Bharat Dogra

Gandhian activists, organizations and movements have been making many-sided important contributions to creating a better world. Here the word Gandhian is used in a wider sense of include all those with an abiding commitment to peace and non-violent forms of struggle.

Now at a time when the world is passing through extremely disruptive times and complex new problems, the need for peace and non-violence is greater than ever before as such problems can be best understood and resolved in conditions of peace, non-violence and democracy, allowing a wide diversity of opinions to be heard with patience, whereas conditions of violence, secrecy and authoritarianism add to the complex problems instead of resolving them.

Gandhian activists acting with unity and resolve can add much to reducing distress, uncertainty and tensions of people. In many parts of world draconian measures have been implemented in response to COVID-19 bringing forth allegations of the cure being worse than the disease. At the same time several very senior and prominent scientists in various parts of the world have come forward to say with facts and figures, reason and logic that draconian measures are not justified and a balanced response combining basic precautions and protection of livelihoods is much more appropriate. These scientists have also cautioned against exaggerated estimates of fatality rate which lead to panic and panic leads to more draconian measures. A group of eight scientists from India also recently called for people-centric and community based measures as the preferred response to COVID-19.

This is a message Gandhian activists can build further on in local contexts with participation of people. They can take this message to policy makers as well as people, holding out hope and helping to reduce distress, uncertainty and tensions.

However to a large extent livelihoods and food security have already been disrupted. Gandhian activists with their understanding of and access to even the most remote villages and the poorest people can help in reaching out to them with relief as well as help in formulation of policies most suitable for them. They can mobilize some resources on their own and also help in better utilization of already available resources. On a medium and longer-term basis also they can contribute much in terms of the most suitable planning for livelihood, health and food security and repairing the great damage done in a short period.

Gandhian activists have already been campaigning against several projects which can cause extensive ecological and social damage and at the same time involve huge wasteful expenditure. Now in the fast emerging situation where resources are now much more scarce than before, their arguments have acquired much more strength than before and they can make a much stronger case for discarding wasteful and ecologically-socially destructive projects so that more resources can become available for protecting the health, food and livelihood security of people.

There has been a lot of emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine and a prominent boast just now is about getting it ready in just 15 months while the normal time for developing a vaccine is around 15 years. When 15 year work is done in 15 months, what will be the safety risks? In recent times eminent doctors and scientists, parliamentary committees and child health organizations have documented how thousands of people particularly children have died and several hundred thousand have been affected by very serious side-effects due to pushing of dubious vaccine products to capture new markets and earn super profits. Many of the actors involved in these fiascos are also leading actors in the race for COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile high-level efforts are being made to get indemnity against legal action relating to vaccine side-effects and efforts for compulsory vaccination have been stepped up in some countries.

In these serious emerging conditions Gandhian organizations and activists with their emphasis on truth can play a very important role in mobilization to present the truthful position before the country. Grassroots activists had contributed to the exposure of the HPV vaccine tragedy in India in which 23,000 unsuspecting poor, mostly tribal girls were vaccinated , mostly without consent, using fake paper consents of hostel wardens. Later some girls died and a much larger number suffered serious side effects like epileptic seizures and heavy bleeding. A Parliamentary standing committee made a strong indictment of this tragic episode even though disturbing reports had led to stopping this vaccine by then.

Investigations revealed later that this was a discarded and failed vaccine of USA and efforts were being made to earn billions by getting this approved in highly objectionable ways for regular use in India. If similar willingness to correct a costly mistake had been in the case of arbitrary, excessive and careless use of OPV for polio-control, then perhaps the greater part of the tragedy of 491000 extra children suffering from non-polio acute flaccid paralysis could also have been avoided. Warning were given even then, but absence of strong follow-up action resulted in these few warnings being ignored. This is where a stronger role of Gandhian organizations and activists can be very important in protecting safety concerns in the vaccines sector in the near future.

One hopes that Gandhian activists will respond to such emerging complex challenges with unity, resolve and wisdom so that a lot of distress and further damage can be avoided.

(Bharat Dogra is Convener of Save the Earth Now Campaign. He has written regularly for 48 years, emphasizing peace, justice and environment protection and reporting from remote villages.)