2021: For India, a year of mixed fortunes
Afitting finale to 2021 would be the collective hope that we never see a year like this again. We have seen much sadness this year. Covid-19, which entered our lives last year, brought much of humanity to its knees this year. Millions have been infected even as the virus assumes new avatars, and so many have died from its ravages. So far over 270 million have been infected all over the world. Of these, over 5.4 million have died. In India, over 480,000 people have died. India is among the top five countries which have lost the most people to the virus.
People across India were forced to take loans to meet treatment costs for both the pandemic and other illnesses. Between May and August, 238,000 people took loans of approximately ₹4,200 crore from banks for this. And this is the figure for just four months.
However, the good news is that the Union and state governments took on the fight against the pandemic head-on. They ensured that a total of 1.32 billion doses of vaccines have been administered so far, giving people some respite from the virus.
The pandemic brought in its wake an increase in economic inequality across the world. In India, 57% of the country’s total income went to the top 10%. As a result of this inequitable distribution of wealth, 270 million people who were brought above the poverty line by 2014, have fallen below it again. Now, with the Omicron variant upon us, and still not enough information on its effects, society and the government cannot drop their guard.
Apart from the virus, India and China are locked in a standoff ever since Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley after a breach by the People’s Liberation Army. In 2021, there were no casualties on this front, but the threat is far from over. This is a situation that adds to India’s worries, which are already exacerbated by the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have not snowballed into any major conflict in 2021, but shelling and attacks from across the border have cost us at least 35 soldiers. Drones originating from Pakistan have also become a cause for concern. These have given a fillip to terrorist activity in Kashmir and have resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people. It is little comfort, that through the efforts of the home ministry and state government, about 100 terrorists were killed. These include those who cruelly targeted innocent people from the minorities. The violence still continues. There was a firing on a van full of policemen in Srinagar on the night of December 13, and such incidents are likely to continue.
If 2021 has proved anything, it is that the concept of a global village has become redundant. Vaccine nationalism by the richer countries has made the battle against the virus all the more difficult for the poor nations. They will have to dig in for the long haul if they have to become self-reliant in vaccines.
The beginning of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya last year and the inauguration of the Vishwanath Dham complex in Varanasi this month reflect the changing attitudes of the establishment in India. Keshav Prasad Maurya, deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has raised the issue of Mathura now. Is this just a part of the upcoming elections or something more?
December 8 brought enormous tragedy with India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, along with 12 others, perishing in a helicopter crash. He had begun the process of making India’s defence forces more coordinated and efficient in keeping with the needs of the time.
The other terrible tragedy was the deaths at the farm protest site at Lakhimpur Kheri. Despite this and other blows, the farmers did not lose sight of their goals — and victory was theirs in the end. This year will be remembered as a seminal one in farmers’ struggle.
But this year will also be remembered with joy over the unprecedented performance of our sportspersons at the Tokyo Olympics. It was India’s best performance in the last four decades with a seven-medal haul including javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s gold, Ravi Dahiya, and Mirabai Chanu’s silvers, PV Sindhu, Bajrang Punia, Lovlina Borgohain’s bronze medals, and the one for the hockey team. India won a medal in hockey after 41 years.
The victory of Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India, as the first woman vice-president of the United States was a unique achievement for so many reasons. India has made a significant mark in global companies like Google, Microsoft and Twitter, and inspiration for the younger generation.
As the year draws to a close, we can only hope that the next one will bring hope and positive change. Wishing all our readers a happy and healthy New Year.