Sir — It was surprising to see the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief, Mohan Bhagwat, acknowledge that it is the government’s complacency that has led to the devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections in India. However, the fact that he also reprimanded the ordinary people in the same breath has irked many.

It is true that the common people had stopped adhering to Covid-19 protocols, but that was because the Centre had sent out the message that the country had emerged victorious in its fight against the virus. The government allowed the Kumbh Mela to take place in the midst of a pandemic. Moreover, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah addressed countless rallies during the assembly elections, encouraging people to gather in large numbers. Now that the infection has spread to the hinterland, the RSS is rebuking the Centre while holding the people just as accountable. It is not fair to equate the two.

No matter who is responsible for this unprecedented spread of the virus, it is the common people who are suffering the most. Bhagwat’s address , urging the people to stay united, might have been welcome at some other time. But now it seems as if he is trying to downplay the brazen callousness of the government. The Centre must own up to its shortcomings.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Sir — While it is good to see the RSS hold the Centre responsible for the spread of infections, it is now too late. Thousands of lives could have been saved had the Centre acted on time.

Rachana Sharma,
Gwalior

New threat

Sir — With the number of Covid-19 cases dipping, England has now lifted several more restrictions on outdoor socialization with the intent of restoring all activities from June 21. But with the spread of a newer variant, it seems unlikely that the situation will normalize anytime soon.

Rashika Gupta,
New Delhi