Patriotism of convenience…
During the last few years we were all put to a test not by individuals or governments but by a virus, the notorious SARS CoV 2, that in turn tested both individuals and governments.
How would people and governments take cognizance of the situation and mobilize their resources? Could we maintain social hygiene which we seldom cared about as a country? Could we live with just basic necessities after losing that job or cutting costs? Would we be there for our family and friends if they needed us? Would we rise up to the occasion and contribute whatever little we can if the situation called for it akin to a soldier being summoned at wartime? Plenty such Would we? Could we?
Irrespective of how we fared, I guess most of us gave survival our best shot. The government was doing the best it could from subsidizing treatments to mobilizing resources, rolling out an exceptional vaccination program including exporting it to the needy countries, importing certain drugs and vaccines, subsidizing masks, procuring PPE’s for essential workers. There were new centers set up for testing and treatment. Some states did an exceptional job of providing services at the doorstep of individuals including food, medications and ambulance services. Even the local municipal corporation seemed to have stepped up their game.
Now in stark contrast to this were incidents when certain drugs were being sold in the black market at double the rates. Medications were out of stock during a certain patch of the pandemic when one of my dad’s friends, a senior citizen like him happened to contact me for my medical opinion. I had to in turn ask for help from one of my contacts and was directed to this medical representative who agreed to help with procuring a drug. I was only to know recently that the same medication was sold to the patient’s family at double the cost. Something that cost 40K was sold for 80K instead.
As embarrassing as it was for me for being the person’s point of contact, also raises the very important question that dad asked “Are people really patriotic?” When a bunch of people use a pandemic to make a 100 percent profit out of someone’s misery, our collective intentions are sure questionable. I agree people cannot be shelling money out of their pockets specially during pressing times but to rip off someone in their time of distress is reaching an other low.
If you remember, same was the case when there were floods in Joshimath/ Uttarakhand, India when hoteliers and small time grocers were found tripling and quadrupling their rates for essential goods and services to supply to the flood afflicted public while on the other hand rescue efforts were in full swing by the government, military and paramilitary forces.
When there is one section of society that relentlessly fights hard to achieve some semblance of normalcy, when stories of bravado and altruism do the rounds, there will always be those few individuals who will capitalize on the same situation.
Maybe as dad says, these situations are the true test of patriotism. Not those flag hoists or grand slogans but whether you can step up when need be or if not, at least not abusively capitalize the opportunity. The same people who expect essential workers to risk their lives, military personal to man the borders in the biting cold, the government to provide the best of facilities will fall short when it comes following basic human ethos during a national calamity. It sure is ‘Patriotism of convenience’ for most.
