'India-bashing should stop': Anand Mahindra on country's Covid response

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said on Twitter that the ‘India-bashing should stop', referring to widespread criticism of the country’s Covid response. 

While sharing a news report about the Japanese city Osaka reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic, Mahindra wrote on Twitter to his over 8 million followers, “The ‘Japanese model’ of fighting Covid & their health infrastructure was envied. But yes, ‘No one’s safe anymore.’ The India-bashing should stop & we need to understand that we have to heal the world TOGETHER. Osaka should try the ‘Mumbai Model’.”

In his tweet, Mahindra referred to the ‘Mumbai Model’ of tackling the Covid pandemic, while ostensibly praising the city’s successful efforts in implementing a strict lockdown since April, which brought down the spread of the virus drastically in the  megapolis. In the last 24 hours, Mumbai recorded 1,037 new Covid cases and 37 deaths. The city’s recovery rate is at 94%. The city has been under a strict lockdown since mid-April, which is likely to be eased in a phased manner starting June 1. 

Meanwhile, Mahindra’s tweet met with a mixed response. Several users lauded the industrialist for calling out those only criticising Indian’s Covid response but not giving any constructive suggestions. 

Others however claimed that criticising the Indian government for its handling of the Covid crisis doesn’t amount to ‘India-bashing’, as Mahindra wrote in his tweet. 

“Sorry Sir, you are equating India with its govt. India is not equal to its govt. We are criticising the govt for mishandling the pandemic, not bashing India. Please use correct terminology,” a user tweeted. 

Amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which emerged in April, cases have skyrocketed across the country, resulting in an acute shortage of medical-grade oxygen and essential medicines such as Remdesivir and Fabiflu. Medical experts have criticised the Centre for allowing super-spreader events such as the Kumbh Mela to take place in Uttarakhand last month, also the slow pace of India’s vaccination drive and the lack of medical infrastructure. 

In the last 24 hours, India has recorded 208,000 fresh coronavirus infections and 4,157 deaths due to the virus.