Modi’s illnesses

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot do anything in the country without playing politics and without taking credit for every decision of the government; the blame of course is always on the Congress.

Over the years, especially after becoming the Prime Minister, Modi has exhibited his illnesses, which some were quick to catch, prominent among them being veteran Congress Digvijay Singh. Modi suffers from several illnesses, most of which are generally treated by psychiatrists. His main illness seems to be pseudologia fantastica, which in lay terms is applied to a liar. But it is unparliamentary to call someone a liar or that he is telling lies, so Members use the term “speaking untruth’ while referring to lies in the Parliament.

Modi also suffers from persecution delusions, hence he thinks that those who do not support him, are unnecessarily gunning for him.

Today’s speech too exhibited he suffers from pseudologia fantastica. Before announcing that the Union Government would give free anti-COVID vaccine to all Indians above the age of 18 years of age, Modi blamed the state governments for their ‘failure’ to vaccinate people in their respective states.

He started his speech, in his usual way of imputing Congress for all his faults and failures. This time he said in an oblique reference to Congress, that vaccines took years to come to India and it was only now that vaccines are available in the country at the same time, when they are available elsewhere in the world.

A proper scrutiny of Modi’s speeches till-date, shows how ill-informed or ignorant he is about history, science, mathematics; rather about most subjects, but loves to shoot his mouth off. People do put their foot in the mouth sometimes, Modi always has his feet in his mouth.

When the Prime Minister told the nation that the situation of vaccines was bad over the last 60 years, he forgot that Haffkine Institute in Mumbai, which manufactures vaccines, was established in 1899. He also forgot that other institutes have also been manufacturing vaccines, even before he became the Prime Minister.

By his statement, he also insulted all those who have made vaccination successful in the country, from doctors and scientists to political leaders, bureaucracy and the health workers who go to remote villages to vaccinate those to be given the jab. Has he forgotten that we have successfully fought diseases like cholera, small pox and polio?

After his claim on vaccination over the last 60 years, he insulted the COVID warriors, when he said that had the anti-COVID vaccine not arrived, it would have created havoc among medical, para-medical and sanitation staff, as many would have succumbed to COVID. Modi seems to have forgotten that the anti-COVID vaccine was available in India in January, but the COVID warriors worked throughout the first wave of the disease even in the absence of the vaccine.

While Modi is trying to take the credit for the availability of the vaccine in the country, he should know that it was his failure to arrange for vaccines, unlike his friend Donald Trump who arranged for vaccines in a quantity far more than that was required for the US population.’

Modi blamed the states for their ‘failure’ to procure vaccines. But it is the duty of the Union Government to arrange for vaccines. He had said earlier that the vaccine would be available for all and his government had made a provision of Rs 35,000 crore for vaccines and that was left unutilised.

The states had not failed in procuring the vaccines. The Union Government had failed to place orders for adequate vaccines and when the states were asked to make their own arrangements, the states and civic bodies issued global tenders. These tenders did not elicit any response and some organisation said they will work only with the Union Government and not the state governments.

Modi and his government were already put in an embarrassing situation when the Supreme Court asked for the vaccination programme for the nation and about the budgetary provision.

It would have been further embarrassing for the government, if the Supreme Court had issued directives to the government to give free vaccines to all, during the next hearing of the matter. Modi, seems to have taken the decision to avoid that situation.

Yet, the decision to give free anti-COVID vaccination to all persons above 18 years of age, is welcome. Better late than never.