Covid-19 Vaccines: India Fulfils Its Responsibility Towards The Global Community
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-01-21 02:18:14
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
As the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world and the country which has successfully developed an indigenous Covid vaccine, India is duty bound to help its immediate neighbours and all other countries that are not in a position to vaccinate their population against coronavirus. This help can be free on humanitarian basis or India can even ask those countries that can pay for it to do so.
Hence it is good that the government has already started shipping vaccine consignments to Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar and Seychelles. Other countries are also on the list. Cambodia, which generally favours China in all matters, has also petitioned India for supplies and India must respond favourably, as it should to Dominica, whose Prime Minister has petitioned Prime Minister Modi directly for vaccine supplies. There should be no bias in this gesture.
The only thing to consider is whether such a gesture would hinder the vaccination programme in India. Since Serum Institute has manufactured enough quantities on "at risk" basis and is in a position to supply enough vials and since India is vaccinating only about 3 lakh persons daily (which will be scaled up to 6 lakhs in a few weeks) by which time more vials will be manufactured as per orders, one thinks that supply will not be a constraint.
In times of a humanitarian crisis, India has always put its hand up and has been counted as a nation that fulfills its responsibilities towards the global community. Supplying Covid vaccines to nations who cannot otherwise have immediate access to the same is a continuation of the same. It also opens up a diplomatic front where India can improve its relations with many countries by helping them in their hour of need. The government needs to be commended for its decision and timely action in this regard.
