There is an ancient saying ‘fiddle while Rome burns’ means to do something trivial and irresponsible in the midst of emergency, thus revealing total lack of concern for people and empire. The legend has its origin from the city of Rome. While the city was destroyed by fire the emperor Nero played his violin.

The current situation is that the world as a whole, and India in particular, face the second phase of Covid which is more dangerous and wide spreading than Covid 19. It can be said without embellishment that it is spreading like a wild fire. The number of people tested positive has reached millions. Hundreds of people are dying due to lack of medical care. Mortuaries are filled with dead bodies and there is a big queue in front of cemeteries and cremation centers. Under the shadow of Covid, people are doing black market of medicines in many cities, necessary medicines are sold for a high price but no actions are taken against those white-collar thieves.

The physical as well as the mental agony of the citizens has increased day by day due to the fear of being affected by corona; and the economy is going down. The night curfews and lockdowns make the life of the common people miserable. Students are deprived of school and proper education. Most of the working-class people have become unemployed. All types of business have suffered loss. The labour class is thrown into poverty. Majority of Indians are living in hardship. It is just like an emergency situation in India today. But it seems that the government led by the Prime Minister does not seem to be bothered about the misery of the people. In fact, the top

leadership of the ruling party is busy in election campaign to capture power in States. These election campaigns, at the present situation, cannot be called anything else but fiddling while India is on fire.

Since the elections of 2021 were announced -- eight phases in West Bengal, three in Assam, single in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry -- the Prime Minister addressed 25 rallies, attended by huge crowd, in these states. It is very well evident and clear, what his priorities are.

Once the elections were declared, even the Chief Ministers of the states were engaged in election campaign and rallies. If they were dedicated to the states, they could have avoided the public gatherings. All the political parties are investing crores of rupees for the election campaign. Opposition parties are busy accusing the government, but they too engaged in the campaign in a similar way. Did any of the political parties think of spending the funds for the welfare of the public than squandering in election propaganda. If any party would have opted for this, it would have been the apt decision and would have won the hearts of the public. Today there is no political party that understands the problem of the public; they are all power-oriented.  

A leader is the one who knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way; he is the guide to his followers. If Modi is a good leader, he should have stood with the people consoling and helping them instead of holding election meetings and rallies. 

When the Prime Minister announced lockdown last year, citizens cooperated and remained inside to break the chain of the spread of corona virus. People avoided social gatherings and parties. Majority of people tried to maintain the Corona protocol to stop the spread of the virus. When the Prime Minister announced to clap and ring bells and to switch off the lights and lit candles the citizens did it to show their love and respect. But when workers started migrating to their native places, the government turned a blind eye to them. But in the context of the election, there is no barriers and covid protocols. The Prime Minister, who urged people to avoid social gatherings, is himself conducting election rallies and gatherings.

If Modi is a leader who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way, he could have the audacity to tell his party not to conduct political gatherings and rallies for the election campaign in this Covid season, to break the chain of the spread of Covid.  

I am sceptical whether the prime concern of the leader is the state elections or the suffering people of India?

India has a legislation called Disaster Management Act 2005. The main objective of the Act is to have an effective management of disasters and to provide the affected people a helping hand. There is a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with Prime Minister as the chairperson. It is responsible for laying down policies, plans, guidelines for disaster management. It is a paradox that in this disastrous situation, the chairperson of NDMA is busy with electioneering for his party, leaving out the primary concern of the country.

It would have been better if the Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister refrained from campaigning in the State elections. The vested responsibilities of the ministers are not to work for their political parties, but to dedicate themselves for the overall development of the country.