Thread by @lonelyredcurl

We didn't need tonight's 8.45pm tamasha to realize this, but what we are currently witnessing is MASS EXTERMINATION as State Policy.

The Modi Government is waging a war on behalf of the billionaire class against the vast majority of people in the country. Here's why 👇 1/n

Modi Government's so-called response to Covid19, from the very beginning, has been about 3 things:
1. increasing the misery of the masses
2. crushing federalism and centralizing power
3. enabling billionaires to accumulate more wealth

Don't believe me? Well scroll down then 2/n

More than a year ago when the lockdown was first announced, there was no preparation at all, no increase in health budget, no release of food grains.

States weren't even allowed to dip into disaster funds to feed the people. 3/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1242469877044002817

We now know that what has since been described as the world's strictest lockdown was enforced from above without ANY consultation with government departments and experts.

And the result was the biggest migrant crisis since independence. 4/n
bbc.com/news/world-asi…

Yes, we know GoI was turning its back on millions of workers, many of whom were forced to WALK hundreds of miles to their hometowns. We know of their deaths on the way and in trains.

But how many are aware of the long term health impacts as a result? 5/n
livemint.com/news/india/how…

It will take us years to figure out the true extent of devastation of human life that happened because of the extended nationwide lockdown, but various estimates give us a peek into the horror. 6/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1337249506786623488

The effects of inability to access healthcare and widespread hunger during this period may not just have long-term effects, but also have contributed to an alarming number of NON-COVID deaths last year. 7/n
thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-bank…

The government knew what was happening. Its own expert panels and epidemiologists were giving grim warnings, but the government instead took advice from management consultancy groups representing the interests of international finance capital. 8/n
ndtv.com/india-news/cor…

In the midst of all this misery, GoI decided to bulldoze through 'reforms' (read means of appropriation of wealth for the ruling class).

The neo-liberal economists urged the government to not waste the crisis, and media gave hoorahs. 9/n
ndtv.com/business/2020-…

Even my pea-sized brain could predict during the initial period of the lockdown in toto what this was going to mean in the next few months: dilution of labour laws, facilitating entry of big agri-tech players, and decimation of health and education. 10/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1260230933333987328

The immiseration of the vast majority of Indians was being ensured while we could barely react. And the literati just cheered on the government or stood silent. 11/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1260234794899615745

All this happened : people in misery, states at the weakest (not even GST dues paid) and billionaires wealthier than ever before (ambani made ₹90 crore an hour).

AND NO INCREASE IN HEALTH INFRA. Instead, health workers were overworked and underpaid.12/n
thehindu.com/news/national/…

It should be obvious by now that the extended nationwide lockdown announced in march last year was never about controlling the pandemic.

Some may say it was shock doctrine. BUT NO, this was not taking advantage of a disaster, THIS WAS MAKING A DISASTER. A permanent seige. 13/n

Which brings us to another ploy: the introduction of a digital immunity passport that would enable large-scale surveillance of workers and enable the private health care industry to make billions.

THERE IS NO VACCINE PROGRAM WITHOUT THIS! 14/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1319198868970500098

Reasoning for adopting this is many a time circular, vaccine program will go smoothly if biometric data is available and biometric data adoption will increase if it is linked to vaccine program.

The decimation of public health care and this vaccine program go hand-in-hand! 15/n

Now that public health care has crumbled, the government is throwing open the vaccine market and once again minting money for billionaires. NO OTHER POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT!

People are being killed so the ruling class can grow richer. It's the sad truth. 16/n

https://twitter.com/lonelyredcurl/status/1384201051142692875

Note that again, states are being burdened with carrying the burden of subsidizing this for their people.

Will end by saying this: The message tonight was that we are left to fend for ourselves and the government won't be helping.
And if we don't behave: another lockdown. n/n

Post script: 1. People were asking, how do you KNOW the billionaires are going to make more profits now?

Well, see for yourself. They are using credit from GoI that they couldn't get from the private market and then using it to extort more money from states.

2. States are literally fighting against each other now, just to allow their people to breathe.

The central government is pitting state against state DAMN THE THOUSANDS DYING

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1384776119631499269?s=19