It was not even a month back when the first swine flu death happened in India of a 14 year old girl in Pune. Soon after, within another 10 days the swine flu toll in India rose to around 25.
If you are thinking that this post is about discussing the reasons of the spread of swine flu or the measures being taken in India and worldwide to curb the spread of it, well then you are wrong. Surely, I would be discussing few measures or rather few measures not been taken by the Indian Government, but would also be discussing something very peculiar and strange about how the Indian Media is reacting in the last couple of days/weeks.
Less than 10 days back, I travelled to New Delhi from Dubai, and was expecting to be checked thoroughly by the health officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and thought it would take a good 2 hours before I could leave the airport premises. It took me flat 20 minutes to be out of the Airport after I unboarded the aircraft! Even though, my family and I were pleasantly surprised to be out of the airport so soon, which was faster than even the usual when no such flu scare etc is on, the thought of not been checked at all for swine flu, and signing just a declaration that I have no flu like symptoms made my mind boggle. Making my irritation grow further was the fact that the Health Officials were not even wearing the special N-95 masks which are the best for curbing the flu, but were just wearing the usual face mask.
I asked at the airport around, if the thermal machines which were supposed be installed were already done or what? The answer from the aiport officials ranged from a 'not yet' to 'no idea' to 'ask health ministry'! I thought 'WOW', our country where each government boast about 'India Shining' and slogans alike year after year, just can't take proper measures to curb a flu from spreading, forget actually curbing it! The Health Minister, for the spread of Swine Flu, was busy accusing the dead child and her family for switching hospitals in Pune, and helping the flu spread!! Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad should resign from his post simply for the sake of Humanity. Before making his statement, he forgot that the small girl who died did not develop the flu herself, but she also got it from someone else, and that the spread would'nt have stopped by her not shifting hospitals.
With the speed at which the flu is spreading in India, and the measures being taken which are astonishingly yet not surprisingly pathetic, the number of cases and the seriousness of this entire pendemic in India shall affect majorly even the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010. The government other than facing the huge infrastructure/construction problem for the games, would also have to deal with the health scenario. The way things are going, it seems it shall only lead to shame.
Now coming to the peculiar and strange part regarding how the Indian Media is acting in the last couple of days/weeks.
I am sure not many of you know what is the death toll due to swine flu in India currently. Make a guess - 30? 45? 60? 80?. The current death toll due to swine flu in India is 105 (September 02, 2009). Yes, in two weeks time from 25, we have gone up to 105, and the print & TV media has almost done a blackout on news related to Swine Flu. When the death toll rose from 1 to 25 in a week, The Times of India, during that week, on its website had a countdown meter showing the number of deaths rising each hour, and each day, almost as if how 'cricket runs being scored' are shown on News Channels and News Websites. Go watch any news channel, and you would feel as if there is nothing in this world called Swine Flu!
What do you think? Does any reason come to your mind why such a drastic change in the way the media is reacting in the last few days? Surely, it is the government which has gone up to every media house in the country to make them agree on resisting from showing news regarding Swine Flu. Obviously, I am speculating here that the Government and the Media together have taken few steps, but surely, it seems to be a joint effort, otherwise our media which likes to sensationalise every 'Tom, Dick and Harry' issue would have never tone down their stand, specially for a real issue such as this!
You do not have to be a rocket scientist or an intelligent political analyst to guess why these steps has been taken. Obviously to stop the spread of the scare/panic amongst people in the country, as higher the scare, higher the chances of public opinion going against the ruling government. Few people might counter by saying that less the scare, less the chances of spreading the flu, and leading a normal life, etc. Bullshit and non justifiable nonsense if you think like that!
I think it is the most pathetic and foolish step to be taken by the government/media both, if they have. In our country, people wear masks only when there is a real scare in the public. It is not Japan, where people wear masks even if they have just a mild fever. For god sake, the government should realise that they are governing India, where 90% of the people are proven affected from the 'Chalta Hai' syndrome. By reducing the scare and the panic amongst the people, the number of deaths shall only rise, as the lesser number of people would then take precautions. Case in point - Since the last two weeks of blackout of news of swine flu, the number of cases and deaths have multiplied manifold. We have close to 4200 cases tested positive for H1N1, out of which 675 alone are in New Delhi, leave aside the epicentre of the flu in India, Pune (cases as on 2nd september 2009).
For once, I really hope, that India TV & Rajat Sharma and the likes of them sensationalize this issue and let the scare and panic grow in the public, as only then, the rate at which the deaths are happening would reduce, because the government as usual is only speaking and not taking the required actions.
As always,comments welcome. (This was originally posted on my blog FULL START. )
