Skip to main content

Why are Covid cases remaining around 150 in Ahmedabad, neither rising, nor coming down?

By Rajiv Shah 
A journalist-friend rang me up from Mumbai yesterday. A routine call, this friend wanted to know how the situation was with regard to Covid-19 pandemic in Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad. I told him that I don't have facts, as I am not in live touch with officials anymore, quite unlike earlier, when as a "Times of India", man was posted in Gandhinagar, there is reason to wonder whether the data released by the officialdom are correct.
Take for instance Ahmedabad city, I said. Here, the number of Covid-infected cases, strangely, have been hovering around 150 every day for the last nearly one month. They rise to 155-156 on one day, then fall to 145-146 on another, and vice versa. They do not rise, nor do they fall. There is a popular view: The data are being manipulated, with local journalists claiming the disease is "spreading" and one should "take care". 
I joked: We are being forced to live in a self-reliant manner, alluding to the Atmanirbhar Bharat talk of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apparently, we are being told to be "atmanirbhar" with regard to Covid-19. We have no other option but to be "atmanirbhar" in case the disease strikes us, as the government wouldn't care, so the best way is to stay at home to stay safe.
Talking with me in lucid Gujarati, though he himself is a Marathi, this journalist friend, apparently, didn't want to listen to anything bad about the BJP rulers in Gujarat. He replied: There is manipulation of data everywhere, whether it is Maharashtra or Delhi. In Mumbai, the governance has gone to dogs, and policy makers do not know what to do with rising cases.
He didn't stop here. He claimed, data manipulation is "universal" across the world, whether the US or Europe. I was taken aback. US has been frank in providing data about the number of cases, I thought. At least this is the impression I get from my near and dear ones there. And this is true of most European countries. Then, he turned to Pakistan, stating, they don't test, and have been massively manipulating data.
Puzzled, I asked him: If this was so, why did the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief went so far as to single out Pakistan among seven countries which are done extremely well in fighting coronavirus? The WHO chief said, Pakistan has used its grassroots health infrastructure effectively. India wasn't even mentioned. His reply was interesting: Who trusts WHO? I asked, whom do you rely then? And he had no answer.
He tried to turn the conversation into another direction, seeking to tell me how the entire Bollywood is gripped with the narcotics issue, and this was a new expose. But I was not much interested in it, as I thought the whole issue has turned into political, with polls expected in Bihar and West Bengal. Shashank Singh Rajput had become the BJP icon in Bihar, while Rhea Chakroborty was being projected as Bengali girl sought to be targeted! 
This is not for the first time that this journalist friend talked with me. Once earlier, when the lockdown was in its second week, in April, he told me how well the government was "handling Covid-19", and but for the Tablighi event in March, things would have been over much earlier. I told him, there were warnings earlier, but the government didn't care to listen. 
For instance, I said, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted in early February 2020, about one-and-a-half month ahead of the lockdown, about the danger of Covid-19, citing a Columbia University study. My dear friend, it appeared to me, got a little irritated: "Better Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi go to Italy and take care of the spread of the disease there, instead of talking about it in India"!
And I was dumbstruck! 

Comments

Unknown said…
Normal Response of Pro-BJP Person and Nothing Unusual. I am Babubhai Vaghela from Ahmedabad. Thanks.
Unknown said…
Yes exactly this is the depth of understanding of many 'Bhakts'. While they are busy counting how many times Trump lied, they would not care to keep a count of lies of our very own the Liar here.
Hence to expect any sane thing from such characters always leaves people disappointed.
Melbourne Desi said…
Typical 'Bhakt' answers. Not surprised.

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas*  November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.  

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh*  Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor*  Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.