Rather than confronting the Centre on mundane issues, the States should work with it to beat the virus
If pizzas can be delivered at home why not rations, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the Centre over its blockage of his direct-to-home ration scheme. In March and April, Kejriwal should have been asked the same question, replacing rations with oxygen and beds. It is pure politics that is at play and, unfortunately, the standoff diverts the attention of both away from the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has just seen a deathly second wave lash Delhi with the possibility of an even more dangerous third one later. However well defined the direct-to-home ration scheme is, it pales as a priority before the national objective of escaping the clutches of the virus. Leaving politics aside, the one and the only priority today is to vaccinate as many 18+ people as possible before this year-end. Yes, there have been mistakes in not acting in time for making available the required doses. The Union Government, at least now, is trying to be proactive in obtaining doses through June and July so that the vaccination drive picks up speed. The States do not see eye to eye with the Centre on either the procurement or the pricing, but these might become secondary once doses come in; it is important to rectify the mistakes than dwell on them. Both are also preparing for a third wave. While tackling the emergency, what is most avoidable is a Centre-State confrontation, especially on issues unrelated to the pandemic.
However, that is precisely what is happening. The Lakshadweep administrator is involved in a contretemps over non-pandemic issues. The Kerala Assembly had time to pass a resolution against the administrator when its entire focus should have been on the stepped-up lockdown since June 5. The Mamata Government chose an inopportune moment to take up political cudgels against the Prime Minister, well knowing the State had just suffered a cyclonic storm even as the COVID-19 situation is nowhere near being brought under control. Arvind Kejriwal continues to confront the Centre over the ration scheme he claims he was thwarted from launching. Truth be told, had he given as much time to planning for an impending oxygen and bed shortage in March-April, something he and the Aam Aadmi Party Government utterly failed to do, he would have saved Delhiites a lot of pain, mental torture and death. It is clear that the ration scheme comes as a damage control exercise. And the BJP knows that. That is why the standoff. Not only that, he has his eyes on next year’s elections to the municipal corporation he wants to wrest from the BJP. The scheme, if implemented in Delhi, would bolster his party’s chances in coming elections in Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh that Kejriwal feels are crucial to the AAP’s future. He and Mamata and others will get lots of time to take on the Prime Minister, but taking on COVID-19 comes first.