On April 25, 2021, the Australian again published a report entitled “Modi Leads India into a Viral Apocalypse”. The next day, the Indian High Commission in Canberra went into action on Twitter, asking the paper to publish a rebuttal in order to “set the records right now and refrain from publishing such unsubstantiated articles in the future. “
Urge @Australian to publish the rejoinder in order to bring the Covid management in India up to date and to no longer publish such unfounded articles in the future. @cgisydney @ CGIPerth @cgimelbourne @MEAIndia https://t.co/4Z3Mk6ru3W pic.twitter.com/4bgWYnKDlB
– India in Australia (@HCICanberra) April 26, 2021
Those of us in India who are currently living in India after the recent exponential surge in COVID cases are well aware of the premature and unethical political rhetoric that India is “in the end game” of the pandemic.
It was no surprise to us when the second wave of COVID-19 took shape in the country in mid-March. What has shocked us (Indians and those of Indian heritage) to the core, however, is the scale of the tragedies that take place in and around our homes when we experience collective distress.
Most Indian cities are experiencing a crash in already inadequate health systems. Hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of people in need of care and a severe lack of oxygen supply and life-saving devices.
Although the Indian government recently announced that their vaccination campaign will be open to anyone aged 18 and over, this has been achieved through the unavailability of vaccines.
A flawed vaccination policy with mismanagement in the pricing and distribution of vaccines has led to responsibility being shifted to individual state governments and private hospitals to procure vaccines themselves. Not only has this resulted in different vaccine prices, but also the tremendous exclusion of those who cannot afford the vaccines and who do not have access to private health centers.
Even more outrageous was the criminalization of some citizens for seeking help themselves through social media. For example, the Prime Minister of Uttar Pradesh announced that this is the case “Spreading rumours” their properties would be confiscated via lack of oxygen and hospital beds on social media.
The Supreme Court of India has condemned this criminalization of ordinary citizens by warning state governments and police against contempt for legal action if citizens’ SOS messages were treated as a criminal offense.
The Indian hospital system has been brought to the brink of disintegration by the spread of COVID-19.
Australia’s tough answer
Against the backdrop of these troubling experiences in India, the response of the Australian government has been to announce a blanket travel ban and criminalize the return of its citizens from India. The The government’s ban is due to be lifted next weekThe initial hardline approach needs further discussion, however, as the backflip is likely politically motivated and in response to a serious backlash to its original decision.
Australia’s disproportionate response to denying its citizens the right to return home or to travel to comfort their loved ones and perform final rites for the lost is fundamentally unethical and immoral. Another aspect that has caught people’s attention is India’s discriminatory submission to Australia’s travel ban.
Australia’s disproportionate response to denying its citizens the right to return home or to travel to comfort their loved ones and perform final rites for the lost is fundamentally unethical and immoral.
One has to wonder why such a blanket ban, along with the criminalization of returning Australian citizens, did not take shape in predominantly white countries like the US and UK as they faced their own devastating versions of the pandemic. This could reflect Australia’s racist roots as a settler colony.
Indeed, political leaders in positions of power from India and Australia have shown that they have failed to ensure human dignity during these very difficult times.
International travel restrictions and bans were first introduced more than a year ago to trick the virus and its spread during the first wave of the pandemic. Australia has been very successful in containing the spread of the coronavirus. However, it has also put thousands of people in distress to be separated from their loved ones across borders. Many international students are stranded and unable to study at Australian universities again.
In addition, already marginalized individuals and groups such as refugees and migrants are even more at risk.
When I read about the effectiveness of international travel restrictions in fighting the pandemic, I found that researchers recommend temporary international travel restrictions in the early stages of a pandemic to reduce the spread of the virus. Indeed, Public health experts have urged strengthening measures to reduce transmission instead of travel bans and mass quarantine. These Interventions are in the sense of social distancing, mask wearing, testing, contact tracing and voluntary quarantine.
An article entitled “Viruses Don’t Wear Passports: Why Travel Bans Don’t Work To Stop The Spread Of COVID-19Warns of people who put themselves at higher risk if they are unable to follow official channels.
When governments determine official routes between nations, they can monitor and contact traces more effectively and securely. It also ensures that individuals, even the most vulnerable, have the opportunity to exercise their rights to life and return home.
Both India and Australia need to review their respective COVID-19 response policies and take a more ethical approach to setting up prevention and response systems. At the most basic level, policymakers and policy leaders need to ask themselves, “Are the gains from this response proportional to the damage it causes in both the short and long term?”
Researchers Arunachalam and Halwai Recommendations for an Ethical Approach to Public Health The development of pandemic responses is useful for both India and Australia.
The development and formulation of a policy to respond to the current pandemic should follow a “risk-benefit analysis”, with particular attention to the potential impact on marginalized parts of society.
Strengthening ethical responses to public health
Rather than criminalizing their citizens, both countries need to invest more in strengthening ethical public health measures.
First, people’s autonomy should not be undermined but should be respected and supported through the provision of adequate resources and facilities. These can be free and continuous testing, free and optimized vaccinations, subsidized and free quarantine centers or shelters, and access to adequate health care.
Second, governments must strive to engage meaningfully with communities by ensuring fairness in implementing adequate controls and providing scientific information that is clear, comprehensive and easy to follow.
Finally, accountability and transparency should be cornerstones in implementing public health policies and allocating resources.
The author would like to thank Sweta Patel, a PhD student at Monash’s Faculty of Education, for her views on the Australian travel ban in relation to India from the perspective of an Australian citizen with Indian heritage in Australia who has a family in India.
