The rapid surge in new wave of Chinese Wuhan Virus infections have ripped the nation’s health services forcing the Joe Biden administration to lift “The Defense Production Act”. The above mentioned act was used to stop the export of vaccine raw materials to India which severely impacted plans of Serum Institute of India & Bharat Biotech looking to ramp up production of Covishield & Covaxin. The act was invoked to ensure that Pharma MNC giants Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, BioNTech were assured of uninterrupted supply of crucial products for 24X7 manufacturing of vaccines.
The move of US Administration sparked massive outrage with trade body US Chamber of Commerce appealing Biden Administration to release the millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses in storage, lifting the ban of life saving support equipment, critical components required in making of vaccine. In the moment of crisis and the country which prides to be champion of democracies and free world, took unilateral decision to impose embargo on its Indo Pacific ally India which has been supplying vaccines to 95 countries mostly poor & middle income countries lacking capacity to produce their own vaccines. Incidentally last year India exported 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to the USA. And the Biden Administration turned deaf ears on the plea by India & South Africa to the Council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to waive some safeguards for intellectual property rights over the vaccines which would help them to manufacture drugs and vaccines economically.
Ankit Shah, Expert working at South Asia Security as Foreign Policy Observer opined that unless the poorest country of the World is vaccinated the virus will get human bodies to reproduce new mutants on its own. The new Kent Variant from United Kingdom, Double & Triple Mutant from India are more virulent prolonging pandemic across the globe leading to economic disaster pushing millions into extreme poverty with future shutdown looming high. In this moment of crisis the relaxation by the Biden Administration will help the Indian Government to scale up its mass vaccination programme for its citizens from 18 years. According to Ankit Shah India’s Vaccine Diplomacy has caused heartburn among the Pharma MNC with Pfizer contracted Vaccine to US Govt for around $20. What followed was the sustained motivated campaign by media & opposition parties to defame Indian Vaccine makers with allegations on Bharat Biotech vaccine was given approval without Human trials, Serum institute vaccine (Oxford Astra Zeneca) was bad with lot of side effects. On the contrary Covaxin is most of effective vaccines in the world and even acts against mutant virus. The sole malafide agenda was to discredit Indian Pharma Industry who had been contracted by Indian Government to sell its vaccine at contracted discounted price of $2.
The developed nations United States, U.K., European Union, and Canada have hoarded vaccines from these MNC Pharma. And the MNC Pharma companies like Pfizer have received grants from German Government for development, clinical trial and manufacturing of the vaccine. The ban on export of vaccines by India have rattled German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she has expressed doubts to help the Indian pharma sector in the future. According to Ankit Shah the Indian Vaccine diplomacy has rattled western nations who are unable to digest the rise of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry and the soft power diplomacy has elevated India’s stature of being Global Pharmacy. The action of American sanctions defeats the very foundation of QUAD which aimed to counter Chinese hegemony through effective joint cooperative mechanism against dragon vacine diplomacy.
Geostrategic Expert & International relations expert Sumeet Mehta has stated prophetic quote by Henry Kissinger wherein he said that “To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.”. He further added ” US is nobody’s friend and uses everyone for its strategic interests.” And the objectives of this policy is to advance American prosperity and influence and thereby preserve US’ economic, military, and diplomatic access in the region and maintain US primacy over the region. They dont want China to exploit the vacuums and dissolve US interests in the region. It appears they want to “USE” India against China as a “counterbalance” – which in other words means pawn in US’ geostrategic chessboard. The hypocrisy of American policy is exposed when they state that “Cooperate with China where beneficial”. And the American grand plan for the Indo pacific is to turn into war theatre exploiting the differences of member nations to counter the rise of China and its status quo of being numerouno remains unchallenged.
Further the notion of India being staunch ally of United States and shares the same values of democracy, free speech, freedom of religion and association are hoax. In reality United States is world leader in fermenting trouble by providing clandestine support to rogue nations to secure its vested interst. In reality its dictatorial democracy where it imposes its dictat to satisfy the insatiable thirst of Pharma Cabal. The lobby resented the executive order signed by Trump for lowering cost of prescription drugs. The strategic interest of Military Industrial complex are masqueraded as American strategic interest as Ned Price stated few days back in response to question for denying access to vaccine components. In the wake of American indifference India’s time trusted ally Russia has offered its Sputnik Jab, Remdivisir drugs & oxygen on priority bases. Arch nemesis China also offered for assistance and as expected China’s state-run Sichuan Airlines has suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days. The flight suspension will disrupt efforts to procure the much-needed oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies from China apart from jacking up prices to cash on pandemic emergency.
After the telephonic call happened between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, the American administration is mobilizing resources like military mobile hospitals for ICUs, extra stock of Oxygen is being diverted to field hospitals in India. Google is helping India with tracking Covid in India. Lockheed Martin sending helicopters and cargo flights to move equipment to small towns in India. Many firms have offered their empty offices in India to be used as vaccine centers. If the Indian mutant is not controlled then it will spread like wildfire across the world by May End. American MNC all aware that the impact in India will impact the world- both on health and economically.
With the Modi Government taking necessary actions to augment medical equipment & supplies and provide relief to the citizens, a concentrated campaign has been carried out by Lutyens cabal to create anxiety, fear and panic. The situation is largely under control in the nation. The swift response by the government in addressing the emergency needs are showing results with distress call of inadequate oxygen supply coming down. The all party meet in Tamilnadu reached consensus for Sterlite plant to start operations & produce oxygen. And as four lakhs Remdivisir vials arrive from Russia the situation will stabilize and the nation will aim to promote vaccination in great way to achieve herd immunity by year end and with 14 crore people vaccinated the task going forward looks difficult but not impossible. Indian Vaccine Makers have been granted Rs.4500 crore to ramp up production capacities and with the ban lifted situation is poised to become better in coming days.
