Speaking at the launch of his book Burning Pyres, Mass Graves and a State That Failed its People: India's COVID Tragedy, social activist Harsh Mander recounted incidents of the pandemic to ask the question, "Where is our solidarity?"

"I dream of an India where one student in Kota (where buses were sent from Delhi to pick up stranded students) would have said, I will not get into that bus until the same service is given to my brothers who are walking home," said Mander referring to the parallel reverse migration of an estimated three crores workers.

Mander recounted the tale of a Delhi family that had its Muslim guard falsely booked for spreading COVID. It later emerged that their son was the likely source of the infection in the family. The same family later turned out a young domestic help late in the night when she tested positive.

"I would say the Indian middle class is the most uncaring in the world," said Mander attributing this to caste, class and the idea that "greed is good, we don't owe anything to anyone."

In conversation with filmmaker Natasha Badhwar at the event on Monday, Mander said, "A just and caring State can only exist in a just and caring society... We can't let that continue to be the story."

JDS set to join hands with BJP

Bangalore: The Janata Dal Secular, headed by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, is all set to forge analliance with the BJP this week.

Gowda recently admitted that he had met both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to discuss a pre-poll alliance with the BJP. “It is true that I met them both. Kumaraswamy will be holding further discussions on seat sharing,” he said in Bangalore.

The deal is for survival since the party’s fortunes have been steadily dimming.

K.M. RAKESH