Editorial | No place for pride as India struggles under second virus wave
- China has the will and means to help India in its fight. Delhi should set aside its mistrust and accept the assistance on offer, for the good of India as well as that of the region
The coronavirus is a global threat and nations have to treat it as such when epidemics strike. India is swamped by a second Covid-19 wave and its health care system is struggling to cope with ever-higher numbers of new daily infections.
China, a neighbour which has brought Covid-19 under control and has the resources to combat the surge, has offered help but has been rebuffed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. There is no place for nationalism and pride in the midst of so serious a crisis, regardless of how strained relations between the Asian giants are; disputes have to be put aside so that the situation can be quickly brought under control.
India yesterday became the first country in the world to record more than 400,000 coronavirus infections in a single day. At least 3,500 deaths were also reported. Hospitals are critically short of intensive care beds and oxygen, medication and vaccines have been depleted. Covid-19 variants, some with worrying mutations that appear more transmissible than the original, are widely believed to be fuelling the surge, although are not thought to be deadlier.
Beijing was quick to offer assistance. A foreign ministry spokesman’s remarks typified the position, contending that “China is ready to provide support and help according to India’s needs”. With the crisis worsening, Foreign Minister Wang Yi organised for last Tuesday a video meeting with his South Asian counterparts to coordinate a strategy.
But New Delhi declined the invitation, just as it has not sought help directly from the Chinese government, although it has been procuring medical supplies from China’s private sector.