Tedros says the Delta variant, first manifested in India, is on a worldwide spread fuelled by increased “social mobility”, and inconsistent use of “public health and social measures”. If so, what would Tedros say about the Yogi Adityanath Government inviting tens of thousands of ‘Kanwariyas’ to take a detour to Uttar Pradesh after Uttarakhand told them to take a hike?

What’s happened to this monk, is he the ‘Ghajini’ type? You know, short-term memory loss! Doesn’t Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remember the devastation visited on Uttar Pradesh by the Covid second wave in April-May 2021? Then, the River Ganges had to tow thousands of alleged Covid-19 corpses downriver. And the shallow graves on the banks of the Ganges with their saffron markers!

It’s not often that we get to see the front-page of the New York Times and the ‘Time’ magazine cover with a picture of the Ganga transporting bloated bodies. In fact, there’s no verified count of the actual number of the corona-dead in Uttar Pradesh during the second wave. And we’ll not hazard how many will cross the dead-zone come the 3rd wave.

Tedros says the Covid-19 pandemic is currently in the "early stages" of the third wave. The Delta variant is there in more than 111 countries. What’s more worrying, the novel coronavirus continues to evolve into more transmissible and deadlier variants. There are already the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta sorts. And there’s talk of the Lambda and Kappa variants.

The question is, has Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath been told of them? That worldwide coronavirus cases are on the rise once again? That deaths from Covid-19 are back to rising globally after 10 weeks of decline. The reasons are not difficult to pinpoint: increased social mobility, and inconsistent use of public health and social measures, like not wearing the mask and keeping social distance.

Vaccination alone does not help bring down the infection rate. Tedros says all countries should opt for a "comprehensive risk management approach to mass gatherings". Sadly the Modi Government is tone deaf! Lessons from the 2nd wave have not been learned.

Remember the Kumbh Mela was allowed full rein. And by the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to senses the second wave of the pandemic was too far gone. By then, the Ganga was carrying the burden of proof of the ‘death-mela’.

And now, once again, all over again, Uttar Pradesh is staring at a catastrophe in the making – the annual kanwariya pilgrimage, which if it does not take place it would spell a weakening of the Hindutva spirit. Newly installed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami didn’t want anything to do with the kanwariyas, he would rather let his people “live”.

Was that all the reason? Doesn’t it sound like if Dhami hadn’t said ‘No’, how could Yogi Adityanath’s scream ‘Yup’? How could the Yogi look so uniquely generous, the ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ risking his all, even his chief minister-ship, to hold aloft the Hindutva flag against all odds? There couldn’t be a higher sacrifice. So, throwing caution to the wind, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to give the ‘Kanwariya’ the okay to pilgrimage.

The ‘Kanwar Yatra’ sees the Kanwariyas travel hundreds of kilometres on foot to collect waters of the Ganga. The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to allow the annual Kanwar Yatra from July 25, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials to coordinate with neighbouring states, and to ensure that Covid-19 protocols are in place.

Last year (2020), the Yatra was not allowed to take place because of Covid-19. But this year, with a coarser and more difficult Covid-19 situation, the Yatra is being allowed! What should be made of the decision other than that both the Modi Government and the Yogi Adityanath Government are prepared to take a risk and allow the Yatra because otherwise there could be backlash from the Hindutva forces and that would be suicidal for the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Tell that to Tedros and he'll puke! (IPA Service)