Corona & Cover Up

Corona Pandemic is the worst human disaster people are witnessing after second world war. The Chinese, otherwise totally respon- sible for the crisis, have reasons to hide the truth. It is the curse of Chinese capitalism. The pandemic is global but so far the so called international community has failed to meet the challenge globally. In some parts of the world it borders on silent genocide. After Italy, Iran, France and Spain, it is now the turn of India to face the procession of the dead. Pakistan is equally vulnerable to Covid-19. For one thing Pakistan is allegedly spreading this deadly virus to the Middle East. Religious fanatics are potential source of spread of the pandemic.

In 2015, the Chinese Institute of Virology, Wuhan, identified a deadly Corona Virus that could spread from horseshoe bats to humans. Two years later, in 2017, a study found 73 Corona viruses in 1067 bats. They could have killed them to avoid further spread. No they didn't. Nor did they inform the World Health Organisation (WHO) on time, about the impending danger looming large over the people across the world.

In early 2018, WHO convened a meeting, rather casually, to discuss the matter. Dr Peter Daszak, a disease ecologist and president of the New York based Eco-Health Alliance, present at that meeting pointed out that an outbreak of such an epidemic was preventable and predictable. Nothing more than that was discussed at the WHO meet though Corona was very much on its way to create havoc.

In December 2019, Dr Li Wen Liang (34), a scientist who spoke out of the danger before China informed WHO officials, was reprimanded by the police and his life was made miserable by the Communist Party cadres. And Dr Li finally died in February. Now they are tendering apology to his bereaved family. Apology or no apology, Li won't return to trouble the Chinese authorities.

There remains a lot of questions to be answered. Why was the WHO reluctant to ban international borders till the January, even though it became a global pandemic in the very first week of January? There is an allegation that China conspired with WHO—in plain language they bribed WHO officials. And the World Travel Organisation didn't ban global travel either.

Why did Trump travel to India when he had the full knowledge about the virus and the possibility of outbreak of an epidemic. Why did Modi react so slowly and casually though the first case of Covid-19 was reported from Kerala in January itself. Then Britain took it easy as if nothing will happen. Iran too responded without any urgency though the situation in that country was very grave. They finally released 85,000 prisoners to avoid a catastrophe. It, however tells yet another story of how political dissenters are treated in that Mullacracy. This slow, passive response, indicates among other things that this is a colossal failure of global governance, a historic failure to contain the pandemic.

In 2002, an infection called SARS, in which thousands of people around the world were infected and 773 people died, also originated in China.' Socialism' with Chinese characteristics is showing its ugly face. There is almost unanimity that the virus is from China. And the Chinese Government can not avoid responsibility that the pandemic is due to their 'guarded' approach to the problem.

Italy, a nation of only 60 million people now accounts for 36 percent of the world's Corona virus deaths. The shadow of Covid-19 is lengthening across Africa, the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.

One whistle blower is dead. Maybe someone else will come forward to reveal the truth in the future about virology and secret biological weapons programme of China. Only good news is that Wuhan has somehow turned around even under the most severe situation. But the rest of the world is reeling under Covid-19. It is unlikely to go away anytime soon. Cuba has sent its doctors and medical students to 37 countries. Cuba's medical internationalism has no parallel. Strangely, Modi's government does not make any contact with Cuba, albeit Cuba's humanitarian service can save the situation.

The infection has spread to 189 countries but Italy and Iran have been the worst hit. According to a report, China's grandiose world shaking programme of 'One Belt, One Road (OBOR)' seems to be a major contributor to the spread of this infection in Italy and Iran. They are paying the price for doing business with China. For these two countries OBOR linkages are almost certain. It does not matter whether China, the rising imperial power of 21st century, denies it or not.

Frontier
Vol. 53, No. 16, Oct 18 - 124, 2020