The second Holi of the pandemic just came and went. The festivities remained subdued as we are not really over the hump as far as the pandemic situation is concerned. Last year at this time, we were still coming to grips with the extent of this pandemic. We had not yet seen the global impact that this pandemic would have. Over the last one year, we have seen this disease ebb and fall, spreading from one part of the globe to the other. It seems to lurk below the surface even when it seems to be dying. In a globalised world, the virus is never really that far away.
My family are not celebrating Holi this year as we are mourning the recent loss of my father. Due to my own grief, I briefly overlooked the sadness of the millions of people who are grieving for a loved one lost to Covid-19 during the last one year. We were able to meet my father the evening before he passed away. The memory of the last evening spent with him gives us a lot of comfort. This comfort is denied to the families of Covid-19 victims. How should families find closure when they were unable to even perform the last rites, leave alone hold their loved one’s body one last time?
A moving video message for Holi by TATA Steel that is doing the rounds on social media tries to address this poignant question. The beautiful message pays tribute to all the loved souls lost to Covid-19. It gives a powerful and inspiring message, urging mourners to move forward for the sake of loved ones: ‘Apnon ke liye Aage Badho’.
Life has been tough on so many fronts for almost everyone during the last one year of the pandemic. We owe it to the memory of our loved ones that we move forward. They would want us to do that. The loved ones around us deserve it even more! As Covid-19 numbers begin rising again in India and reports of new variants start going around, we need a reminder of the only known protection against the virus. It is imperative that one gets over one's fear and hesitation to get oneself and one's loved ones vaccinated.
There are many reports about people waiting to see the outcome of the vaccination drive before getting vaccinated themselves. Addressing the many rumours being spread about vaccines that are at the base of vaccine hesitancy, India’s Union Minister of Health Dr Harsh Vardhan asked people to stay away from rumours about vaccines against coronavirus (Covid-19). This disease has already affected more than 12 million people in India and killed more than 162,000. Dr Harsh Vardhan stated categorically that both vaccines being used in India are safe and effective. Referring to doubts about vaccines that are still harboured by a lot of people, he urged people “not to believe what is being circulated in WhatsApp university”.
India has taken a lead in sharing the vaccines manufactured in the country with other parts of the world. Many countries around the globe have already received the ‘made in India’ vaccines. Vaccination drive is proceeding at a fast pace inside the country, even as there is concern at rising Covid-19 numbers.
Vaccination drive is proceeding smoothly in the UK as well. The Government of PM Boris Johnson has started relaxing some of the strict restrictions that had been imposed to control the spread of disease. With around sixty percent of the adult population having received its first dose of the vaccine, the UK is tentatively starting to move towards gradual restoration of normalcy. One fervently hopes that the suffering caused by Covid-19 will soon be a memory from the past.
As both India and the UK prepare for the forthcoming visit of PM Boris Johnson to India, success of the vaccination drive against Covid-19 is important. The Oxford University/ AstraZeneca vaccine being manufactured for India and the world by the Serum Institute of India can be a way forward for cooperation between India and the UK. With a vibrant “living bridge” connecting the two countries, there are immense possibilities of working together for the benefit of our two countries and peoples in mutual interest.
