For many citizens falling under 18-45 age slab who tried to register their names for the ‘liberalized’ Covid vaccination process set to roll out from May 1, till Friday evening, it has been nothing less than a harrowing experience. “CoWin Server is facing issues. Please try later” was the message that repeatedly flashed on mobile/computer screens, leading to a further rise of discontent among people which is already high and omnipresent. Little elaboration will be needed for explaining the reasons of the perceptible anger. A mammoth inoculation exercise of this kind required convergence of all efforts, a solid blueprint and above all a great degree of seriousness. Even a most discerning view will invariably fail to notice any of the above ‘actions’ and crash of CoWin server is rather symbolic, actually conveying the depressing actualities the country is living with. States after states are sending SOS to the Centre to replenish their vaccine stocks, but with little positive assurance. Arunachal Pradesh too have been compelled to defer the May 1 launch and although the official statement that came on Friday evening gave the clarification as “due to technical reasons the official launching is deferred till further confirmation,” actual reasons (for which GoAP can never be blamed) are simple to understand- there’s a huge gap between demand and supply of vaccine(s) in the country and no one knows when the first signs of shortening of the gap will be visible.

It’s a telling irony that India which is the world’s leading vaccine manufacturer is facing a situation when overseas patronage has become essential for pulling out its hapless citizenry now perishing like insects. In Delhi, cities and towns of UP and other places joining fast, darkness of night has been subsumed altogether by the light of pyres burning incessantly-collages of which are too disturbing to go through. Any rational thinking will lead to the conclusion that to vaccinate even 70% of a 134+ crore population, efforts of epical proportions that would essentially involve a steady and gradually-upscaled production capability will be needed at the first hand and any proposition of exports can hardly be thought of at this hour. However, ‘vaccine diplomacy’ has seen careful nurturing. Data from the MEA tell that since January 21, 2021 starting with Bangladesh and ending with Syria on April 16, India has exported a little over 66 million doses of Covid vaccines to 95 countries. It’s not that if the exports were not made all vaccine scarcity would have been mitigated. But certainly, the picture wouldn’t have been so terribly worrying.

Like most other states, Arunachal is facing a vaccine crunch. If the manufacturers decline to supply the required quota, it’s expected that the Centre should intervene directly and bail out the state. Cases are spiralling, the state can’t afford to wait.