Can Indian Democracy get pace with H1N1?

CAN INDIAN DEMOCRACY GET PACE WITH H1N1?
( Madan Menon Thottasseri)
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It is very unfortunate that the H1N1 (Influenza A) flu threat has grown out of proportion now and the Government is yet to show rational action on a war footing. Every second is precious while the flu spreads to nook and corners and the government should declare an ‘emergency’ and induct army/paramilitary forces to assist all state governments in handling the pandemic. Street by street public announcements should be made to advise people with the sign of the influenza to stay back home and avoid socializing. We can take lessons from countries like Thailand and Indonesia etc. which handled the bird-flu.

Our nation India has still not deviated from the conventional style of governance inherited as a legacy from the obsolete British Imperialism of the gone century that our popular political democratic system is audaciously following right from attaining freedom. In many a number of occasions, a common man will never worry at all about the lack of governance but will undoubtedly feel that we have no government in this country!

Whenever a panic situation emerges out one fine day beyond the control of people or society around them, citizens will expect some astounding actions with sincerity basically from the government or source of authority. In fact even common people might have read or heard much about the threat of an epidemic or a natural calamity in elsewhere may be in far off countries, thanks to the present-day instantaneous reports of news channels in visual media, and would have developed a fear-psychosis and obsessed about its occurrence in their home town or village.

Our government has not expected the adverse situation as the authorities have not taken note of the cautions received from external sources and planned for timely action to prevent the eventualities. If our ministries are engaged in just ruling the people with the available funds allocated to them while celebrating their positions with power and please their political hierarchy, nothing is a threat in our country until it grows beyond the imagination and started moving from bad to worst.….. Whether tsunami, bird-flu, earth-quake……. and now the H1N1 flu and the prevailing epidemic situation. Tsunami gave the opportunity for swindling money by accepting donations from public for creating Tsunami-Funds through various ways not only by governments but also by never-ending list of Associations, Trusts, N.G.Os, political parties etc. Who can confirm the integrity of many agencies headed by unscrupulous persons raised Funds and vouches them for the so-called Tsunami-rehabilitation and relief to victims actually given or still under promise?

When ever people’s forums, media or NGOs raise an alarm upon sensing pressure from people’s apprehension and rumors, there will be some activity in ministries which will never get swiftness with the intensity of the problem or dreadful situation. This has happened in the case of the present Swine Flu out-break also while the contagious virus spread to newer areas day by day dismantling normal life of people and incapacitating the already fatigued economy gripped under the global recession.

If the WHO has cautioned about an eruption of Swine Flu, why we failed to take it seriously and prepared for rather defending it to some extent. Instead we gave 3– 4 months time for the virus to invade our country? Who is responsible and accountable for this severe lapse? We have a host of fraternities of medical profession, State owned and Quasi-Govt. research labs and institutions supposed to serve the people and why none of these bodies or their top-notch professionals openly came out with a timely defensive strategy programmed to fight the swine flu? If at all anybody advised the government or health ministry, has it fallen into deaf ears?

In our democracy the citizen have the right to know from the government how they will be protected when there is a threat of an epidemic cautioned by any international bodies or agencies. The government cannot just imagine that the people are not much concerned and also have no propriety to demand any white paper declaration from the government on any such issues. In our democracy, very often the government is just the political party or the coalition headed by the said major party itself, which secured the people’s mandate and thus can afford to give any justification for any lapses or deficiency of service to the people who installed them. Our citizens have no other go?

Let the high-profile investigative journalists bring out all factual stories behind the scene.

We cannot compare an epidemic, especially the Swine flu out-break with that of increasing number of other diseases like cancer, diabetics, asthma, heart-attacks etc. which are caused mainly due to changes in food habits or life styles, alcohol and tobacco addictions,occupational hazards etc. I personally wish that the government be seriously proactive at least here afterwards. The threat from dreadful viral diseases is as dangerous as the threats from terrorists attacking our nation.

The health ministry must have a core-team of experts to function like a watch-dog to research on the spate of any deadly virus or bacteria spreading diseases around the world and help the government to take any timely action to defend its entry into our nation. The core team can be given ministerial powers to enable interaction with various state governments, research labs or Institutions and come out with immediate remedial measures.

On this day, the fifteenth day of August 2009, the 62nd anniversary of our Independence Day, I dedicate this write-up to all our freedom fighters who sacrificed their life for the nation.
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