Policy paralysis. This was the biggest accusation against the second term of the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. It is time for a similar labelling of the governance of the second term of Narendra Modi government: Skewed priorities and dishonest policies.

 A look at the contrasting scenarios makes the picture clear. People gasping for breath and dying for want of oxygen; distraught kith and kin desperately looking for hospital beds; life-saving medicines vanishing in thin air; medical equipment being sold at several times their original price; people falling over each other at vaccination centres that put up ‘not available’ sign boards. The country is pushed to the wall fighting corona virus that is pounding people relentlessly. 

On the other side, the Central Vista project of Modi government, costing the exchequer Rs. 20,000 crore, is coming up in the heart of the National Capital; Sky-high statues of icons and gods, at exorbitant costs, getting to the priority list of governments; work on bullet train project costing over Rs. 1 lakh crore, which would serve only a miniscule number of people, going on in full swing; there is also no dearth of funds for buying two custom-made aircraft for the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister costing over Rs. 8,000 crores. But scarcity of funds come into play where it hurts most the common people.

It is unpardonable that the Centre is unwilling to make Covid vaccination a national project making it free for its citizens. Vaccination projects hitherto were undertaken by the Centre. Whether the Universal Immunization programme of 1980s, Smallpox eradication Programme of 1960s or similar ones, it was the government of India, in association with States, which ‘intensified the search, containment and vaccination efforts’. Earlier Governments at the Centre had their priorities right and funds were not a bottleneck in taking care of the life and limb of people. 

The Modi government that wastes no time in finding fault with each and every previous regime, for every problem facing the nation, is moving rudderless. The pernicious results of its lopsided policies are becoming evident by each passing day. It is an inexcusable failure that the government could not foresee the second wave of corona virus while across the globe countries were getting ready for it. 

Apart from the complete breakdown in health sector, India’s economy has been brought to its knees with small and medium industries closing down their shops in droves. Loss of jobs has left millions on the road. In such a situation, economists and experts suggest boosting the purchasing power of the people by direct transfer of money into their pockets. The government has no qualms in writing off a few lakhs crores of rupees of ‘bad loans’ of industrialists and business sharks; but it refuses to loosen the purse strings to take care of the health needs of the people.

The government of the day has its focus on dream projects that refurbish its image and there is no dearth of funds for their execution. The bloated bodies that flow down the Ganga and get deposited on its banks near U.P and Bihar towns tell the story of the monumental failure of the governments in tackling Covid 19. The governments, like the one in Yogi’s land, might put behind bars those who speak up the ground reality. But the screaming and wailing that emanate from hospitals and crematoriums cannot be silenced from telling truth.