A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS
India Today|May 17, 2021
MASS CREMATIONS, THE SCRAMBLE FOR HOSPITAL BEDS, THE DESPERATE HUNT FOR MEDICAL OXYGEN, THE PUBLIC OUTCRY, THE PERSONAL TRAGEDIES—HOW COVID’S SECOND WAVE HAS EXPOSED THE ABJECT FAILURE OF THE INDIAN STATE
A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS

SEARING HEAT Staff at the Ghazipur crematorium in Delhi cart in fresh logs as funeral pyres burn all around them

Bodies are lined up for the final rites before being consigned to the flames at the Hari Nagar crematorium in Delhi on May 2

SAY YOUR PRAYERS

A relative consoles a Covid infected girl as she lies gasping for air at the Indirapuram gurudwara in Ghaziabad, UP. The gurudwara provides free oxygen to those who don’t have access to it.

LIFE SUPPORT

A relative carries a patient as another lugs an oxygen cylinder at a gurudwara in Ghaziabad, UP. The Sikh temple has put up tents where free oxygen is supplied to struggling Covid patients

Massed pyres and serpentine queues of shrouded bodies. Gasping, terrified men and women pleading to be accepted as patients. The broken and bereaved mourning their dead. In New Delhi today, as in any Indian metro, the roads are silent, the bazaars are shuttered. But approach any hospital and you’ll rediscover the familiar clamour of the Indian street, rising to a crescendo in the once hushed ICUs—now rent with the shouts and moans of the desperate and the dying. Of course most of us are hunkered in our homes, carpeing our diems and visiting such scenes through our screens when we’re not fielding calls and text messages from family and friends, or friends of friends, pleading for a hospital bed, an oxygen cylinder, Remdesivir, more oxygen. Expressing our sympathies on Facebook and WhatsApp.

This story is from the May 17, 2021 edition of India Today.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 17, 2021 edition of India Today.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIA TODAYView All
BJP's Big Paschim Test
India Today

BJP's Big Paschim Test

On paper, the BJP-RLD tie-up is a winner for the NDA in west UP, though the INDIA bloc thinks otherwise. The BSP's entry with mixed candidates can unsettle both alliances

time-read
7 mins  |
April 29, 2024
Why Gen V Matters
India Today

Why Gen V Matters

The Way The 210 Million-Strong Generation Viksit Bharat Casts Its Vote Will Determine The Outcome Of This Election As It Has In The Past

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 29, 2024
Heart Stopper
India Today

Heart Stopper

Cushions with tales of beauty, serenity, art and nature

time-read
1 min  |
April 29, 2024
THE NIPPON NARRATIVE
India Today

THE NIPPON NARRATIVE

Say konnichiwa to good design and sayōnara to bad aesthetics, as this apartment in Bangalore is a lesson in how to use Japanese design effectively

time-read
2 mins  |
April 29, 2024
RURAL RESPLENDENCE
India Today

RURAL RESPLENDENCE

This second home in a small village in Uttar Pradesh brings to life the beauty and simplicity of locally sourced materials

time-read
1 min  |
April 29, 2024
Curves in the Right Places
India Today

Curves in the Right Places

Arches may be taking over interior design, but how and where you place them in your home can make or mar the look of the room

time-read
2 mins  |
April 29, 2024
Marvels in Mud
India Today

Marvels in Mud

Here's how this humble material is changing the way we look at eco-friendly homes in India

time-read
2 mins  |
April 29, 2024
DESIGN FOR THE AGES
India Today

DESIGN FOR THE AGES

Five homes, five distinct design styles that help decode how to curate age-appropriate spaces

time-read
2 mins  |
April 29, 2024
TAKE FIVE
India Today

TAKE FIVE

FROM RUGS TO CUSHIONS, THESE DECOR PIECES WILL GIVE YOUR INTERIORS AN INSTANT MAKEOVER THIS SEASON

time-read
1 min  |
April 29, 2024
TRENDY TABLESCAPES
India Today

TRENDY TABLESCAPES

At the turn of the season, three fashion labels throw a soiree that is stylish, suave and sophisticated

time-read
3 mins  |
April 29, 2024