Thread by @VakashaS

Surely today, as Indians struggle desperately to save themselves; as Delhi HC has to cajole the Centre into ensuring oxygen reaches the capital; as infections & death tolls soar & the data fudging is clear; as a nationwide vaccine plan disappears; there has to be an awakening.

In the middle of the inferno that #COVIDSecondWaveInIndia , the Union Home Minister is going to address 3 public rallies. The day after that, your Prime Minister, this man who you revere like a God, is going to address 4. FOUR. PUBLIC. RALLIES. IN THE MIDDLE OF A GODDAMN PANDEMIC

This is not regrettable. This is not misguided. This is not even disgraceful. It is criminal.

Every political leader organising a rally at this time is a criminal. But given their responsibility to the nation, the actions of the Home Minister and the Prime Minister even more so

For the PM to do this after that waffling address to the nation where he nonetheless told you to at least be careful, follow norms, and stop your parents from going out - this is unbelievable.

For Mamata Banerjee and the TMC to organise any public gatherings is also unacceptable

Do not forgive. Do not forget.

It doesn't matter which party you support. Whichever politician you see playing stupid fucking electoral games, remember this. Remember what their priorities were during this horror.

And vote them out, for the love of this country.

These villains, all of them, across this country, Central Govt, State Govt, wherever they are.

Remember that they could have worked together to make this country safe, to make you safe, to make your family, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbours, make all of them safe.

Remember that they could have put aside petty and not-so-petty political differences and rivalries, they could have put aside hatred and division, to ensure that we were better prepared.

Not just in the last year, when the need has been obvious to everyone.

But before that as well. When we could have been building a public health system that worked for everyone. When we could have been building institutions that could organise a proper response to a crisis like this. When we could have been fostering unity and communities that cared

The mistakes of the past, the criminality and the callousness which we condoned for the sake of stupid partisan loyalties, those mistakes have birthed the chaos of today.

That, too, must be remembered.

But today, remember that those you have supported, those you have defended, those you have elected - they owe you. They were supposed to do better. And they failed.

Do not accept this failure. Do not condone this failure. Do not let them get away with this failure.

It cannot be acceptable for the people of this country to have to beg for #OxygenCylinders and #REMDESIVIR and even bloody tests on social media. What about those who don't have this option? How can this be the state of affairs?

It has been uplifting to see how people have come together, have helped each other in this insane time. Do not, however, do NOT let that blind you to what should have been happening.

A Central Govt that took over the pandemic response should have been doing this.

State Govts should have been setting up the kind of emergency local networks that are having to be crowd-sourced.

State Govts should have been honestly telling us how bad things were, instead of trying to hide the information. Don't pretend you don't know who wasn't.

The goddamned oxygen plants that were supposed to be set up and kept ready to deal with precisely the crisis we're in right now should have been set up months ago. If you've been reading the news recently, you'll know who screwed this up.

Instead, we had a Kumbh Mela preponed by a year. Yes, preponed, and don't let the 'astrological reasons' fool you.

The Election Commission not only failed to put restrictions on election rallies, but criminally decided to have an 8-phase West Bengal election. Criminally.

You may well support a political party that benefits from these egregious decisions.

Ask yourself, though, if these decisions are worth the lives being lost because of them. Ask yourself if these decisions are worth the lives being ruined even if not by death.

You know they're not. No matter what the WhatsApp groups say, no matter what the poorly photo-shopped fake news on Facebook says.

You also know, despite all the hate you've been fed, despite all the lies you chose to believe, who is responsible for how bad things have gotten.

Make sure they know you do.

Make sure they know that they can't take you for granted.

Make sure they know they are accountable, no matter what we've allowed them to get away with. Over and over and over again.

Make them pay.