It was already 4.30 on the afternoon of April 30, 2021, and time (for the last rites of my father who had expired at 7.30 the same morning due to a failure of organs at his post-Covid recovery stage) was running out. The hospital had taken more than six hours to complete the administrative process and hand over papa’s body to us. They had refused to provide an ambulance for his final journey to the cremation ground, which was situated out of the city as there was no space on any of the grounds anywhere (yes, there were dead bodies and wailing families everywhere).
The pandemic had already been a year old in 2021 and most countries had developed a mechanism to at least deal with it, if not win over it, except for a few, such as India, where politicians and pharmaceutical companies joined hands to make the most through democide. And thus was written on the floating dead bodies in the Ganga a tale of a religious Prime Minister who sacrificed his country for his own superficial glory.
It would be unfair if I recall this government’s impotency without a mention of the farmers’ deaths, attacks on minorities, increasing crime against women and Dalits, protests by bankers, and now doctors. What left me aghast was the constant shameless denial of the deaths and suffering by the government and their mouthpieces (in the media and entertainment industry) as the whole world watched us in dismay.
The disparagement, however, didn’t seem to break the confidence of our Prime Minister, who continues to move forward along with his entourage enforcing destructive and lame policies, causing a ruckus wherever waves are against them, veiling the truth of international and cross-border failures, and still claiming that everything is great and we are prospering.
Being an optimist, I always love to look at the brighter side of things and so, there were some emotional moments as well, to look at, in 2021. Modi did massively successful (Covid-friendly) rallies throughout the year and now we are ending 2021 on such a happy note that he has switched to a Maybach car.
The happiness of his success left me teary-eyed for what if people died, families shrunk and we became poorer as a nation?
At least the most loved leader of the world owns a Maybach in his life despite being an unworthy fascist leader who demolished law and order, put silent protestors behind bars on false charges, and turned a blind eye to those who called for a genocide.
The environment has hit its lowest, small business enterprises have been exterminated and several middle-class families are on the brink of poverty. But then, till Modi is privileged and flourishing, all these issues can be ignored.
The year 2021 is coming to an end. I will always remember this as the year of desolation. When thousands were dying and the country was burning our hero was away focusing on his sole purpose — power. He abandoned his family for it and you thought he would care about your family that died in the pandemic?
With two days left for this year to end, I await alike for the new Covid wave, and an apology for the death of my father and all those people we lost in the pandemic because not only was the virus fatal but also the healthcare collapsed, leaving the government without an alternate other than letting the public witness the carnage.
Let’s all welcome 2022 with the same spirit as 2021 and enter the new year with doctors instead of farmers, Omicron instead of Delta, Maybach instead of Range Rover, and no one in place of my father.