Parmeshwar Devkota

We were taught in schools by our gurus about the colonial powers of the past, and their atrocities against various civilisations. Huge number of Red Indians of the Western Hemisphere was reduced to a limited numbers, while the Atlantic slave trade and disappearances of Inca civilisation occurred for accumulating land and resources. The Western colonisers tortured Maori people of New Zealand, launched Opium wars to contain Chinese people and destroyed booming cotton industries of this part of the world.
After the American and French Revolutions, and the subsequent industrialisation of the Western world and renaissance, the colonial powers invented a new mantra called ‘democracy’ that spellbounded them. It helped them to honour and respect others because it incorporates a rule of law and laissez-faire policy. Therefore, democracy changed the mind-set of old colonial nations. They have also changed their names from colonial powers to rich countries. Until the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were championing for equality, friendship and coexistence among humans.
But, amidst the global pandemic, the rich nations have shown selfish attitude, giving short shrift to the poor nations when it comes to the vaccination drive. As soon as a vaccine against COVID-19 came in the market, they started showing their age-old vanity. The People’s Vaccine Alliance has disclosed that 10 wealthy nations started hoarding the COVID-19 vaccines. Some of them have been found hoarding three times more than they actually need. While they are going to vaccinate their entire populations, more than 70 low-income countries will get it only by the end of this year.
If it were the case, the rich countries are wrong on three grounds. First, the vaccine should be administered to the world’s most mobile and active people so that the disease can be stopped from being transmitted. If the disease goes on spreading, new variants could emerge from mutations and become more deadlier, and will potentially threaten the effectiveness of current vaccines.
Second, if the rich nations’ demand that all of their populations will be vaccinated first, a large number of people living in low-income nations will sure to remained deprived of this essential jab. Oxfam’s health policy manager Anna Marriott clearly said, “Unless something changes dramatically, billions of people around the world will not receive a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 for years to come.”
Third, if the rich countries are breaching the human rights obligations because the pandemic has already taken lives of more than 1.56 million worldwide. If they ignore the vaccine rights of the needy people, the death rates may soar alarmingly because of the mutation and other reasons. It may increase in such an alarming rate that people may forget the deaths by the plagues and Spanish influenza of the past.
That is why, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “Although the vaccine is generating hope, progress on vaccinations has been wildly uneven and unfair”. He further said, ‘Just 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all COVID-19 vaccines, but 130 countries have not received a single dose”.
The rich nations are under fire for their self-centric posture. This is also the litmus test of rich countries - whether they want to be engaged in humanitarian mission or still follow colonial attitude. The choice is theirs.