Sir — As rightly stated by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, in the radio address, the resurgence of the pandemic has shaken the country. But what he has left unsaid, too, is worth stating — the country’s political leadership has failed to do the right thing at the right time to contain the disease.

Political leaders, especially those belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, made light of the pandemic and declared prematurely that it had been conquered, discounting the possibility of further surges. Modi himself remarked that he was elated at the sight of large crowds at his election rallies in Bengal. While the new variants of the virus may have contributed to the rapid spread of the disease, strict observance of preventive protocol by the leaders and the general citizenry would have averted the exponential increase in cases.

The Madras High Court has held the Election Commission singularly responsible for the second Covid wave and denounced it for not giving due importance to public health and stopping huge poll rallies. The prospect of an alarming increase in cases and casualties in the weeks to come is frightening. Hospitals are already overwhelmed and there is a shortage in oxygen supply. Patients in intensive care are dying in hundreds. As the death toll rises, cremation sites are running out of space.

It is some comfort that foreign countries have extended support, including the supply of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and raw materials for vaccines. It is now imperative that we break the chain of transmission and improve health facilities. As for blanket lockdowns and curbs, their impact on the underprivileged population has to be borne in mind. The government should not take any unilateral measure without providing for their subsistence.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — The front-page report on the latest Mann ki Baat address revealed volumes about the prime minister’s priorities. In his 4,732-words long speech, he mentioned the word, ‘oxygen’, only once. This, when the nation is reeling from the lack of oxygen. His decision to allow the pharmaceutical companies to set prices for the vaccines could lead to a disaster.

K. Nehru Patnaik,
Visakhapatnam

Play fair

Sir — The Indian Premier League has been a great distraction from the pandemic, but is this what India truly needs at the moment? Several sportspersons have recently spoken up about this. After Adam Gilchrist questioned the necessity of holding the IPL at such a time, India’s premier marksman, Abhinav Bindra, has now expressed concern and encouraged the stakeholders to take responsible steps towards alleviating this crisis. Since it is unlikely that the games will be stopped, the IPL organizers would do well to donate the major part of the profits to Covid relief funds.

Shamik Gupta,
Calcutta

Time for change

Sir — Several private companies — especially ones in IT — have switched to alternative-working options, including staggered working hours and work-from-home system for almost all its employees owing to the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictions imposed in different states. This has been a welcome move since the pandemic is affecting public health and safety. This option should be further explored not only for times of crisis but also to combat air pollution and everyday traffic, which are common problems in an urban ecosystem.

A people-friendly policy should now be framed to offer the work-from-home option even at government offices. Several government departments now use online programmes, such as eOffice, rather than actual paperwork. The government would thus go a long way to improve the productivity and efficiency of its employees if it successfully implemented a work-from-home strategy for all.

Varun Dambal,
Bangalore

Sir — Even as the pandemic is raging and a part of the population has the privilege of working from home, several government sectors — bankers, for instance — are having to commute to work regularly. This becomes particularly risky since most people on public transport still refuse to adhere to safety protocols. Will the government think of a solution?

Sweta Dasgupta,
Howrah