Editorial :
The second wave of Corona has killed more than 1 lakh people and infected many more lakhs . The situation in Maharashtra , Delhi and Gujrat is grim . In states like UP , Bihar , Karnataka , Andhra , Telangana and Tamilnadu the pandemic is spreading rapidly . There is shortage of beds . People are dying due to lack of oxygen supply and fire accidents at hospitals . The center refused to acknowledge the shortage of vaccines and oxygen till now and is being accused of favoring certain states . Also there are allegations of vaccines reaching black markets . People are living in continuous fear . Workers in the metropolitan cities are looking at every means to go back to their villages . The prices of essential items and vegetables have increased exponentially . The consequences of lockdown and curfew , measures being taken for Corona prevention , are even worse , jeopardizing the lives and livelihoods of the majority . But governments are busy in the service of big capitalists and imperialists making legislations and selling public property for them . People can see the contradictions between the big capitalists which is getting expressed as the conflict between the ruling parties . They are realizing that the agitations of therepresentatives of the political parties are not for the people ’ s sake but for their own interests . On the other hand , the ruling parties , comprador bourgeoisie and imperialists intendthat they can appease the people and dampen their anger by throwing free schemes and reforms .
The attempts to keep people under religious chauvinism have been intensified . BJP ’ s Modihas spent crores of rupees for laying the foundation stone for Ram Mandir , during the Corona pandemic . Big Capitalists and investors have announced hundreds and thousands of crores of donations for the construction of the temple . In
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Ruling Classes and Corona
Telangana too , the government is prestigiously building the Yadadri temple spending crores of rupees of public money . Corona could not be a hindrance for organizing the KumbhMela . And as if the festivities are not enough in Tirupati , a ‘ researcher ’ now declares that the birth place of Anjaneya is Anjanadri hill of Tirupati , making this a full time news on TVs . Thus temples are competing in attracting believers of Gods . All these are attempts to constantly put people under the opium of religious . Secularism is for the name ’ s sake .
The experience of these 70 years shows how federalism , enabled with the declaration of Republic in 1950 , was ruthlessly thrown asunder . The system of conducting Elections by buying voters like sheep in the market , became a norm . The center is even attacking on the bare minimum powers of the state governments . Attempts to overthrow them by buying MLAs and creating political crises are being overtly done by the BJP at the Center . It is not only shrinking the power of the state governments but also attacking the people in fascist ways . It created a war like situation in forest and tribal areas in the name of suppressing the revolutionaries . The central government , which has taken up the weapon of repression , is trying to suppress the farmers ’ protests across the country against the implementation of the three agrarian laws and the workers agitations against privatization , in the name of terrorist threats . Creating fearmongering over Muslim Terrorism , Left wing terrorism and Naxalite Terrorismbecame a daily routine for the government . It is being proved that all this propaganda is to suppress the public outcry against their policies and failures . Day-byday people are becoming more aware of the conspiracies of the rulers .
Corona came forth as the common enemy of the poor and the rich . The government is trying to evade its responsibility by blaming people are careless about Corona precautions and penalizing and criminalizing them .
The Central and state governments have learnt nothing from the Corona experiences of last April , May and June . They made no efforts to strengthen public health systems in the months between the first Corona wave and the second . Not a single doctor or nurse post is filled on a permanent basis . Not even a single make shift hospital per state , with medical equipment and facilities , is built . In the name of conflict with neighboring China , the imports of medical equipment and vaccine APIs are banned forcing our people to buy them at exorbitant prices .
Those who should take care of the people are promoting KumbhMelas , Brahmotsavas and Amarnath Yatras during the peak of Corona pandemic and when the Medical and health systems collapsed and made Corona treatment a big business . The fascist form , characteristic of finance capital , continues to be seen in every action of the governments . The lives of the employees involved in the election process , security personnel and the people lured and driven to the election rallies and meetings are worthless for the ruling classes . They don ’ t mind exposing the people to the pandemic Corona virus for their power thirst . Never the less a day would come when workers , peasants and middle class will show the strength of their unity .
People should be more vigilant towards Corona and more so towards the ruling classes who exacerbated this controllable crisis into a deadly pandemic . We mourn the lakhs of people who died with Corona and extend our sympathies to all the Corona victims in the country . We also thank and extend our heartfelt congratulations to the health staff and volunteers who are in the service of Corona victims . v
Class Struggle