P L Khushu
The New Year has taken birth. The eradication of the woes of COVID 19, now appearing in the shape of a new variant known as Omicron are appearing remote. The years 2020 and 2021 became symbols of gloom because of the outbreak of corona virus, but it was hoped that 2022 will come with a hope of a perpetual cure from it. But it is not appearing so. The year 2020 became a symbol of gloom because of the outbreak of corona virus, but 2021 equally contributed to it with a new delta wave which caused disasters and took a heavy toll of human life. The world over the total Corona virus Cases are of the order of 288,548,705, when the deaths that occurred due to it are of the size of 5,453,463 and the recovered one’s are of the order of 25,37, 79,062. In India this figure rates as follows: total Corona virus cases are of the order of 34,861,579, when the deaths occurred are numbering about 4,81,486 and the recovered cases are about 34,275,312. Though 2020 did afford a brief period of relaxation from COVID onslaught, but it did not last for more time. In 2021, this pandemic showed a shivering wrath to our existence throughout the whole globe. A sizeable number of deaths occurred during this period across the globe. The delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 established itself as the dominant variant globally. India witnessed a dangerous and almost a fatal second wave of infections. It took a sizeable lot of life of India’s populace. Some of the cogent causes in this regard were due to the laxity on the part of the health care governance of sorts which include both the central government as also the state governments. Shortages of hospital beds with shortages in the provisions of oxygen to the affected victims, resulted in serious deaths, which could have been avoided, had the administration been alert about this second wave initially. More lives could have been saved had the health care system in the country been alert and raised to the time at the appropriate time in advance. But India did make a considerable progress in vaccine distribution and manufacture, among other things, under the personnel intervention and regular deep concerns of our Prime Minister Modi. The country began its vaccination drive on January 16, 2021, for healthcare workers which were later extended to people over 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age. Over 60 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said recently. Besides, around 89 per cent of India’s adults have been administered the first dose, according to health ministry officials. In the next phase vaccinations for all above the age of 45 years has been approved and finally it was expanded for everyone above 18 years of age also. . A total of over 145 crores of doses of vaccine have been administered and 16.9 crores doses were lying with the states. Thus the vaccine supplied to the states are 150 crores or administered by the private hospitals add up to about 86 per cent 0f the 188 crore doses required to fully vaccinate the total adult population, it is estimated to be about 94 crores. About 69 per cent of those above 60 years, the most vulnerable population has been fully vaccinated. Almost 73 per cent of those in the 45 to 59 age groups have been fully vaccinated, while a little over 55 per cent of the 18-44 age groups have received both the shots. Serum institute’s Covishield accounts for about 128.9 crore doses, while Covaxine accounts for 15.7 crore (11per cent). The demand for vaccines is likely to shot up with children to be vaccinated from January 3rd and the booster doses to be administered from January 10th to the elderly. It brings home a big hope that the health care institutions of the country and that of the different states are fully prepared to combat the new variant of COVID-19, the Omicron which is spreading faster than the delta variant of last year. It is getting known that it is spreading quite fast, particularly in the metro cities when the apprehensions are that such spreading will further travel to the other cities and towns at the same faster rate. But the experts are of the opinion that Omicron will be more or less mild in its attack as compared to the earlier disastrous attack of the last year’s delta variant of COVID-19. Hoping against the hope as per the opinion of some of the experts on this subject, they are of the opinion that this virus will probably make an exit by the end of May 2022, from the globe. Let us hope and pray. But along with hoping and praying, the population in general shall have to strictly adhere to COVID norms, like putting up of masks, maintaining of proper distance with each other, which will include avoiding of social gatherings, holding of big social ceremonies and the like. The health care systems shall have to ensure the declaring of containment zones in suspected areas of the COVID spread and the local civic bodies and local police shall have to play an important and a vital role in this behalf. Lock downs where ever needed have to be enforced. The working of shopping centers, Malls, entertainment centers like cine halls, restaurants and hotels are to be curbed with heavy hands by the concerned authorities. Virtual working of the courts, offices, multinational companies and the like are to be taken recourse to. Vaccination is another positive factor in this regard when all those who are not vaccinated at all or had one dose of vaccination only shall have to get vaccinated immediately. Similarly the children need to be vaccinated and the booster dose of the required vaccine administered to the elder citizens. The elections are near the corner in some of the states and huge election gatherings and rallies are being observed by various political parties involved in such elections. Such elections rallies and gatherings will certainly result in the spread of this epidemic unabated. The election commission of India and those of the states involved will have to work out a distinct schedule with which such rallies and gatherings are limited to a secured rationale, limiting such gatherings and rallies to bare minimum crowds. Then alone the optimal disastrous damage consequences from this third variant the Omicron can be restrained to a greater extent. In short it is the people who have to be cautious and vigilant to save themselves and the society at large from the disastrous consequences of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Another carry over problem of the year 2020 to the year 2021, was the farmer’s protests about the repealing of the farmers laws passed by the Indian Parliament. The ‘Delhi Chalo’ farmers’ agitation was mostly from north Indian states. It continued for about two years. Several rounds of talks were held by the agriculture minister of India along with his other ministerial colleagues, but all such talks failed eventually due to the hard approach of the agitating farmers. The turmoil which was created in the country over the farm laws was a classic case where groups with vested interests did mislead the farmers and instigated them to revolt, when these elements were in the search of ways to re-establish their lost political base. These farm laws were repealed by the government finally. The protracted protests of the farmers which hanged for almost two years and reached its peak during the year 2021, finally ended after the bill to cancel the three farm laws was passed in both houses of the Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, and appealed to the protesting farmers to return home. PM Modi said his government did its best to educate and inform the farmers about the laws and will continue to keep working for their betterment. While apologizing to the nation, he said “I want to say with a sincere and pure heart that may be something was lacking in our tapasya (dedication) that we could not explain the truth, as clear as the light of the “diya”, to some of our farmer brothers”. “But today is Prakash Parv (Guru Purab), not the time to blame anyone. Today, I want to tell the country that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws, PM Modi said in an address to the nation”. The nation cannot forget that the farmers’ protests were full of damages to the economy of the country, as also the siege of the Red Fort by protesting farmers during the tractor rally on January 26, 2021. That was the unfortunate part of such an agitation. Probably the government had to look to the overall security of the country which was getting jeopardized with such an agitation and thus withdrew these farm laws.
In the last few years, which include some portion of the year 2021 as well, the country witnessed various protests and most of them have fallen flat. From mobilizing the university youth, to using the plight of migrant laborers during COVID, to heat up the reservation issue and even the CAA protests, are the examples to be quoted in this behalf. The right to dissent is often misused to create a roadblock and has been a primary reason for the delay in the implementation of various reforms in the country. The turmoil which is being created in the country over the farm laws is a classic case where groups with vested interests are misleading the farmers and instigating them to revolt, when these elements are in the search of ways to reestablish their lost political base.
Back home, Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development, when a lot of development schemes are in operation in various sectors of its development. Recent development in this regard is that as many as 39 memorandums of understanding, worth Rs 18,300 crore were signed at the “Real Estate Summit-2021” held at Jammu recently. The summit was a push to attract real estate investments from across the country. In October last year, Union home ministry had introduced sweeping changes to the land laws of Jammu and Kashmir, which now allow any Indian citizen to buy land in the region. The changes to the laws formally ended the protection of land rights that were earlier guaranteed to long-term inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 35A of the Constitution. The provision was abrogated in August 2019, along with Article 370 of the Constitution that provided special status to the erstwhile state. The Lieutenant Governor is doings its best to salvage this union territory out of onslaught of the terrorist fold sponsored from across the border. Year 2021 saw the elimination of a total of 182 terrorists, including 44 of their top commanders and 20 foreigners, in 100 successful anti-terror operations by the Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces in the Union Territory, as per reports from the concerned authorities. It was further claimed by the authorities that “It was a successful year in terms of the guarding of borders. After a long time, the level of infiltration has come down. Only 34 terrorists were able to infiltrate the country from across the border this year. A lot among them have been neutralized and rest are being tracked,” as per reports. Another challenging endeavor is the process of delimitation of Jammu & Kashmir. In a major bid to end decades long political disempowerment of Jammu region, the Delimitation Commission has proposed allocation of six out of seven Assembly seats to Jammu and one to the Kashmir valley out of a total of seven seats increased for the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory and also announced reservation of nine seats for Scheduled Tribes and seven for Scheduled Castes. As per the Delimitation Commission’s proposal, Kashmir will now have 47 Assembly seats and Jammu 43. Even if the proposal mooted by the Delimitation Commission headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai which was shared with five Associate Members in a meeting in New Delhi is through, Kashmir division will still have four more seats from Jammu region. Some of the political leaders from the valley have been agitating for the allocation of more seats to Jammu, which speaks of their age old bias against Jammu. In this regard the grievances of Jammu people have not been addressed fully and thus deserve a second look by the Hon’ble Delimitation Commission. Jammu deserves a proper representation in the state assembly, which has been refused to Jammu since 1947. Similarly a gimmick has been played with the Kashmiri pundits, when they have been completely ignored and no reservations of seats in the Legislative Assembly suggested for them, when the KP’s are living in exile and deserve proper reservation of legislative assembly seats, along with a proper representation in the new ministerial cabinet, as and when it is formed, after the proposed elections in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Let it be hoped that the elections are held soon in Jammu and Kashmir and an elected government takes shape for the governance of Jammu and Kashmir. The original status of Jammu and Kashmir as a full-fledged state needs to be restored in the best interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
(The author is a Chartered Consultant Civil Engineer who loves his Motherland the Union Territory of
Jammu & Kashmir) .