We went till the High Court. If the government had listened, these teachers would not have died. She would not have died,” says Shahid.

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The post Families of deceased UP teachers still waiting for ex-gratia payment appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Dadu, Dadu…Get up Dadu. Eat something. Take your medicines. Drink a glass of water. Wake up Dadu. Oh Dadu…”

‘Dadu’ means grandfather in Bengali. When she utters the word, with deep sweetness and warmth, and when she repeats it again and again, cajoling the patient to wake up, it resurrects a stream of childhood memories and a deep sense of human warmth for the highly critical Covid patients at different stages of illness and recovery at the specialized Beleghata Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospital in Kolkata.

It is also called the Beleghata ID Covid Hospital, because, after the pandemic, it has been turned into a specialized Covid hospital. Run by the state government, its reputation has soared extremely high in a short span of time for specialized treatment of Covid patients. In the last ten years, under the current government of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Belaghata ID Hospital, the specialized Bangur Hospital in south Kolkata and other hospitals, have been upgraded considerably and become a good example of some of the finest health care available in the public sector anywhere in the country.

In one of its wards during the peak of the second surge, with two huge dormitories housing several patients, the young nurse is trying her best. “Dadu, Dadu… wake up, eat something,” she says, “take your medicine.”

But, the old man refuses to listen to her pleas. He has been in this state for six days at least. Except for a piece of white cloth and diapers around his thighs, he is bare-bodied. In his state of unconsciousness, he jerks off the oxygen mask, even as one nurse after another come by and fix it. There are drips on his arms. He has not eaten for long it seems.

A dark, big and strong man, with powerful hands and muscles, very tall, he screams in a high pitched and hoarse voice every now and then. It’s a scream of great angst, as if coming from deep suffering. It shakes the Covid ward, this sound of human anguish.

When he wakes up after six days, he looks around, refuses to talk, is subdued, shy and silent, and not quiet there in his mind.  He instantly throws away the oxygen mask, and lifts the barriers on the bed physically, with great strength, even while the astounded patients tell him not to. He wants to go to the toilet. He doesn’t seem to register what other patients or nurses are telling him. Clearly, he is not mentally stable.

When the doctors come, after a lot of cajoling, he utters his name, much too softly. Where does he live? “Raastar dhaare,” he says, literally ‘on the street’. The doctors have to press their ears near his lips. He is hardly audible.

He is a homeless man with no address who lives on the street, somewhere in Kolkata. He is probably a worker, a loader, a man who lifts heavy weights, or has done hard labour all his life. He listens to the nurse now, puts on his oxygen mask, eats his food, and remains as silent as ever. All the patients treat him with respect, they try to help him, or politely appeal to him to wear his oxygen mask. Some get him water, fix his bed, re-assure him. He looks at them with gratitude, but in total silence. Until he drifts again, back to his long spell of semi-consciousness, accompanied by those screams every now and then.

Across his bed is a professor of chemistry. His mother and father died last week — of Covid. His sister, also an academic, is also suffering with Covid. His face reflects deep sadness. He is calm and stoic. He is mourning.

He loves his cough syrup, till the time other patients put a stop to it, because he is coughing all through the night. The cough syrup gives him a quick siesta and perhaps mental relief at odd hours of the day. He is amiable and soft-spoken, but his oxygen levels are not normalizing.  He and some other patients are not able to sleep in the night; they are breathless, they are coughing endlessly, some have high blood pressure, others have co-morbidities like diabetes.

After a few days, the professor suddenly reaches across to me, a journalist. He speaks haltingly about the tragedy in his family. How he is now trapped by Covid, like his sister. And, yet, he has to cope with this intense tragedy.

“Do you read detective fiction,” the professor asks, suddenly. “Yes,” says the journalist. “I love them. Especially Sherlock Holmes, Satyajit Ray’s Feluda, PD James and Hanning Mankel. Have your read them.” He says, “Have you read the railway detective stories situated in 19th century in England by Keith Miles under the pseudonym Edward Marston. Incredible.? Have you read The Last Train: A Tokyo Mystery by Michael Pronko, located in Japan. Can I email it to you?”

The professor is like all the others here, patients who are struggling with their own critical illness, abject physical weakness, personal and family tragedies, financial crisis, unemployment, fear of the future. Yet, while the virus has ravaged the body, the human spirit is still going strong. And the hospital, somehow, with its all-encompassing health care and humane treatment, gives all of them a sense of courage, reassurance and optimism. No one is insecure or paranoid, there is no fear of death lurking in the air – they know they are in safe hands.

And everyone is forever reaching out, the patients, helping each other, fixing the oxygen meter, sharing water and fruits, pepping up each other with laughter, discussing politics, cinema, elections, advising each other to go it slow, walk one step at a time and breathe deeply when you go to the bathroom, drink a lot of water, have another cup of tea, sharing biscuits, some extra milk, a story here, a story there. There are others who are cleaning the bathroom and asking others to keep it clean.

A patient walks fast, as if he is ‘normal’ now, returning from the toilet; so, another patient quickly warns him: “Slow. Walk slow.”

A worker in the Calcutta Muncipal Corporation, also a patient, likes only Hindi songs from Bollywood of the 1970s. He plays them loud and refuses to lower the volume. Another patient is watching a Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen classic on his mobile, so happy with the movie that he shouts out aloud – “Oh, I can watch this movie a million times!”

A 94-year old patient is as strong as he can be and insists on walking alone with his stick to the toilet. And, yet, a 70-year-old patient, his neighbour, volunteers to walk with him and wait. He can’t eat solid food, so his neighbour organizes milk, bread and boiled eggs for him. His oxygen mask slips off and he does not really care. So, the nurse scolds him, “Dadu, wear your mask. Now.”

There is a man who runs a small tea shop – his little business has been down for months.
There is a retired school teacher ailing for weeks. There are patients who have recovered and don’t need oxygen, but they are still not fully fit, and the doctors are not giving them a discharge slip.

The sanitation staff keep the place spic and span. They wipe the floors several times, clean the bedpans, help the patients with diapers, collect the garbage, and not once can you hear a grumble. They do their work with remarkable efficiency. Other hospital workers arrive with tea and biscuits twice, and three meals a day: bread, eggs, bananas, apples, fish, rich, chapattis, curd. The meals are delicious and wholesome.

Indeed, these workers too are ‘Frontline Corona Warriors’ who are risking their lives, like the doctors and nurses, day after day – with a smile on their lips. Many patients are now friends with the workers, sharing chit-chats, joking, asking for extra tea and biscuits.

A thin, young man tells another patient not to throw stuff on the ground. Keep the place clean, he tells him. The patient doesn’t mind. “Yes, you are right.”

The young man keeps quiet for days. “What do you do? I ask. He is reluctant. “I am a poor man,” he says. “There has been no earning since the lockdown.”

He runs a small pressure cooker servicing shop, which is shut. He is from Purulia and remembers his childhood of utter poverty and backwardness all around. “The adivasis had to walk miles to fetch one mud tumbler of water. Despite the forests around, the area is parched for long spells. Now, this government has changed all that – there is piped water, roads, public transport, schools, hostels for girls. I still remember the flutes played by the adivasis when I was a child. I can never forget their lilting melody!”

When he was discharged, hail and hearty, he did not have even one rupee in his pocket. But he was a happy man. A neighbour had volunteered to pick him up, though the hospital would provide a free ambulance for patients to drop them home after they were discharged.

The virus is terrible – it ravages the lungs first, and then the organs. Some patients have recovered, literally from the edge. It took a patient 27 days in the hospital to fully recover –but the doctors were adamant that he will only be discharged after he is totally fit.

“When I came here I was like a curled-up banana—totally unconscious, my body ravaged. They gave me life-saving medicines, including highly expensive drugs, they took care of me day and night, they saved me,” said a patient.

“Gods and goddesses are not in the temple, mosque or church. They are here. Look at the manner they are risking their own lives to save us,” said another patient.

All the patients are on oxygen – which runs 24 hours. There has never been a moment of crisis in terms of oxygen supply, or 24 hours medical and health care (and food/drinking water), including the supply of expensive and inaccessible drugs, even during the peak of the second surge with an overwhelming rush of patients.

The nurses are mostly young, equipped with their PPE and masks, which is suffocating and hot, as one nurse said, working 24 hours non-stop in daily shifts, stretched to their limits, with total dedication and commitment, tired and weary, but with not one word ever spoken in anger, irritation and despair. They would take care of each patient with meticulous detail and diligence, giving them medicines three or four times a day, checking oxygen levels, pulse rates, ECG etc, monitoring the most critical patients with special care, while reassuring them again and again, fixing their blankets, their masks, their oxygen machines.

Indeed, they would feed some patients with their own hands, or make them eat food with such warmth and persuasion, that the entire ward felt a wave of gratitude for their relentless and unconditional dedication. The nurses would be up all night in their cabin, and with the crack of dawn the nurses in a new shift would arrive –bringing cheer and hope in the ward of Covid patients. One day a nurse went from bed to bed with an injection, so, some elderly patients said, “Dhonyobad.” (Thank you.) “Don’t say Dhonyobad,” she said. “Instead, give me Aashirwaad. (Blessings)”

The doctors, mostly young, would come on the dot, move from bed to bed with their case histories, take extra care of critical patients and would be always calm, responsive, accessible and reassuring. All queries and doubts were answered. Not one patient would be discharged without the person being totally cured. Every patient had his oxygen levels, blood pressure and pulse measured several times in the day.

One patient was unruly, rude and refused to cooperate, not taking medicines given by the nurses, refusing to wear the oxygen mask, creating a ruckus, and wanting to go home immediately. The young doctors would appeal to him with patience and politeness, explaining to him the danger of leaving the hospital, and how grossly expensive it will be for him to be treated in a private hospital or at home with oxygen cylinders and expensive medicines.  He would be adamant, but the young doctors would hold his hand and appeal to his good sense – “Stay back, please!” And he did, finally, stay back.

Amidst the infinite shadow of distress, dying and death, surrounded by the deadly infectious disease and Covid patients 24 hours, these ‘Frontline Corona Warriors’ – mostly young doctors and nurses, stretched to their professional, physical and emotional limits, many of them away from the comfort of their families and homes for weeks, risked their lives every day and every moment, without a moment of hesitation or doubt. They were truly the great harbingers of hope in a totally hopeless situation – the stoic symbols of life against death, at the Beleghata ID hospital in Kolkata. This journalist saw them upfront for days in a Covid ward as a patient in early May.

Indeed, there is this unimaginable humanism, compassion, warmth and care, combined with amazing dedication, commitment to their occupation, and professional efficiency, which marked the highly organized and streamlined health care system at the sprawling Beleghata ID Hospital, with its totally free medical and health care. It has an inbuilt, inherent and ingrained mechanism which not only treats all patients with absolute equality and dignity but is an incredible example of authentic health care for ordinary people.  It is something rare and precious in a country like India – the synthesis of professional brilliance and specialization, and amazing compassion and humanity.

This was yet again best exemplified when a young doctor and nurse came for inspection at around midnight. They saw the homeless man, without a mask, sleeping. He had not touched his food. So, the nurse went up to him, and said, “Dadu, Dadu, wake up. Eat your food. You have not taken your medicines.”

And the young doctor, repeated, slowly massaging the old man’s head with his fingers, “Dadu, Dadu, get up, eat, take your medicines.”

Amit Sengupta is Executive Editor, Hardnews and a columnist, currently based in Kolkata

Courtesy:  COVID RESPONSE WATCH

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