Had Modi and his government felt concern for India's citizenry, they could have used the rallies and the festival as occasions to vaccinate vast numbers. The message of all this is clear: Policy goals, political dramaturgy and electoral prospects are more important than the well-being of the country's population. The political appeal of permitting this festival was obvious: It would virtually guarantee him and his party the votes of the Hindu faithful. This festival, the Kumbh Mela, routinely attracts more than 1 million pilgrims and can last three months. (Not to be outdone, some opposition parties followed suit.) Modi has also allowed a massive Hindu religious festival to be held in Haridwar, a city on the Ganges. As four of the country’s states went to the polls for legislative elections, Modi threw himself into full campaign mode, attending rallies without any prospect of social distancing and with mostly unmasked supporters. He and his alter ego, Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah, focused their energies on caricaturing opposition politicians, harassing political dissidents and claiming at a World Economic Forum meeting that India had crushed the virus.
Instead of using the respite to build up stocks of personal protective equipment, boost vaccine production or ramp up testing, he returned to a business-as-usual governance. This 21-day shutdown briefly impeded the spread of the virus, but the prime minister did not use the opportunity to plot against its eventual resurgence. Without consulting public health experts or epidemiologists, Modi imposed a draconian, nationwide lockdown with just a few hours’ notice, leaving millions of migrant workers stranded hundreds of miles from their homes.
But a haughty, out-of-touch approach has always been evident, too - and it is the hallmark of the government’s coronavirus response.
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