मनमोहन सिंह के पत्र का स्वास्थ्य मंत्री द्वारा दिया गया जवाब

कल पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डा ० मनमोहनसिंह द्वारा सकारात्मक सहयोग की भावना से वर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री जी को एक संजीदा गंभीर चिट्ठी लिखी थी जिसका जवाब मोदी जी ने खुद नहीं दिया बल्कि अपने एक क़ाबीना मंत्री से दिलवाया। डा० हर्षवर्धन स्वयं एक शरीफ़ इंसान है चाहे वे उस दल में हों जिससे हम आप या कोई भी कितना ही असहमत हो। 

पहले तो वर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री में इतना शिष्टाचार होना चाहिये था कि पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री की चिट्ठी का उत्तर उनके दस्तख़त से जाये लेकिन चलिये वह सौम्यता और पदानुकूल गरिमायुक्त व्यवहार तो ज़बरदस्ती किसी को सिखाया नहीं जा सकता। 

मैं दावे से कह सकता हूँ कि उत्तर की भाषा से स्वास्थ्य मंत्री के चरित्र व व्यक्तित्व का कोई मेल नहीं है। डा० हर्षवर्धन ऐसा उत्तर देने वाले इंसान नहीं है। जैसा कि दिल्ली के सत्ताई गलियारे पिछले ७ सालों से प्रमाणित कर रहे हैं कि हर मंत्रालय के सारे फ़ैसले प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय में संबंधित संयुक्त सचिव लेते हैं और मंत्री मात्र दस्तख़त करते हैं। यह पत्र चाहे किसी के भी हस्ताक्षर से जारी हुआ हो। यह दरअसल है तो प्रधानमंत्री का ही जवाब। 

अब पढ़ लीजिये कि क्या स्तर है जवाब का !

( Rama Shankar Singh जी की टाइमलाइन से )

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पहले डॉ मनमोहन सिंह का प्रधानमंत्री जी को लिखा पत्र पढ़े, 

Manmohan Singh Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha

New Delhi April 18, 2021

Dear Prime Minister:

It is now over a year since the world, and India, have been grappling with the Covid 19 pandemic. Many parents have not seen their children, living in different cities, in over a year. Grandparents have not seen their grandchildren. Teachers have not seen children in the classroom. Many have lost their source of livelihood, and several millions have been pushed back into poverty. With the second surge that we are currently witnessing, people are beginning to wonder when their lives will get back to normal.

There are many things we must do to fight the epidemic but a big part of this effort must be ramping up the vaccination programme. I have some suggestions in this regard. In making them I want to emphasise that I am putting them forward for your kind consideration in a spirit of constructive cooperation which I have always believed and acted upon.

First, the government should publicise what are the firm orders for doses placed on different vaccine producers and accepted for delivery over the next six months. If we want to vaccinate a target number in this period, we should place enough orders in advance so that producers can adhere to an agreed schedule of supply.

Second, the government should indicate how this expected supply will be distributed across states based on a transparent formula. The central government could retain 10 percent for distribution based on emergency needs, but other than that, states should have a clear signal of likely availability so that they can plan their roll out.

Third, states should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age. For example, states may want to designate school teachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff, and possibly lawyers who have to attend Courts as frontline workers. They can then be vaccinated even if they are below 45. 

Fourth, over the past few decades, India has emerged as the largest vaccine producer in the world, thanks to policies adopted by the government and robust intellectual property protection. The capacity is largely in the private sector. At this moment of a public health emergency, the Government of India must proactively support vaccine producers to expand their manufacturing facilities quickly by providing funds and other concessions. In addition, I believe this is the time to invoke the compulsory licensing provisions in the law, so that a number of companies are able to produce the vaccines under a licence. This, I recall, had happened earlier in the case of medicines to deal with the HIV/AIDS disease. As far as Covid-19 is concerned, I have read that Israel has already invoked the compulsory licensing provision and there is an overwhelming case for India to do so as well quickly.

Fifth, since domestic supplies are limited, any vaccine that has been cleared for use by credible authorities such as the European Medical Agency or the USFDA, should be allowed to be imported without insisting on domestic bridging trials. We are facing an unprecedented emergency and, I understand, experts are of the view that this relaxation is justified in an emergency. The relaxation could be for a limited period during which the bridging trials could be completed in India. All consumers of such vaccines could be duly cautioned that these vaccines are being allowed for use based on the approval granted by the relevant authority abroad.

The key to our fight against Covid 19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated. Currently, India has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population. I am certain that with the right policy design, we can do much better and very quickly.

I hope the government will accept these suggestions immediately and act on them promptly.

With warmest regards,

Yours sincerely,

(Manmohan Singh)

Shri Narendra Modi Hon'ble Prime Minister 7, Lok Kalyan Marg New Delhi-110011.

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अब स्वास्थ्य मंत्री जी का उत्तर पढ़े, 

Respected Dr. Manmohan Singhji,

Greetings! Hope my letter finds you in good health!

I read your letter to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, written in the spirit of constructive cooperation.

The emphasis you have laid on vaccination as an important tool to fight COVID-19 is well taken, which is exactly why India launched the world's biggest vaccination drive and also became the fastest in the world to reach the milestones of 10, 11 and 12 crore administered doses.

Your advice to not get tempted to go by absolute numbers, but to go by percentage of population covered, is not incorrect. However, I am sure that you will agree with me that this is a practice that must be followed uniformly and junior members of your party too must follow your advice. Quite obviously, it cannot be that the discussion on total cases, active cases or mortality is based on absolute numbers, which the Congress party often tries to do, but the vaccination numbers continue to be touted as a percentage of the population covered.

It is saddening, Dr Singh, that while you very well understand the importance of vaccination as an important method of fighting the COVID-19 battle, people in responsible positions in your party as well as in the state governments formed by your party do not seem to share your view.

Shouldn't it be a matter of pride that India is perhaps the only developing country to have 2 vaccines?

It is shocking that senior members of the Congress party are yet to utter a

single word of gratitude towards our scientist community and vaccine manufacturers for innovating under trying circumstances and empowering the world with vaccines.

Let alone thanking our scientists, many Congress members and Congress ruled state governments have taken extraordinary interest in spreading falsehoods regarding the efficacy of these vaccines, thereby fuelling vaccine hesitancy, and playing with the lives of our countrymen. A sitting Chief Minister of your party created a dubious world record of sorts by being the only head of government directly inciting people against an indigenously developed vaccine !

Some Congress leaders even shamed the vaccines in public but took their doses in private, quietly. A word of advice from you to them even if it had been done in private by you may have ensured better cooperation from these people. Knowing your penchant for constructive cooperation, which you have said you always believed in, I would assume that you did advise them and yet, quite clearly, your advice has been in vain.

The irresponsible public pronouncements made by some of your leaders have resulted in a below national average vaccination coverage of senior citizens and even front-line workers in some of the Congress-ruled states. Please do note that it is these very same states that have also become the big contributors in the second wave of COVID-19 infection. The test positivity ratio in these states during the second wave is alarmingly high and they too could benefit from your counsel and wisdom.

With due respect, and irrespective of the negativity that your party

spreads, we take your suggestions at face value and with the belief that they are made keeping national interest in mind. However, it does seem that those who drafted your letter or advised you, have done a great disservice to your standing by misleading you regarding material that is already in public domain. For example, take the point that you have mentioned about allowing import of vaccines that have already been approved by credible foreign authorities. You made this suggestion on April 18, 2021, but a decision on this had already been taken a week ahead of your suggestion, on April 11, 2021. The same is the case with your suggestion regarding providing funds and other concessions to augment vaccine manufacturing. This decision had also been taken many days before receipt of your letter and multiple vaccine manufacturing entities have been funded by the government to immediately enhance production.

Anyway, despite such factual inaccuracies, we understand your deep concern for the country and also assure you that we share the same.

We request your continued cooperation in the battle against the pandemnic

and welcome more such illuminating suggestions. However, as a senior leader, we expect that you shall offer the same advice and wisdom to your own party leaders as well.

I hope and pray for the good health and well-being of you and your family.

Yours,

Dr. Harsh Vardhan)

To,

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister of India 3. Motilal Nehru Place. New Delhi-110011

( विजय शंकर सिंह )