THE
GOOD WORD
Jun 7, 2021 - Week
25
Volume 7S-4| Pages 2
India considers criminal investigation into
Covid-19 origin; seekers unravel
truth
Jun 4, India is
contemplating the use
of its National
Investigation Agency
(NIA) to start a criminal
investigation into the
origin of Covid-19 that
may result in an FIR
under sections of the
Weapons of Mass
Destruction Act,
Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act and
the Indian Penal Code.
India is committed to
the UN convention on
the prohibition of the
development,
production and stocking
of biological and toxins
(biological) weapons
and their destruction.
Options such as taking
China to the
International Court of
Justice and galvanizing
opinion to hold China
accountable at WHO,
for the virus that
originated in Wuhan
and has claimed over
3.7 million lives world
wide, are being
suggested.
A US investigation into
the origin of Covid-19
has accessed a report
titled ‘The Unnatural
Origin of SARS and New
Species of Man-Made
Viruses as Genetic
Bioweapons’ authored
by Chinese military
scientists in 2015, that
discusses the
weaponisation of the
SARS coronavirus. It
examines 2 crucial
dimensions of
biological warfare, first
the ability to freeze-
dry-micro-organisms to
store and aerosolise
them and second, the
ability of the
bioweapons to
overwhelm the
enemy’s medical
infrastructure. Robert
Potter, a cyber security
specialist who analyses
leaked Chinese
government
documents confirmed
the document
‘definitely isn’t fake’.
In recent reports, an
Australian website
Bharat First
3
PM: Free vaccines for all above
18
Earlier on May 1, on a
demand by several
states, procurement of
25% of the vaccines
manufactured was left
to states. But unable to
cope many states
reverted to the centre
for a reversal to central
procurement.
India has vaccinated
about 13% of its people
with at least one dose
so far. Its vaccination
programme started on
January 16, with health
care and frontline
workers, seniors aged
60+ and those aged 45+
with comorbidities as
Friday, ministry of
defence approved the
building of 6 more
submarines for ₹43,000
crores. Under the 1999
navy’s ‘30-year
Submarine Construction
Program’, 24
submarines are to be
built over 30 years, half
indigenously and the
rest with strategic
foreign collaboration.
Of these, 3 of the first 6
Scorpene class ones,
stand commissioned
and the rest are to be
inducted by mid-2023.
The 6 new ones have an
avant-garde Air
Independent Propulsion
(AIP) system. It ups the
submerge duration to
10 -14 days, enhancing
stealth and combat
Delhi Courts give IMA an earful
June 1, Moscow. Russia
has decided to de-
dollarize the liquid part
of its National Wealth
Fund (NWF), about
$120 billion within a
month. The share of
euros will be increased
to 40%, yuan to 30%
and 20% will be stored
in gold. The move
appears driven by a fear
of new US sanctions
that could freeze
Russian dollar assets
abroad like, they did for
Iran. The NFW, unlike
the Central Bank could
become target of
western sanctions as it
is not immune by law to
the obligations of the
government.
Actual sale of dollars is
not expected as the
amount will be
transferred within the
Central Bank. The
dollar-rouble exchange
remained stable at 73.2
Tuesday
At: UAWire.org,
Moscow Times
Russia to
de-dollarize
reserves
Visit IndiaWiki.org
MoD assigns ₹43,000 crores
to build 6 more submarines
Twitter falls
in line after final notice
Jayalal's using his office
to promote Christianity.
Rohit Jha the petitioner
alleged Jayalal was
defaming Hinduism and
promoting Christianity, by
falsely likening Covid
cures in allopathy and
ayurveda to the faiths,
claiming the former was
better. ‘He shall not use
the platform of IMA for
propagating any religion
and rather shall
concentrate on welfare of
medical fraternity and
progress in the medical
field’ the judge said.
At: Republic, OpIndia
a 3.5 month notice.
Twitter has fallen in
line but blamed Covid
for a delay and sought
more time.
The government seeks
a level playing field
where user grievances
are addressed by a
transparent and local
law abiding policy.
Meanwhile, BJP’s,
Sambit Patra’s tweet
questioning the
alleged treacherous
Congress toolkit
remains tagged
as’manipulated media’
by Twitter.
OpIndia, Marijuanapy
More at Nicholas
Wade, Zee News,
Swarajya, WION
Jun 4, Delhi. In what
started with a bang, with
IMA threatening Ramdev
with a defamation suit of
₹1,000 crores, seems to
be ending in a whimper.
Delhi HC refused to order
Ramdev to stop making
statements against
allopathy or in favour of
Coronil. Only an oral
request was made to
Ramdev’s counsel. The
Delhi Medical
Association’s contention
that Ramdev’s
statements amounted to
creating vaccine
hesitancy were set aside.
“Allopathy has worked
for some and not for
some. It’s a view,” the
judge observed saying it
cant be a cause for a suit.
Baba Ramdev has been
summoned for the next
hearing on July 13.
Next day a Delhi court
took umbrage at IMA
chief Johnrose Austin
ability. Conventional
diesel-electrical
submarines need to
surface every few days
for air, for combustion,
to charge batteries. It
makes them vulnerable
to radars. AIP uses
reverse electrolysis to
overcome reliance on
air, combining oxygen
and hydrogen
chemically to generate
power. The 6 Scorpenes
will also be retrofitted
with AIP 2024 onwards.
A nuclear submarine
can stay submerged far
longer and an
indigenous one is the
final goal. At up to 60%
indigenous, this is
another step to counter
China’s rapidly growing
naval might.
At: Business Standard
Monday, PM Modi
declared on national
TV that the centre will
procure 75% of the
vaccines manufactured
in India. Starting June
21, International Yoga
Day, vaccines will be
provided free of cost
to all above 18 years of
age. The remaining
fourth of the vaccine
production will be
purchased by private
hospitals directly and a
cap of ₹150 will apply
on service charge per
shot. The centre will
supply vaccines free of
cost to states.
Jun 4, RBI governor
Shaktikanta Das
declared India's forex
reserves had touched a
historic high of $600
billion. Good
governance has brought
stability to the stock
market and exchange
rate. It has resulted in a
strong national balance
sheet. Reserves swelled
by more than $105
billion this year alone
despite a pandemic.
In 1991, reserves had
dipped to just half a
billion dollars. Then PM
Chandrashekhar had
pledged 67 tons of gold
to IMF. RBI airlifted 47
tons of gold to the Bank
of England and 20 tons
to the Union Bank of
Switzerland to secure
an emergency loan to
pay for imports.
Today India’s reserves
rank among the top 5
countries of the world.
Stock markets had
touched a lifetime high
in February.
At Republic,Wikipeida
1-2, Economic Times
India Reserves
cross 600
billion dollars
Ayurveda hope
for Alzheimers
A study at US National
Library of Medicine
profiles ayurvedic herbs
such as ashwagandha,
turmeric, brahmi etc. It
acknowledges the
advance of scientific
testing and
manufacturing
techniques in ayurveda
and claims that while a
cure for Alzhiemer’s is
not known, ayurvedic
medicinal plants have
been the single most
productive source of
leads for drug
development.
Jun 5, the government
shot out a strongly
worded final notice to
Twitter asking it to
comply fully with IT
Rules that came into
effect May 26 or face
consequences. It flagged
Twitter’s dogged non-
compliance despite
revealed that China and
Pakistan had signed a
three-year agreement
for running covert
research projects to
experiment with bio-
warfare capabilities in
Pakistan.
Substantial evidence in
favour of the lab-leak
theory was uncovered
by a motely set of
enthusiasts from
multiple countries, ‘the
seekers’, with varied
backgrounds who came
together on Twitter to
research the origin of
the virus; specifically if
the RaTG13, the only
known virus genetically
similar to Covid-19, was
tweaked up in the labs
to create Covid-19.
Earlier it was found that
Peter Daszak who
funneled $0.6 million to
the Wuhan labs hid his
conflict of interest
when he organized the
Lancet letter from 27
scientists condemning
the lab leak theory. The
online seekers found he
was also incorrect when
he declared that the
Wuhan labs did not study
the RaTG13 virus but
stowed it away after
discovering it.
The seekers showed how
Shi Zhengli, China’s
leading bat virologist
feigned ignorance that
the RaTG13 was
discovered in Mojiang
caves where 3 miners
who contracted it had
died in 2012. She had
incorrectly attributed
their deaths to a fungus.
She was also wrong in
explaining that the
Wuhan labs had removed
their webpage on RaTG13
to avert online attacks
‘after’ the pandemic. The
page was removed before
it struck.
The deception and denial
of access to information
reeks of a cover up to
hide a laboratory leak,
but as yet it can’t be
confirmed.
At: Newsweek,
New18.com, NewsX
Contribute at: https://fundraisers.giveindia.org/fundraisers/project-daal-roti
Mar 10, commissioning of India’s
3
nd
Scorpene class submarine INS
Karanj
first recipients. On May
1, adults over 18 were
allowed.
PM Modi, lauded
indigenously and locally
made vaccines, Covaxin
Covishield and Sputnik.
‘If we didn't have an
India made vaccine,
what would have
happened?’ he posed
and remarked ‘In fact,
when other countries
would finish
vaccination, India
wouldn't have begun.’
recalling the experience
of the last 6 decades.
More at: Business
Standard, Republic
June 7, 2021 |
Week 25 |
Volume 7S-4
Bharat First
Visit IndiaWiki.org
PAGE 2 THE GOOD
WORD
Why India faced
so much flak
would certainly see
this very much as
part of a political
effort to depict our
current government
in a certain way and
obviously I have a
very profound
difference with that.”
In recent times, the
global image of India
has been of funeral
pyres, depicting a
nation failing in its
battle against the
pandemic. The world
has witnessed
multiple waves of the
pandemic.
Casualties have been
higher in percentages
in countries
possessing smaller
populations, in
numbers and/or
density, than India,
including US,
European nations,
Brazil etc. In no case
were the deceased so
disrespectfully
depicted as in our
case. The reality in
the US was that Covid
casualties were
buried in mass graves
employing
mechanical means
and without
permitting the next of
kin to pay their last
respects or be
present. Human
touch to those who
lost the battle against
Covid was missing.
There were also
reports of Covid
casualties lying in
refrigerated vans for
a long time in New
York, awaiting mass
burials. Photographs
in US and western
media displayed
people laying flowers
in an open field in
remembrance of the
deceased. In Italy, the
situation was so
depressing that the
army was called in to
take over casualties
and hurriedly
cremate them away
from cities. Most
western nations,
currently critical of
India, adopted similar
measures. Indians, on
the other hand,
cremated their dead
with dignity and as
per religious ethos,
despite shortcomings
and a spreading virus.
It was this display of
religious reverence
which the media
displayed to depict a
failing nation. Victory
against Covid is not
determined solely by
the number of
casualties (dead or
infected), but by
protecting the
majority of the
population, as also
catering for their
essential needs
during periods of
enforced lockdowns.
Number of casualties
are dependent on the
population and
density within a
nation; while they
matter, they cannot
be ultimate
determinants.
Success should
logically depend on
reversing the Covid
cycle with minimum
inconvenience and
suffering to the
populace.
The fact that India
being the world’s
second most
populated nation was
bound to have higher
casualties was
ignored. There is no
doubt the current
government erred
when it went ahead
with elections,
religious events and
protests, adding to
the spread. But why
was India singled out
globally? There could
be multiple reasons,
including internal
political one-
upmanship and anti-
government groups
grabbing an
opportunity. India’s
national power has
risen in recent years.
It is immune to global
commentators, who
felt they could
compel third world
countries to behave
as per their whims
and fancies.
India’s refusal to
change decisions,
whether on Kashmir
or the Citizenship
Amendment Act,
despite criticism from
so-called global
watchdogs or
senators or members
of parliament of the
Western world hurt
privately funded
influential
organizations, many
of whom control
media houses. These
were at the forefront
in tarnishing the
national image.
Another plausible
reason is jealousy of
the Western world in
witnessing an Asian
nation becoming a
giant, overtaking
most of their
economies as also
successfully
countering the first
global economic
wave.
India, till recently
considered a third
world country, is a
rising economic
power where
Western leaders rush
to sign trade deals.
Grabbing a part of
the growing Indian
market is a pre-
requisite for
economic
development for any
Western country. This
reversal in fortunes
has hurt many
influential
organizations in the
west. Western
nations selfishly
ignored third world
countries and saved
all vaccines and
medical equipment
which they could
garner for their own
populace, storing far
more than necessary.
It was India which
reached out and
supported weaker
nations. Indian
vaccine diplomacy
earned it global
praise, while the
West was branded
selfish.
Globally Indian
generosity was
praised, while it
reflected adversely
on the ethos and
responsibility of the
developed world.
India was no longer a
nation which could be
ignored, and this
irked so-called global
watchdogs and
influencers. Politics,
within India, aided by
some media
personalities, also
played a role in
globally maligning the
country. The
opposition sought to
target the current
government but
ended up tarnishing
the national image.
The pandemic was
exploited as a
political tool for
influencing public
opinion, as India
remains perpetually
in an election mode.
Claims of false
reporting gained
prominence.
Governments are
temporary and can
change depending on
the will of the people
in future elections,
while the nation is
permanent. Those
who exploited the
pandemic to hit out
at the government
have harmed the
national image,
rather than an
individual or a
political party, due to
their short-
sightedness. In the
long term, India will
win the battle against
the pandemic and will
rise again. It will
continue supporting
the globe in the fight
against the pandemic.
However, what will
take time is changing
the adverse image of
the nation.
---------------------------
By Harsha Kakar
Retired Major
General, Indian Army
Image: The Prode
From The Statesman, Image: Wikipedia
Maharana Pratap Jayanti image: Wikipedia
To contribute content to The Good Word email IndiaWiki2020@gmail.com
During his visit to the
US last week, Foreign
Minister S Jaishankar
participated with
General McMaster in
a virtual discussion
conducted by the
Hoover institution.
He was questioned
on India’s handling of
the pandemic. He
stated, “We are
giving free food to as
many as 800 million
people. We’ve put
money into bank
accounts of 400
million.” To underline
his statement, he
explained that India
was providing food
stocks to two and a
half times the US
population and
funding more than its
population. How
many nations were
able to sustain such
expenditure through
these trying times
and receding
economies?
On the global
projection of a failing
Indian government,
Jaishankar added, “I
Jaishankar
defends
rallies,
religious
gatherings
Last month the
external affairs
minister S Jaishankar
defended holding
election rallies and
religious gatherings
during the Covid-19
pandemic in India.
“At the end of
February, we were
looking at less than
10,000 cases a day. It
has now gone up 38
times,” he said.
“It can't be (that)
religious crowds are a
problem but protest
crowds are fine,” he
said. “Yes, with
benefit of hindsight
it’s very easy for
people to say we
shouldn’t have
allowed gatherings of
any kind but
remember a year ago
we were pilloried for
doing exactly that. In
a democratic country
you cannot not have
elections. We are a
deeply democratic
and political country.
Suppose the
government had said
let’s not do the
election, imagine the
reaction! A year ago,
when we did the
lockdown, we did it
because we were not
prepared for the
pandemic. Yet I saw
in this Freedom
House report that we
did the lockdown to
deal with CAA
protest…Elections are
sacrosanct,” he
added.
He put forth the view
that the government
had not taken its eye
off the ball, but said
the whole country let
its guard down when
the first wave
seemed under
control. Everyone
was surprised at the
intensity with which
the second wave hit
India.
Jaishankar also
defended India’s
vaccine diplomacy
saying India had
international
agreements to send
the vaccine to other
countries under the
Covax agreement.
More at: MSN.com
