06 OPINION
CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 31 MARCH 2020
Training guns at China
THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
Covid is merely the latest in a narrative emerging from the US, which feels ‘cheated’
Reassuring clarity
Govt dismisses speculation on lockdown extension
C
ABINET Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s statement that there are MANOJ JOSHI
no plans to extend the 21-day lockdown will serve to douse DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, OBSERVER
the high levels of anxiety caused by reports that the gov- RESEARCH FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI
ernment is contemplating such a move. By dismissing such
R
reports as ‘baseless’, the government has shown how it can EPORTS that the death toll
address issues with decisive clarity. in Wuhan may have been
Ever since the lockdown was imposed, the government has been many, many times higher
calibrating its execution — streamlining essential services, increas- than the 2,535 revealed,
ing them and taking measures to provide relief to the public at large will feed into the narrative demand-
in various forms. The vast migration of migrant labourers has shown ing accountability from China on
how it initially failed to take their concerns into account. The infor- account of the Covid-19 spread.
mal sector involves the largest number of workers at the bottom of As a Chinese diplomat in India
has put it, ‘China neither created
the financial totem pole, and they operate without any safety net, liv-
the virus nor intentionally trans-
ing far from their homes and families. The lockdown upturned their
world. Then came rumours of the extension which impelled many to
mitted it.’ Also, the Chinese insti-
tuted an unprecedented lockdown
leave their temporary residence for their permanent abode. of an entire province and took what
The Cabinet Secretary’s statement will work well with the gov- the diplomat said were ‘most com-
ernment’s strategy to contain the migration of labour. Those who prehensive, rigorous and thorough
were planning to head home would now find reassurance in the measures’. True, but early action
finite period of time spelt out by the government. So will the gener- could have checked its spread dra-
al public. Even as people understand the need for the lockdown, the matically. The authorities in the
tremendous disruption of their lives and the economic and social city were aware of the virus by
consequences that are bound to follow have raised anxiety levels. In around mid-December, but orders
such times, all steps that show a clear path help calm things down. for a lockdown were only issued on
The government will, naturally, need to keep the overall situation in January 23. Timely action was sac-
rificed to what the Chinese Com-
mind as it navigates the remaining two weeks of the lockdown. The
munist Party (CPC) calls ‘social sta-
utilitarian maxim, ‘The greatest amount of good for the greatest
bility’, and the early
number of people’, will have to govern its planning and its execution whistle-blowers were punished for
in the coming days as the country, and its masses, weather the crisis. broadcasting information on it.
But from here to raise the
demand for compensation or repa-
rations is another thing. When it
Get down to business comes to reparations, maybe some
others would also be on the list. In
the 1960s, the US used Agent
Gradual resumption of economic activity is imperative Orange, a chemical that destroyed
T
nearly 5 million acres of forest and
HE exodus of migrant workers in the wake of the lockdown exposed millions of Vietnamese to
has given rise to concerns. Many states are unable to stem its effects. And then, there is the
the tide. While Himachal Pradesh took the lead by sealing Iraq War of 2003, based on ficti-
its borders, leaving even many of its own residents stranded, tious premises, that devastated an
Uttar Pradesh provided buses to ferry the migrant workers leav- entire nation and led to tens of
ing Delhi, even as Bihar and Haryana urged their residents to thousands of deaths.
stay put. Before the police sealed the Anand Vihar bus terminal Yes, the Chinese must be held to
in Delhi, the place had been teeming with those facing an exis- account in a manner that will
tential dilemma. The Centre has now issued an advisory to curb encourage them to change their sys-
the free movement of the people and set up 14-day quarantine at tems and protocols and provide a
government facilities for all those arriving. Haryana has banned
even intra-state migration to tackle the pandemic. But the visu-
als on TV of migrant workers being showered with a disinfectant
at Bareilly raise questions over the empathy and effectiveness of
the government. The states have also been asked to ensure time-
ly payment of wages to labourers at their places of work without
A sweet timepass in hard times
any cut and make use of the State Disaster Relief Fund. RS Dalal
The lockdown was to prevent the community transmission of
C
the disease, but what has actually happened is that entire com- ORONAVIRUS outbreak has
munities are now out on the roads. Rigorous cluster confinement confined us to our homes and
will call for some economic activity at the basic level to ensure time hangs heavy on our
viability. Already, essential services are being allowed to operate hands. The first time I felt semi-
with parcel trains and cargo planes ferrying goods. But more will immobilised was when I retired from
have to be thought of so as to provide for a standstill population service. Suddenly, there wasn’t much
with economic activity ceasing. Punjab has ordered all milk to do. A feeling of strange restlessness
ensued. Pascal profoundly remarked
plants to operate and industrial units to commence operations
that ‘All of humanity’s problems
with migrants if they have the provision to accommodate them.
stem from man’s inability to sit quiet-
The private sector should also make efforts to emulate the gov- ly in a room alone.’
ernment to alleviate the misery of the labourers. No wonder, civil servants scurry
Estimates say nearly a quarter of the micro, small and medium around for post-retirement assign-
enterprises — which employ over 100 million people — may shut if ments. Incidentally, the bureaucrats
the lockdown extends beyond four weeks. The economic crisis will share this weakness with everyone
need firm tackling like the health crisis. else, be it the mighty and independ-
ent judiciary, or the top Generals.
One used to hear about ‘retirement
❝ ❞
thought for the day
Speak the truth. Transparency breeds legitimacy. Important lesson
— John C Maxwell Apropos ‘It’s getting worse for Xi
Jinping’ (March 28), the complacen-
cy in the initial days of the corona
outbreak and the opacity in the dis-
on this day...100 years ago tribution of information has cost Xi
Jinping his credibility. If it was not
for China’s selfish attempts to con-
ceal information, the coronavirus, in
all likeliness, would not have exacer-
bated into a pandemic. An evident
lahore,wednesday, march 31, 1920
fiasco, China’s misgovernance has
cost lives, livelihoods and economies.
THE CONGRESS REPORT AND SIR MICHAEL O’DWYER. Most countries are in a state of lock-
AS was only to be expected, no official figures so prominently in the pages of the down. This incident is an important
Congress report as Sir Michael O’Dwyer. Other officials come and go. He alone lesson for the citizens of India —
remains from beginning to end. The deliberate verdict of the Commissioners in favour only those governments that
regard to this “strong man” of the bureaucracy is thus summed up:--“Sir Michael are transparent with regard to com-
O’Dwyer put an undue strain upon the proverbial patience of the people. By his munication of information.
vilification of the educated classes, by his methods of recruiting and collecting NISSIM AGGARWAL, CHANDIGARH
the War Loan and other funds, by his suppression of the public press, he had
caused immense irritation among the people, including his utterly unjustifiable Stand by one another
deportation of Mr. Gandhi and doctors Kitchlew and Satyapal. Being defeated in Refer to ‘Sorry, had no option but
his attempt to prevent the peaceful demonstration of the 6th April against the lockdown’ (March 30); the govern-
Rowlatt legislation, he thought he would make one supreme effort to crush the ment is hustling to create a system for
spirit of the people struggling to find a free and disciplined expression. He providing essentials to people and
mistook this healthy plant for a poisonous weed to be rooted out by every means, ensure the supply chain of products.
and he resorted to the madness of the deportations. It would still perhaps have This is a challenging time for all, be it
been well if he had issued peremptory orders to his subordinates not to be free the rich or poor, but it is more difficult
with their rifles. But it was impossible for him to be temperate and furious at the for daily wage-earners who are strug-
same time.” Again:--“Thus (by his oppressive methods) Sir Michael O’Dwyer gling for even one meal a day. It is the
galvanised the Punjab into life and made the Punjabis feel akin in manner they moral responsibility of every citizen
had never done before. When, therefore, the month of April was reached and he to help one another and follow social
had an ocular demonstration of the oneness of the Punjab and the oneness of distancing. It is vital to not have emo-
India, he was stupefied and delivered his speech on the 7th April. He wanted to tional distance with people around.
make and did make a supreme effort to crush the spirit. He scented danger in DEEPAKSHI SETH, UTTAR PRADESH
every honest speech made by the leaders and he detected conspiracy in every
combination, and thus forgetting himself issued his orders.” Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com
A BETTER WAY: China must be held accountable in a manner that will encourage it
to change its protocols and provide a learning experience to the rest of the world.
Chinese culpability is bound to play out strongly in the US.
For both countries, it is not merely about scoring debating
points, but part of a more ruthless geopolitical game.
learning experience to the rest of the
world. We have yet to hear the final
word on Covid-19.
Chinese culpability is bound to
play out strongly in the US. As of
Monday, the US led in the number
of Covid-positive cases at nearly 1.5
lakh (about 2,500 deaths). The help-
lessness of the world’s leading mil-
itary and economic power will
become even more manifest in the
coming weeks as the virus peaks
and takes an even greater toll.
Even if the US was not in an elec-
tion year, there would have been a
great deal of finger-pointing going
on. Given the upcoming presiden-
tial elections, it could take on a nas-
tier edge. The Trump administra-
tion knew about the virus as of
January this year, but failed to act
with dispatch. Given the Trump
style, he will focus the blame on
everyone but himself, and China
will be a big target indeed.
Whatever may have been the bitter-
ness over the usage of the terms ‘Chi-
nese virus’ and ‘Wuhan virus’ across
the world, the most popular nomen-
blues’, the mood swings, the highs and
lows of readjustment, etc. But one nev-
er cared while being so busy in service.
That’s why it’s said, ‘The harder you
work, the harder it is to surrender. ’
However, my wife could foresee it.
Women have god-gifted sixth sense.
She was worried for me. ‘Pick up some
hobby, else how will you pass time after
retirement?’ she often pestered me.
Hammered by her constant pushing, I
decided to try my luck at golf, though
regular golfers scoffed at my efforts,
being such a late starter. With good golf
facilities and encouragement from
trainers, I soon took a liking to it,
picked up basic skills and a month lat-
er started playing on the course. Now,
the golfing hours are the happiest
hours of my post-retirement life.
letters to the editor
Safety gear for cops
Along with health professionals,
the police are doing a laudable job
throughout the country in the
fight against Covid and in ensur-
ing the safety of citizens. Though
the police have dealt with the pub-
lic patiently, there are times when
they are forced to take action when
people flout rules. If not for the
police, the lockdown in most parts
of the country would have ended
in chaos. Health protection gear
and devices are a must for the
police as they have to handle all
kinds of people on the streets. The
medical fraternity should help and
guide them with frequent check-
ups and safety measures.
SC DHALL, ZIRAKPUR
No donation from parties
The worst-affected due to the lock-
down are the daily wagers. A lot of
money is required to provide them
with food, shelter and other basic
needs. Many individuals and cor-
porates have liberally donated for
the cause. One wonders why our
political parties, whether in the rul-
ing or the Opposition — the self-
proclaimed champions of the poor
— have not made donations from
their own funds, despite the fact
that some of them have their cof-
fers overflowing. Are their funds
clature has already taken root and it is
‘coronavirus’. People will not forget
where it originated, but are unlikely
to think beyond that.
Journalist and author Praveen Swa-
mi has brought out in a recent article
in Firstpost that unknown viruses
arising from the animal-human inter-
action lurk in half a dozen places in
India. Any of them could be a candi-
date for reaching the stage of highly
contagious human-to-human interac-
tion. So, a little bit of humility would
suggest that the world needs to focus
on mitigating the physical and eco-
nomic consequences of such viruses,
rather than play the blame game.
But for the US and China, this is
not merely about scoring debating
points, but part of a more ruthless
geopolitical competition. Covid-19
is merely the latest episode in a
narrative that is emerging from
the US, which feels it has been
cheated by China. The Americans
went into China as part of a legiti-
mate and successful strategy of
outflanking the erstwhile Soviet
Union. Then, US scholars began to
Last three weeks, however, I
haven’t been to the course — such is
the fear of this virus. In all earlier
spreads of viruses, one blamed the
poor hygiene in slums, but for the
first time, one is avoiding well-to-do
fellows travelling frequently abroad.
‘Sir, keep safe distance,’ the poor cad-
die would mock and taunt. Look what
Kanika Kapoor has done. By her one
whistle-stop trip, she’s sent the elite
and important running for voluntary
quarantine. I’m at my home in volun-
tary isolation. Tried my hand at cook-
ing but burnt my fingers.
Then a sudden flash came to my
mind. ‘Where’s the big bundle of
sugarcane our acquaintance had
brought from his village,’ I asked my
wife excitedly. ‘I kept it in the
meant only to secure power?
HL SHARMA, AMRITSAR
Bold step by RBI
The RBI’s decision to reduce the
repo rate is an effective step towards
dealing with the stagnant economy
of India. Keeping the economy
slowdown in mind, the need of the
hour was to counter the cash crunch
prevailing in India. It was a bold
move by the RBI to reduce the repo
rate by 75 basis points at one go.
This will enhance liquidity.
KHUSHNASEEB KAUR, PATIALA
Will help economy
Refer to the March 28 editorial ‘Hand-
holding borrowers’, RBI’s
announcement may help efforts to
address the economic upheaval.
Measures like lowering cost of capi-
tal, ensuring ample liquidity and
providing a moratorium for three
months on payments of all loans of
retail and corporation borrowings
will help ease financial burden and
also protect against defaults. On the
liquidity front, the measures are sig-
nificant as the new cash-reserve
ratio can bring liquidity to the cor-
porate bond market. But the
amounts involved may have to be
expanded. The expansion of the
scope of cash transfers, especially in
the unorganised/informal parts of
THE TRIBUNE
suggest that as it became more
prosperous, it would, as per their
modernisation theories, become
more democratic. That has not
happened, at least till now, instead,
the CPC has been able to maintain
its authoritarian hold over the peo-
ple through co-option and coercion
and the country has continued to
grow economically and militarily
in the past decades.
The competition now has two
pressing aspects. One is in the
realm of technology, where the US
is determined to ensure its superior-
ity. While China may take the lead
in a few areas like 5G, there is noth-
ing to indicate that the US can be
bested in its overall superiority in
the realm of science and technology
in the next decade and more.
The other aspect is the military
competition in East Asia. Since
1950, the US maintained a deploy-
ment close to China, buttressed by
its alliances with South Korea,
Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
Despite US complaints about being
taken for a ride by its allies, nothing
really has changed here, indeed, it
now also has the advantage of hav-
ing a friendly Vietnam as well.
The increasingly powerful Chinese
military may be able to keep the US
some distance from its shores, but
beyond that the US remains, and will
remain, the dominant power for the
foreseeable future.
China is the only country today
which is able to pose some kind of a
challenge to the US, be it in technol-
ogy or economy or diplomacy. The
US seems to have reached a point of
insecurity, where it views every
challenge as life-threatening. It is
unable or unwilling to concede any
ground to a country which is a grow-
ing power and which has its own
needs and aspirations.
Political change in China, which
many await, is not something that
can be imposed by others; it must
come from within. In the meantime,
the task for the US and the global
community is to be able to shape the
circumstances through which this
change can come.
garage,’ she replied casually. ‘Didn’t
you give it to our helper?’ I asked
impatiently. ‘He refused to take it,’
she said wryly. ‘And don’t try chew-
ing sugarcane now, all your remain-
ing teeth too will fall out,’ she warned.
But I must try, and dragged the
bundle out onto the porch. I tried
with all my skills and strength from
left and right sides of the mouth, but
no success. In younger days, I could
strip it off till the end in one go. Not to
lose heart, I brought the carpentry
box, took out clippers, cutters and the
saw to peel off sugarcane stalks. It
was hard labour but I relished chew-
ing the small pieces in a complete
state of idleness. The bundle will last
many days. A sweet timepass in the
time of self-isolation!
economy, should be considered.
PRAKASH HANSPAUL, BY MAIL
Ensure unhindered supply
The efforts by the district adminis-
tration, especially in Punjab, with
regard to the provision of essential
items are falling short of the chal-
lenge thrown by the Covid outbreak.
The drying up of retail kirana stores
because of disrupted wholesale sup-
ply has added fuel to the fire. Before
the situation gets worse, the state
governments, in cooperation with
the Centre, should ensure unhin-
dered supply of essential items.
ARUN GOYAL, DIRBA
Attack on Sikhs
Apropos ‘Kabul gurdwara attack
turns spotlight on CAA’ (March 30),
the writer seems misinformed about
the ground realities in Afghanistan
and Pakistan regarding persecution
in the backdrop of theocratic rule.
The CAA is a legitimate and timely
enactment, and could have kept the
nation free of processions and riots
had the present dispensation used
the right language, to include ‘any-
one’, irrespective of religion and
State. The government should take
immediate steps to accommodate
Sikhs from Afghanistan or Pakistan
in view of the recent attack.
BM SINGH, AMRITSAR
THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 31 MARCH 2020 OPED 07

Pandemic shadow on defence industry deals Vishakhapatnam that neighbours the

classified Ship Building Centre where
It could be argued that despite the coronavirus
the Indian Navy’s nuclear submarines pandemic, building India’s sinews of war cannot
programme is located, thereby posing a
‘grave’ security threat. wait, and, hence, deferment of materiel tenders
But the FSV contract was inexplica-
bly signed following clearances, not
is not an option. Bolstering this thesis is the
RAHUL BEDI
only by the Ministry of External Affairs argument that many of these deals have been in
but also the MoD’s vigilance depart-
SENIOR JOURNALIST ment. One explanation, albeit feeble, the pipeline for long, reaching fruition at this
that is being offered in military circles dreadful juncture. But in light of the impending

T
HE mounting anxiety and
steadfast focus on the proliferat-
ing coronavirus pandemic has
clearly eclipsed the assortment
of material contracts that India’s Min-
istry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed
over the past fortnight, alongside numer-
ous others which are imminent.
Starting in late February, when the
corona contagion was incipient, the MoD
inked a $2.1-billion tender with TAIS, a
consortium of five Turkish shipbuilders,
to design and build five 45,000-tonne fleet
support vessels (FSV) for the Indian Navy
in collaboration with the state-owned
Hindustan Shipbuilders Limited (HSL).
The unanticipated and somewhat
intriguing deal followed months of ten-
sion between India and Turkey over
diplomatic support Ankara had offered
to Islamabad in opposing Delhi’s revoca-
tion of Article 370 in Kashmir last
August. Furthermore, the MoD’s Vigi-
lance Department too had objected to
HSL’s collaborative agreement with
TAIS on ‘security considerations’.
It had maintained that some of TAIS’
associates were engaged in warship-
building programmes for the Pakistan
navy, like corvettes, and support for its
submarine fleet. The MoD also asserted
that in the event of TAIS being award-
ed the FSV tender, its personnel would
be based at HSL’s shipyard in
for the FSV deal is that the Indian
Navy had managed to ‘neutralise’
both these trepidations.
It had reportedly argued that if its
already deferred FSV programme were
to be delayed further, its future plans to
sustain platforms deployed in the strate-
gically critical Indian Ocean region
would be operationally jeopardised, as it
would be unable to provide them essen-
tials like fuel, supplies and repair facili-
ties. An advance 15 per cent payment of
the around $31 million to TAIS is due
within the mandated 45 days of the deal
being inked or around mid-April.
Thereafter, on March 18, the MoD
approved the $5.25-billion procure-
ment of 83 indigenously designed
Mk1A upgraded Tejas Light Combat
Aircraft (LCA) for the Indian Air Force
(IAF). Official sources said the tender
for 73 Mk1A single-seat fighters and 10
dual-seat trainers, designed by the
Aeronautical Development Agency
and manufactured by Hindustan Aero-
nautics Limited in Bengaluru, would
be signed imminently.
The following day — March 19 — the
MoD signed a $117.3-million contract
with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
for 16,749 Negev NG-7 7.62x51m light
machine guns for the Indian Army
under its Fast Track Procedure. Like
the earlier FSV deal, this one too
entails a $1.75-million transfer to IWI
by early May.
Around the same time, the MoD also
concluded negotiations with the Ord-
nance Factory Board (OFB) to acquire
118 upgraded variants of the indigenous-
ly developed Arjun Mk1A main battle
tank (MBT) for the Indian Army for an
estimated $889.9 million. Official sources
said that placing the ‘order of intent’
with the OFB's Heavy Vehicles Factory at
Avadi for the Mk1A MBTs that feature 72
improvements, including 14 major ones,
over the Mk1 model, would be ‘conclud-
ed imminently’ by the MoD.
Alongside, the MoD is currently
poised to sign the $550-million deal with
Abu Dhabi’s Caracal International for
93,895 CAR 816 5.56mm close quarter
battle carbines that has been in the
pipeline since late 2018. This too would
mean an advance of $82.5 million to the
UAE company sometime soon.
The MoD is also fast-tracking the
$480.5-million purchase of 10 additional
Russian Kamov Ka-31 Helix airborne
early warning and control (AEW&C)
helicopters to coincide with the com-
missioning of INS Vikrant, the Indian
Navy’s indigenously designed aircraft
carrier in 2021.
Dmitry Shugaev, Director of the Russ-
ian Federal Service for Military Techni-
cal Co-operation (FSVTS), confirmed
the Indian Navy’s intentions to the
Interfax news agency on March 19,
when he said that Moscow had received
an ‘appeal’ from India for the Ka-31s,
but declined to elaborate.
The proposed Ka-31 acquisition
would be a ‘follow-on’ order to at least
12 similar platforms that have been in
the Indian Navy service for some
time. Only cost and delivery schedule
negotiations and final project clear-
ance by India’s Cabinet Committee
on Security remain to be completed
before the deal is signed.
apocalypse, it is appropriate to question whether
such procurements worth billions of dollars can
be postponed and the funds be committed more
purposefully to fighting the pandemic.
<<TO DEFER OR NOT? The MoD confirmed some materiel contracts recently.
It could be argued that despite the coro- The Diplomat, the online international
navirus pandemic, building India’s news magazine, defence consultant
sinews of war cannot wait, and, hence, Arjun Sreekumar warned that global
postponement or deferment of materiel defence manufacturing facilities and
tenders is not an option. Bolstering this supply chains and business develop-
thesis in military circles is the argument ment plans could well be negatively
that many of these deals have been in the affected, as demand for materiel and
pipeline for long, reaching fruition only related services diminished. He writes
at the present, dreadful juncture. that defence budgets of most countries
But in light of the impending apoca- would be adversely hit as they shored up
lypse, it is only appropriate to question their healthcare spending. Consequent-
whether such procurements worth bil- ly, with demand declining, defence com-
lions of dollars are downright egregious panies would need to determine
at this juncture, or could they not have whether they trimmed their workforces
been postponed and the large amounts at the risk of losing capable staff, or
involved, committed more purposefully diverted their research and develop-
to fighting the pandemic. In short, such ment budgets to paying salaries, thereby
financial profligacy in acquiring military losing their technological edge.
kit presently is simply appalling and “Defence companies must work on
undoubtedly distressing. future-proofing themselves and must be
Meanwhile, like all other industrial, prepared with answers to such questions
commercial and financial activity world- in order to deal with the uncertainties
wide, the defence industry too will be stemming from shocks caused by the
battered by the virus. Writing recently in pandemic,” Sreekumar added.

Let’s tackle Covid with science-based approach

T
HE coronavirus (or Covid-19
virus) evidently originated in
Wuhan, China. In retrospect,
unfortunately, it does not seem
to have been taken seriously enough at
the beginning. This led to its spread in
the Wuhan region. Surprisingly, the doc-
tor who tried to highlight the issue was
DR KK TALWAR
ignored, even harassed and framed. Iron-
FORMER DIRECTOR, PGIMER ically, the noble professional finally him-
self died of this very disease within six
weeks of having publicly documented
The use of chloroquine or the issue. The rest, as they say, is history.
The entire world now faces a declared
hydroxychloroquine as pandemic, and is struggling to come to
grips with the problem. So mammoth is
prophylaxis is a measure the scale of the problem that large parts
that is being debated, apart of the world are at a virtual standstill,
with millions of people having to bear
from the claims made by the brunt of the strict measures imple-
mented to stem the spread of this
alternative medicine malevolent organism.
systems. At present, there Covid-19, an acute respiratory syn-
drome coronavirus-2 (Sar Cov-2), is
is no evidence to essentially a protein molecule with a
covering layer of fat. It can enter the
conclusively establish the body through the eyes, nose or mouth
utility of any of these mucosa. Once the protective coat is
absorbed by the mucosal cells, it
measures. We must avoid changes its genetic code to aggressive
cells. The underlying pathogenetic
creating the impression of mechanism is caused by the binding of
the availability of any the viral’s surface spike proteins to the
human Angiotensin-Converting
magical panacea for Enzyme 2 (ACE 2) receptors. ACE 2 is
expressed in the lungs and appears to
Covid-19. And policymakers be main portal of entry in the body. ACE
must be careful in their 2 is also present in the heart, kidneys
and intestines. The virus can affect
approach and public these organs as well. Cardiac involve-
ment is not uncommon in sick patients,
statements. and can affect mortality. As such, ACE 2
has been shown to have protective
UNDER STRAIN: Hospitals are struggling to keep pace with the spreading virus.
functions in the cardiovascular system
and other organs.
The majority of patients may stay
asymptomatic, or mildly symptomatic.
About 4 per cent of the infected persons
seem to develop serious and acute respi-
ratory issues, requiring ventilator sup-
port. As the recent weeks have shown,
even developed countries do not appear
to be equipped to deal with the attendant
medical problems on such a massive
scale. Their healthcare infrastructure is
stressed, and is struggling to keep pace
with the rapid spread of the virus. Cases
of patients dying on account of lack of
effective and timely medical care have
come to light. Medical professionals face
the unenviable task of prioritising the
available resources, which may be falling
short of the huge demand.
It is, thus, imperative to test and identi-
fy the vulnerable members of the popu-
lace and to make available the necessary
healthcare facilities in the early stages so
as to prevent the onset, as far as possible,
of the ‘critical phase’ in as many patients
as possible. Awareness must be generat-
ed among the people of the importance of
early management of cases, especially
among the more vulnerable groups.
Empirical data gathered in the last few
months shows that some underlying dis-
eases, such as diabetes mellitus, hyper-
tension, coronary artery disease, heart
failure, chronic renal disease, chronic
lung disease and cancer, render individ-
uals more vulnerable. Persons with these
diseases/conditions must religiously fol-
low their treatment schedule, and the
preventive measures of social distancing
and personal hygiene (including fre-
quent hand-washing) and mouth-protec-
tive measures during cough. Many of
these patients would already be on
ACEI/ARB for the underlying disease. In
view of ACE 2 involvement in the patho-
genesis of the critical phase of the Covid-
19 infection, social media platforms
appeared to carry messages which (mis-
takenly) suggested the discontinuation of
these drugs for the present. Fortunately,
medical professionals and medical organ-
isations, like the cardiac societies, were
quick to dispute these suggestions and
support the continued use of these medi-
cines, given that stopping such medica-
tions when necessary could worsen the
underlying disease.
The use of chloroquine/hydroxy-
chloroquine as prophylaxis is another
measure that is being debated, apart
from the claims made by alternative
medicine systems. At present, one must
state, with every bit of emphasis that
there is no evidence to conclusively
establish the utility of any of these meas-
ures. We must avoid creating the impres-
sion of the availability of any magical
panacea for this problem, and policy-
makers must be careful and calibrated
in their approach and their public state-
ments. It is not surprising that ever
since the ICMR issued instructions for
the use of hydroxychloroquine as pro-
phylaxis for the healthcare workers
involved in the care of Covid-19 patients,
there have been reports of panic pur-
chases of the medicine from chemists.
This may potentially indicate a signifi-
cant usage of this medicine by the pub-
lic on a prophylactic basis. We must not
forget that this drug may have serious
side effects, such as serious (even fatal)
arrhythmias in persons with cardiovas-
cular diseases, and should be used only
under medical supervision.
The lockdown and the curfews in some
states are necessary and timely meas-
ures imposed by the governments.
Apart from the other preventive meas-
ures rightly being highlighted in the
media, the prestigious journal Nature
published a pilot study last year empha-
sising the beneficial role of hypertonic
saline nasal irrigation and gargles in
regard to the viral flu disease. The
hypothesis is that hypertonic saline in
the nose and the mouth results in the
formation of hypochlorous acid, which
has a cleansing property and kills bacte-
ria and viruses. Steam inhalation is
another practice commonly prescribed
by physicians during flu episodes. The
local delivery of heat in the nose and
throat may affect the growth of viruses.
It has been documented that Covid-19
gets eliminated if exposed to a tempera-
ture around 56°C for approximately 15
minutes. Whether these inexpensive
and safe practices also have a prophylac-
tic role in regard to the Covid-19 virus
deserves further scientific evaluation. I
am certain that the experts must be cur-
rently evaluating these approaches.
The suffering caused by the Covid-19
virus all over the world is certainly a
cause for concern and anxiety. There is
a wishful hope that the oncoming sum-
mer and the possibility of some existing
immunity in our bodies may help save
us from this threat. The need of the
hour is to stay focused, avoid panic and
follow a sensible and science-based
approach, based on empirical data and
research. In the final analysis, we must
all come together to do whatever it
takes to defeat this threat to our indi-
vidual and collective well-being. I am
hopeful that humankind will emerge
from this crisis wiser and stronger.

quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast

ACROSS MARCH 31, 2020, TUESDAY SUNSET: TUESDAY 18:41 HRS
1 Slapstick (10)
8 Blindly intolerant 6 1 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2077 SUNRISE: WEDNESDAY 06:11 HRS
believer (5) ■ Shaka Samvat 1942
9 Shakespearean tragic
heroine (7) 7 8 6 3 ■ Chaitra Shaka

■ Chaitra Parvishte
11
18
Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy
CITY MAX
Rainy
MIN
Foggy

10 Swarm over (7)

11 Slight error (5) ■ Hijari 1441 Chandigarh 27 16
12 To struggle (6) 5 9 6 ■ Shukla Paksha Tithi 7, up to 3:50 am New Delhi 32 17
14 Type of bath sponge (6) ■ Saubhagaya Yoga up to 5:53 pm Amritsar 22 15
17 A lightweight wood (5)
19 Unpaid player (7)
21 A sheer dress fabric (7)
6 4 ■ Mrighshikha Nakshatra up to 6:44 pm

■ Moon in Gemini sign.

Bathinda
Jalandhar
27
23
14
13
22 Make sense (3,2) Ludhiana 25 14
23 Deal an effective blow
(6,4)
4 3 6 8 YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION Bhiwani 28 16
3 8 6 5 9 1 7 4 2 Hisar 29 15
DOWN
2 Inattention (7) 9 5 7 2 9 8 4 6 3 5 1
Sirsa
Dharamsala
28
18
16
10
3 Provide food (5)
4 5 1 3 2 7 6 8 9 Manali 14 02
1 2 4
4 Exist in plenty (6)
5 Shakespeare tragedy (7) 9 4 3 1 8 2 5 7 6 Shimla 16 07
6 Flowering bulbous Srinagar 12 04
plant (5) 2 1 8 6 7 5 9 3 4
7 Accept blame (4,3,3)
8 Very detailed (4-2-4)
7 4 2 3 5 6 7 9 3 4 1 2 8
Jammu 25 14
Kargil 06 01
YESTERDAY ’ S SOLUTION 13 Novice (7) 8 3 5 4 6 9 2 1 7
3 5
Leh 12 --03
Across: 1 Recoil, 4 Prompt, 9 Shudder, 10 Spurn, 11 Libel, 12 Sky blue, 13 Case in point, 15 Personal liberty (7)
18 Frantic, 20 Satan, 22 Order, 23 Nourish, 24 Tender, 25 Mellow. 16 A table linen fabric (6) 6 7 4 2 1 3 8 9 5 Dehradun 29 14
Down: 1 Rustle, 2 Crumb, 3 Indulge, 5 Rusty, 6 Maudlin, 7 Tunnel, 8 Pros and cons, 18 Capital of Nigeria (5) 1 9 2 7 5 8 4 6 3 Mussoorie 16 07
14 Abandon, 15 Obscure, 16 Afloat, 17 Anyhow, 19 Terse, 21 Trial. 20 As if flooded (5) V EASY TEMPERATURE IN OC