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India's official count of coronavirus cases passes 20 million

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By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL

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Electing a nationalist fool who is all talk and rhetoric but no action has its consequences. If it takes a crisis of this magnitude to awaken Indians to this charlatan's bluster so be it.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Experts are also worried the prices being charged for shots will make it harder for the poor to get vaccinated. On Monday, opposition parties urged the government make vaccinations free to all Indians.

In a capitalist democracy with endemic poverty this is a crime against humanity.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Certainly the generally poor hygiene conditions likely add to the calamity.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

There must be a better way to dispose of the dead than funeral pyres. India already suffers from severe deforestation.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Hope Kohli is donating big time.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Modi needs to be in detention and awaiting trial for the death of thousands of Indians he took an oath to serve. It defies all logic continuing to honor and calling him Prime Minister,

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Sometimes Mother Nature fights back against mankind, whose greed & corruption is destroying this planet.

Unfortunately, it’s the innocent that usually pay the price.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Thank goodness we threw out our incompetent bumbler President in Nov 2020, or the US would be reaching or surpassing these same numbers...even if Trump assured us that "it was under control"...and "just one person from China"...

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

@ drlucifer. Fully agreed. Modi should stand trial for his crimes against his people. It is not Mother Nature we should be blaming but RECKLESS and IRRESPONSIBLE leaders/individuals - the cause of all evil on earth.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

So many terrible hardships to endure for the people of India.

- “This is not going to end very soon,” said Dr. Ravi Gupta, a virus expert at the University of Cambridge in England. “And really ... the soul of the country is at risk in a way.” -

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That’s been a problem long before the pandemic @Laguna 3:40pm:

“There must be a better way to dispose of the dead than funeral pyres. India already suffers from severe deforestation.” -

What do you propose they do? The situation is worsening day by day. Curating deforestation is not a priority at the time.

“The bodies have burned for so long at crematoriums in India's western state of Gujarat that furnaces have started to melt. Firewood for funeral pyres is rationed and sparse, leaving the dead half-cremated on the banks of the Ganges. Gravediggers in the capital New Delhi are in such high demand that families are hiring them away to excavate plots while stricken loved ones are still alive. All across India, a trail of death and misery is devastating the country. The same leaders boasted of defeating the coronavirus just a few months ago. An explosion of new cases fuelled by the so-called double mutant variant of the coronavirus first discovered in India is now pushing the nation's overburdened healthcare system towards collapse.” -

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The standard subterfuge styled narrative..no mention on the number one with 33M cases and the worldwide 154M cases and no mention of new case vs recoveries..eg: In India the recoveries are fast catching up, On May3, 355K new cases and 319K recoveries, and no picture of the burial's (30-35%) as the target is the cremation religion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Electing a nationalist fool who is all talk and rhetoric but no action has its consequences..

So how are thing's in your native country..your real native country.. the vaccines are coming in fine from that country..right...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Modi needs to be in detention and awaiting trial..

Start with the leaders of the countries from where the virus came to India..and than some of the local state leaders..now and that will do.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

There must be a better way to dispose of the dead than funeral pyres....

Do you know how the US is disposing the dead...

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/28/863710050/reckoning-with-the-dead-journalist-goes-inside-an-nyc-covid-19-disaster-morgue?fbclid=IwAR2IkcgmtjiW5cAbj0bVlZ-K0-_EADaUAD6gdrROJn3o5C9xCfT4c2fLYBA

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The egregious failures of incompetent right-wing rabble-rousers like Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Modi etc. to come up with a coherent policy and plan to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic will not affect their popularity with the millions of blind believers who variously ascribe the carnage to "the will of God", a "natural" disaster, or even to antifa, anarchists, socialists, communists, Muslims and any other scapegoat groups these benighted minions can conjure up in their fantasies. Thus demagogues of every ilk, cocooned from the crowd and vaccinated, can sleep soundly in their beds dreaming of sheep while the dying continues.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health in the U.S., said he is concerned

So is this Dr Jha concerned with the situation in the US hospitals...where the situation has been far more worse since last year..

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/the-worst-case-scenario-is-happening-hospitals-are-overwhelmed/617301/?fbclid=IwAR2sfgrbyuEDfVtOV9bqUpqBmdHWm2qfRL6E5fZXd08ldCm4ZbOIv6WHflg

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Goon added that the state also needs to hasten immunizations. But the world’s largest maker of vaccines is short of shots — the result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages.

Unfortunately Biden didn’t release the materials India needed until last week well after the toll death rose to astronomical levels.

Modi needs to be in detention and awaiting trial for the death of thousands of Indians he took an oath to serve. It defies all logic continuing to honor and calling him 

Politicians are given immunity from most of their poor decisions and performance in office. There have been 170,000 American deaths in just the last 100 days but you can bet your house that Biden will not be held accountable.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Muslims and Christians are buried...

So why don't we see those burial pictures from India (30-35% of the dead) ..and why only the cremation pictures.. and why so many find these cremation pictures stunning and beautiful.. you see this COVID is just another tangent to attack Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism)..

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Don't think the Indian variant isn't going to do well in japan. 20 cases here already. I remember the original virus and also the english variant. The government here said the same thing: mask up, keep apart and keep on working. Economy comes first. Otherwise open for business.

Not sure if this policy will work with this new strain.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Infections have surged in India since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants of the virus as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for Hindu religious festivals and political rallies before state elections. You reap what you sow! The warnings was sent out world wide, yes everyone has a right to practice their beliefs but what the country and the people was facing was right before their eyes and not just a belief it was a REALITY!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for Hindu religious festivals and political rallies before state elections..

There is another festival of another religion which is currently underway..and the election commission and not the government manages the election affairs.. yes you reap what you sow..but before that, do some basic fact checks.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

People, when you talk countries, don’t talk about India as if you were talking about Australia. India cannot do what Australia or New Zealand did.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"So how are thing's in your native country..your real native country.. the vaccines are coming in fine from that country..right..."

This bhakt always gets triggered on news coming out of India. The standard answer of any bhakt when confronted with the failure of their great PM Modi is deny, deflect, or the 'anti-national/Paki' jargon. As they say, bhakts have their own set of facts.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@mrtinjp my childhood best friend in India lost her father yesterday. He showed symptoms of a covid-19 and his oxygen levels dropped significantly. She tried to get him admitted in a hospital and she tried everywhere. After 16 hours of roaming, she was finally able to find a hospital but the hospital (infact all of them) was found to be suffering due to Oxygen shortage. After a few hours of getting admitted into a hospital, he died due to insufficient oxygen which resulted in a heart attack. the body was found to be covid +ve but the officials refused to label it as a death caused by Covid-19 and the cause of death was written down as Heart Attack. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN IN DELHI OR MUMBAI. THIS HAPPENED IN HYDERABAD. SO I TELL YOU THIS MF, STOP DOWNPLAYING THE CRISIS IN INDIA. IF IT'S THIS WORSE IN HYDERABAD, I'M NOT EVEN ABLE TO IMAGINE HOW BAD THE SITUATION IS IN CITIES LIKE DELHI AND MUMBAI.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Sindhoor GK No use arguing with bhakts. The brainwashing is deep and it is due to such people that the politicians are emboldened and don't have any accountability.

Sorry for your friend's loss.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

But the largest population are Hindu.

In which reality..the largest population worldwide is 100% the burial religions.. now looking at the current 3.2M covid deaths world wide..cremation would be around 5% only.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Sindhoor GK

Why do think the pandemic in so many countries is being downplayed and only highlighted for a select few.. 3.2M have so far died from the pandemic, that is around 6% for India.. situation in the US has been far far worse..but very subtly downplayed..why do you think that is happening..

Many so many have lost there near and dear ones, you see we care deeply, selflessly about those we know, but the empathy rarely extends beyond our line of sight... this line from Interstellar is so correct..

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This bhakt always gets triggered on news coming out of India...

That's the standard verbiage of the haters..cannot reason and resort to this type of verbiage..and yes will not never talk about there native country..only and only attack Santana Dharma.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This is not just India's problem, it's all of ours. If it continues to spread so rapidly and unchecked in India, it'll mutate for sure, and that mutation will be stronger and possibly more immune to vaccines. I truly believe that if we do not help, this will come back to bite us. That does not mean that we should drop our own treatments and testing, but rich countries should help with whatever experts and equipment they can SPARE (not sacrifice).

If we do not stand up as a species and help out, then we have lost our humanity, and will likely lose the battle against this or the next virus.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Evilbuddha

Wow...what has India done to you to come up with a statement like-

'If it takes a crisis of this magnitude to awaken Indians to this charlatan's bluster so be it.'

If you have said this, then you aren't an Indian or even a good human being.

I haven't seen such an acidic comment on this forum from anyone.. not against Italy, not against America , not against any nation when they were experiencing the worst. I think I can guess your country based on this statement you made.

And what has Modi done to you? That leader is in power because of so many other reasons..not just religion. You don't know any of the ground realities.. probably you read one-sided accounts published by media giants..you probably never had a chance to interact with any Indian, except when you criticize them, or their country.

And who is anyone to judge as to how Indians dispose off their dead? It's them and their religious beliefs. Monarchies, traditions, and Olympics, are alive today just because of local belief systems-right or wrong. It's better we don't comment on such stuff.

Election rallies without masks have been held even in the US when CoVid was at it's peak. Where were you then, with all your expert knowledge? Don't let bigotry mask your eyes when you make inhumane statements.

And among you all, how many of you really wear Your masks correctly and how many of you have spent time at home during the Golden Week?

Every leader has failed their country in this pandemic..this is true for both advanced nations and not-so-advanced nations. Some became scapegoats, some got an advantage. But the only constant sufferer is the common man.

@Zichi, @Smithinjapan, thanks for showing empathy. Your comments give hope..unlike shallow minded posters here, who get Modi and Santanadharma into picture..and make this a stupid political argument.

@Sindhoor ..sorry for your loss. That has been the story of many families in the pandemic. If only the citizens have the good sense to social distance, and mask up properly, the scale of the tragedy can really be toned down.

Governments have to spend substantially on healthcare. In India, it's a fact that no government does so.

Military spending takes priority, thanks to the neighbors. All we can hope is that things will change some day.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@mrtinjp In the hospital i mentioned, 28 people died the day my friend's father died and all of them turned out covid+ve but only not even a single people's death was labelled as covid fatalities. Financial Times said that the official Covid death toll in India can be as high as 29 times the official count and i think it's an underestimation.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@mrtinjp In the hospital i mentioned, 28 people died the day my friend's father died and all of them turned out covid+ve but only not even a single people's death was labelled as covid fatalities

That means those were all under comorbidity condition, more than 80% deaths worldwide are due to comorbidity condition..now how do you know they were not listed as COVID fatalities, India is of those countries where all all comorbidity condition (+ COVID) deaths, are listed as COVID deaths..

Financial Times said that the official Covid death toll in India can be as high as 29 times the official count and i think it's an underestimation.

That's a very pathetic narrative, come up with a better narrative...If you hate it so much, than make it any number of times you want.. the hate narrative is anyway doing it for you.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Jijitsu

Direct your outrage at the folks responsible for this mess in India if you really claim to care about Indians. You have no right to judge me, and you are not aware of how much hatred Modi and his minions have spread in India against anyone who disagrees with them or their propaganda.

You are just like this mrtinjp guy who takes up cudgels against anyone who supposedly show their country in a bad light but don't care two hoots about setting things right. For these people Indians dying by the thousands is no problem but if anyone writes about it it is an attack on their sentiments.

Shooting the messenger, that's what I call it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@jijitsu

And what has Modi done to you? That leader is in power because of so many other reasons..not just religion. 

religion and weak opposition is the only reason Modi is in power despite terrible performance from the time of being in power.

And what has Modi done to you? 

spread false narrative that Hindus are magically naturally immune to coronavirus and using this narrative to recklessly export all the vaccines and medical oxygen in the time India needed them the most. Used coronavirus lockdowns to crackdown minority communities like muslims, slowed down India's economic growth using with reckless implementation of important economic policies like GST, Demonetization, downgrading India's democracy. India no longer has free press, falling in HDI rankings, etc.

Election rallies without masks have been held even in the US when CoVid was at it's peak. Where were you then, with all your expert knowledge? 

Imagine doing so bad that the only idiot left who did worse than Modi is Trump and bolsaro?

And among you all, how many of you really wear Your masks correctly and how many of you have spent time at home during the Golden Week?

seen very few not wearing the masks properly.

if only the citizens have the good sense to social distance, and mask up properly, the scale of the tragedy can really be toned down.

given the percentage of people illiterate in India, it's the duty of the government and the leader in power to convey the message of social distancing and make it easy for people to understand how bad the crisis is. Only then, these people will listen, but the government spent most of it's time downplaying the importance of social distancing, spreading the propaganda that Hindus are magically immune to Covid-19, Arranging and providing full support to kumbh mela, arranging 8 phase elections in states like west bengal , and going all out with HUGE crowded rallies as a part of election campaigning gave the people of india exactly the opposite Idea and unplanned draconian Lockdown of 2020 resulted in loss 35% of India's middle class.

 In India, it's a fact that no government does so.

Military spending takes priority, thanks to the neighbors. All we can hope is that things will change some day.

let's not forget the crores of money spent on statues, PM's personal house etc. seems like for Modi, they are much more important than education and health care sectors of India. After the first wave, every country including India's neighbours spent all of their resources into strengthening their health-care systems and preparing for the upcoming waves and the 2nd and 3rd waves were definitely gonna be much harder to tackle than the first wave but Modi spent most of the money on central vista projects, bengal election rallies, baraccading farmers in the capital city with HUGE fortresses and naming stadiums after his name, Kumbh mela etc. Just the fact that the Indian government made zero arrangements for the stranded migrant labourers in 2020 but spent millions of dollars into arranging special trains and making preparations for kumbh mela tells loads about Modi's priorities.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@mrtinjp

It's not a hate narrative.. it's a 'fact narrative'.

And again..please..this is not a political or a religious discussion... It's about a pandemic that affects everything everywhere in the world.

Every nation is underreporting. Do you believe/expect everyone to believe the numbers here, where we live?

India and US carry out a lot of testing. Which is why the numbers are high. The vaccination numbers are high too.

India is of those countries where all all comorbidity condition (+ COVID) deaths, are listed as COVID deaths..

Not true... Let's not whitewash... If a person dies due to his condition being aggravated by CoViD, it is still a CoViD fatality, because his/her condition wouldn't have worsened otherwise.

But like @SindhoorGK said, the cause is reported as the comorbidity itself...which is wrong...

The fact is that authorities everywhere use this jargon to under report.

India is the current hell hole for CoViD. The others were there earlier.

And the reporting is obviously focussed on India now, because anyway, the media looks for stories.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@jijitsu

ohh yea, forgot to mention how he's playing politics in oxygen allotment giving BJP rules states more oxygen than the requirement and giving non BJP ruled states Far less oxygen than what's required. the guy is playing politics even when things are THIS BAD.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@SindhoorGK

spread false narrative that Hindus are magically naturally immune to coronavirus and using this narrative to recklessly export all the vaccines and medical oxygen in the time India needed them the most. 

I'd like to see a real news article on this exact statement. Can you share a link?

Do you remember the terrorist attacks that went down in India's cities before the current govt came into power? And how many happened once these guys came in?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@jijitsu and i didn't even mention the fact how the health minister of the country was promoting Ramdev baba's coronil as a cure to Covid-19.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"And what has Modi done to you? That leader is in power because of so many other reasons..not just religion. You don't know any of the ground realities"

Believe me, I know more about the ground realities than you do. Modi is in power because the opposition was caught up in corruption scandals and most of those who voted for him were not smart enough to distinguish between rhetoric and reality.

"not against Italy, not against America"

Not my prerogative to comment on other countries. Have seen enough Americans commenting against their own political leaders here.

"I think I can guess your country based on this statement you made."

Really? So you are going to call me a 'Paki', since that's what all bhakts do to anyone who disagrees with them. Seems like you are falling for their propaganda.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"I'd like to see a real news article on this exact statement. Can you share a link?"

Here you go.

https://theprint.in/india/bjp-minister-arjun-ram-meghwal-endorses-immunity-boosting-bhabhi-ji-papad-to-fight-covid/467342/

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ima-shocked-over-patanjalis-claim-on-coronil-demands-explanation-from-harsh-vardhan/article33902720.ece

Above are the traditional treatments promoted by BJP MPs to fight COVID. In a country where a large percentage of population is uneducated these claims are bound to sway their minds into thinking that the virus can be tackled easily.

"Do you remember the terrorist attacks that went down in India's cities before the current govt came into power? And how many happened once these guys came in?"

Don't deflect. This is an article about COVID cases, not about terrorist attacks and this government has been in power for 7 years. They own this mess.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Do you remember the terrorist attacks that went down in India's cities before the current govt came into power? And how many happened once these guys came in?

well, what happened was after Modi came to power, china was effortlessly able to occupy HUGE parts of Indian territory in 2020 and India could do or India did nothing about it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

&Jijitsu

Here is another link about Baba Ramdev's 'drug' to cure COVID -

https://theprint.in/india/just-45-healthy-cases-interim-results-no-peer-review-%E2%81%A0-how-patanjali-found-covid-cure/447540/

This guy if you are not aware is great friends with the top BJP leadership. They keep him happy to get votes and he keeps them happy by spreading their propaganda.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Spreading pseudo science seems to be a specialty of these folks -

https://science.thewire.in/the-sciences/harsh-vardhan-coronil-endorsement-patanjali-ayurved-pseudoscience-standard-of-behaviour/

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's not a hate narrative.. it's a 'fact narrative'

Ohh it's a definite hate narrative..COVID is the latest in that narrative.. once this passes than something else will be grabbed and lined up with the hate narrative... Modi has been facing this hate narrative for at-least 20+ years, only thing this has done is make him and his party more and more stronger. This narrative is mostly based on deceit and subterfuge, Modi knows this and leverages this narrative to his advantage..

Every nation is underreporting. Do you believe/expect everyone to believe the numbers here, where we live?

I don't think every nation is undereporting.. at-least not the democratic ones.. there numbers may not be 100% accurate ..but don't think they are under reporting ..

If a person dies due to his condition being aggravated by CoViD, it is still a CoViD fatality, because his/her condition wouldn't have worsened otherwise.

Yes, that's what I said..

the cause is reported as the comorbidity itself...which is wrong...

The cause is reported as COVID with comorbidity condition, and is listed as COVID death, think in Japan this type is not listed as COVID death..not sure though.

And the reporting is obviously focussed on India now, because anyway, the media looks for stories

That's the thing.. the reporting for India is way way different than the others.. the religious beliefs and the current government are directly targeted.. this was/is not the case for any other country.. the amount of deceit and subterfuge is simply mind boggling... you can only see some of it.. takes years to see through this type of deceit and subterfuge.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

and i didn't even mention the fact how the health minister of the country was promoting Ramdev baba's coronil as a cure to Covid-19

OK.. so you hate Modi, BJP, Ayurveda.. why not list what all you hate about that country..

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

hh yea, forgot to mention how he's playing politics in oxygen allotment giving BJP rules states more oxygen than the requirement and giving non BJP ruled states

Total and complete fake.. anyone who is actually following the Oxygen issue will know that the issue is no longer in Oxygen production, not now anyway.. but in the last mile distribution chain.. some better managed states are doing better in this distribution..even the worst affected state of Maharashtra (non BJP), is now begining to manage this better..

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@mrtinjp

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/you-may-be-blind-but-we-are-not-hc-slams-centre-over-deaths-due-to-scant-oxygen-supply-in-delhi-101620117558840.html

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/millions-of-vials-of-remdesivir-exported-but-delhi-high-court-slams-centre-2423103

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/you-can-put-your-head-in-sand-like-ostrich-we-wont-hc-slams-centre-over-oxygen-shortage/articleshow/82389117.cms

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Sindhoor GK

The same HC's were blaming the state governments for not building the Oxygen plants for which they were provided funds many many months back.. may also want to post those links..

If you really want to understand this issue, then study the production/distribution of vaccines and oxygen, as to who does what..not easy and will take some time...the courts do not run the country. the central and state governments do....or keep on reading narrative based disinformation articles based on your belief system.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@mrtinjp link?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Building oxygen plants is the responsibility of central government only and state governments are in no way involved in them. I've got detailed official documents regarding the matter. It's a shame that people like you fall gor BJP IT cell's lies.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@mrtinjp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scroll.in/article/993309/fact-check-did-states-fail-to-use-pm-cares-funds-allocated-by-the-centre-to-build-oxygen-plants

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@mrtinjp

Share the link of article which states that HC blamed the state governments for not building the oxygen plants.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

India's official count of coronavirus cases passes 20 million

Nobody is yet getting tired yet of these breathless reports of "cases" of an infection with a virus that has a mortality rate of 0.05% for those under 70?

And as for deaths, India is still way at the bottom of the list, with 163 per mio, as compared to i.e. New York with 2690 per mio.

So are we looking at objective reporting here, or at political bias?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wolfpack

Politicians are given immunity from most of their poor decisions and performance in office. There have been 170,000 American deaths in just the last 100 days but you can bet your house that Biden will not be held accountable.

Of course not. The narrative has changed... now the dear leader cant do anything wrong. Seen any press conferences recently? They hilarious.... if you have a dark sense of humour.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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