The rapidly spreading variant of Omicron is spreading faster than any previously known variant of the disease and after having arrived on the shores of India it is only a matter of time until it starts spreading in even greater numbers than currently anticipated. According to some expert estimates, India will be in the midst of a rapidly multiplying spread of the disease towards the end of January with the peak estimated to be somewhere in the middle of February.
If the lessons from what is happening in Europe is any indication, then Omicron will be upon us faster than the previous two waves of the disease and once again put pressure on the State’s medical infrastructure that doesn’t appear to be significantly augmented since the previous wave of the disease.
This places the peak of the third wave squarely on a collision course with the estimated date of Goa’s upcoming election. While the Election Commission has yet to formally notify the dates when the elections will be held, going by past trends it is expected that voting will be held in early February.
One hopes that the Election Commission which is scheduled to visit the State later this month, is mindful of the upcoming wave of Omicron and doesn’t make the same mistake that it made during the last year’s elections when the large rallies and gatherings during the Bengal elections were blamed for the severity of the wave that shook the country in April and May this year.
Adding to the mix is the fact that Uttar Pradesh the most popular and arguably the most backward and State of the country that often scores very low on health parameters is also scheduled to go to the polls along with Goa and three other States.
Going ahead with the election as per the current schedule will be playing a dangerous game that could come at a huge cost. No doubt, initial reports have suggested that the Omicron variant, though spreading rapidly, causes a milder variant of the disease. But that’s hardly a saving grace for a country that has already suffered much on account of previous waves.
The Election Commission is well within its powers to decide on the timing of the poll for a time when it is safer to do so. Initial estimates also suggest that the Omicron wave though rapid spread also abates very quickly -- within a matter of weeks. However, information on the variant is still only from the initial outbreak of the infection.
There are no easy decisions for the Election Commission this time round. On one hand, the Commission surely hasn’t forgotten that the Madras High Court has been particularly acerbic in its comments suggesting that the Commission needs to be held on murder charges for failing to act despite rising numbers earlier this year. But on the other hand, right now, there is very little reliable information available on what is to come and how bad things will be in the future.
A wise way to deal with this would be to perhaps keep the election schedule dependent on the severity of the Covid wave. Should things get really bad the Election Commission should not hesitate to announce a postponement even after the polls are announced. Let’s hope better sense prevails.
