India deserves high praise
THE Jamaican saying that “Parson christen him pickney fus” (first) did not apply to the Asian nation of India when that country was in position to assist others with COVID-19 vaccines.
The crisis that faces India now is sad, but the bigger picture is that while the populous country was assisting other people around the world with generous vaccine handouts, its people were waiting in the queue. It is not something that you see happen every day, and people need to understand what it means to share.
Of course, there are those who will say that India was foolish not to have vaccinated more of its population, instead of the around just under 140 million who got the COVID-19 drug up to last week; or that Prime Minister Modi is a fool to have ignored his people so badly, but regardless of that, India decided to share. Jamaica owes that country a huge debt of gratitude. It was India that offered Jamaica the drug, the first Caribbean island to have been afforded that privilege, but it was, strangely, turned down by a high-ranking official of this Government for reasons best known to him, reasons which I am aware of but will not disclose on this page. It was only later on that Jamaica decided to accept the goods.
India could have used those vaccines that it sent to Jamaica in the first phase, to fully vaccinate
25,000 of its citizens. It did not. Now, India is suffering from a major outbreak in its land and, while blame may be placed on the chest of politicians there for not introducing certain strategies that could have controlled the spread better, the people of the rest of the world should laud that great country for showing the sort of kindness and caring attitude that is so sadly lacking globally.
Too many lives have been lost, and it hurts me to see the indefinite suspension of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket championship matches which I try not to miss.
India is a magnificent country which I have had the honour to visit and where I was treated regally and royally by its people. It shall rebound.