Why India is losing against COVID...

India has been losing the war against the pandemic; but how did it get to this?

There is no doubt that India is performing miserably against the virus. Some people blame the government, and some people blame themselves. Even though the concept of blaming, in this case, is not ethically sound; however, one party has to take the blame for us to understand why the subcontinent is failing.

There is an upcoming concept where people are taking the blame to themselves: "Yes, I went out too", "Yes, I went to the office", "Yes, I went to the restaurant" and, "Yes, now I am also going to the morgue." People, for sure, have gone out and are to blame. However, this exponential growth in the number of cases is something that is not driven by the public. A year ago, this was not the case; when the public was adequately informed, the masses educated - Indians were proud of their success during these times.

People were praising the BJP government for controlling the virus and the nation very well towards the end of 2020 and at the beginning of 2021.

But, now, when the tables have turned, where we have entered the darkness, why are we pulling the blame away from the government and taking it to ourselves? Yes, is it the individuals' decision to go out - but there is a reason that leadership controls the masses and not individualistic reasoning. Yes, it is also the severity of the virus - but there is a concept known as "planning" and "research" led by the people in power. The blame, thus, wholeheartedly goes to the governments for this splurge of COVID cases. The reasons are such:

- Premature victory

- Shortage

- Ignorance

- Power

India's downfall began in January. When we were celebrating and believing that the virus has well and truly left the nation. People were actively ignoring statistics that clearly showcased that the dip in the number of people affected has also resulted from a drop in the numbers of COVID tests conducted. The virus never left; our attitudes just changed.

Fuelled by rallies, public meetings, and governmental claims of "India has beaten the virus" - which were all done to boost economic growth; the entire country started running like the virus ceased to exist. It was a good run (lasting two months) for the governments in power. They got the praises and also the money - but then March struck. The curve started to change shape, and then we came to the second problem: shortage.

Wooed by their own words, the governments did not plan for the virus. The shortages represent the overall deterioration of all sectors. There is a shortage of oxygen, ventilators, medicines, testing, and personnel. Kashmir today is working in a 1:3,300 ratio for doctor:patients, and the numbers worsen around the country as the virus raises its toll.

The planning and execution simultaneously collapsed. Again, the reason I blame the government - knowing that I too went out during this time - it is their "JOB"/"TASK"/"SOLE PURPOSE" to work in the welfare of the citizens. Delhi government was given funds for ten oxygen generation plants at the beginning of the year, of which only one is installed. UP had the allowance for eight and has one. Meanwhile, the private oxygen suppliers in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, is filling oxygen worth tens of thousands of rupees at a mere price of Rs. 1.

This is not just a sign of a collapsed government who is now begging for help from Germany and US, but this is a failure which has crippled its way into the country's maximisation motives. Business is no longer a concept because people are now literally fending for life.

Now coming to ignorance - a concept seen in the Indian masses as a result of the attitudes of the state's leaders. The premature victory came on top of nothing but bias; the bias to ignore the facts/research hinting towards a worsening pandemic in order to jumpstart the economy and vote count. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister, whose job description is to ensure the welfare of the masses, have been pulling rallies, road-side shows, public meetings and are delivering speeches maskless across the country.

This ignorance, which is on a subconscious level, makes the uneducated masses believe that the virus is beaten, is causing the downfall of this country.

All of which - being in the subtext - built on the very idea of hunger for power. The state yet again collapses not due to the shortage of medicines, oxygen cylinders, etc. but due to the lack of leaders who truly work for the people.

We are standing in the middle of Pompeii as Mount Vesuvius erupts - which just like 2,000 years ago - will lead to a disaster.