Apartheid in a different form

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Evolution does not necessarily come with a reality check in geopolitical sweepstakes. It seems, some countries are still reluctant to accept this reality and are always looking to undermine the progress made by the countries they earlier used to lord over. Alas, a pandemic like Covid-19 too has not been able to provide them with a humane perspective and an understanding of the new world order. United Kingdom’s idiosyncratic response to India’s Covid vaccination certification reeks of an archaic thought process which seems to be the result of years of tendency to typecast and racially profile the sub-continent, especially India.

After backlash over its decision to exclude Covishield from its vaccine list, it has now approved it but it does not mean that Indians going there will be spared from the quarantine rules, which can be extremely tough on the students who are going there. A decision like this entails extreme discomfort for kin of those who have to travel to that country.

At a time when all countries need to be more inclusive to recover from the Covid-19 setback, the UK government’s move attitude sends a worrying signal. In these circumstances, science should ne the only yardstick to come at any decision, not perceptions. Covishield is a brand name of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, a viral vector for the prevention of the infection. It was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. While Oxford University embodies the very essence of England, AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish MNC. It is regrettable that when the same vaccine is produced and administered in India, the UK government thinks it might not be an effective shield against the virus.

With economies ravaged and an uncertain future ahead, western countries need to shed the cloak of superiority to help normalcy return after the pandemic-led disruptions. If the person entering the UK has been fully vaccinated then the protocol should not be any different from the ones applicable to those administered the same vaccine produced in England.