The rich people of India who splashed their money did not escape the Covid-19 ‘tsunami’

The elite can no longer afford to buy safety in the midst of a crisis. They also have nowhere to fly to as most countries have limited Indian tourists.
On the morning of April 24, 12 private planes carrying the Indian super-rich landed in Dubai just before the UAE banned flights from the South Asian country, according to Business Insider .

A day earlier, eight similar aircraft departed from New Delhi and landed in London just hours before the UK officially put India on the “red list”. India is facing the second wave of epidemics, such as a “tsunami” with tremendous devastation. In the past 5 consecutive days, the number of new Covid-19 infections is over 300,000 cases / day. India broke down in the midst of the Covid-19 “tsunami”. Photo: QZ. The number of sick and fatalities is so great that hospitals, morgue and cremation grounds are overloaded. Severe medical oxygen scarcity has caused many patients to share a ventilator, some of whom do not survive right in front of the hospital. According to the Fortune India The epidemic has become so serious that the super-rich – those who have never been affected by poverty or natural disasters – are no longer safe. Running abroad on expensive private flights is considered the most likely option. And if they get stuck because flights have been halted and the borders closed, many people have come to realize that in the midst of this dire Covid-19 crisis, money is not going to help them buy the same perks as before. When money can’t buy oxygen Talking about the fleeing of the super-rich in recent days, journalist and historian Hindol Sengupta relates to deeper problems in Indian society: rich and poor disparities and rich people are only worried about it. live by yourself. “The long-standing bad habit in India is just to keep your house clean, you can dump trash right in front of the door. The moment the junk was out there, it was someone else’s problem. Who cares about the poor having to deal with its consequences when the well-off can still hide in their homes? ”Mr. Sengupta said. Over the years, the rich are getting richer, but their social progress and development have declined. Instead of campaigning to improve public services that serve all, the Indian elite and the middle class have found an easier way: spending money to buy private services. The Covid-19 wave left hospitals in India exhausted and depleted of oxygen. Photo: AFP. “Regardless of what happens to the rest of the country, they are comfortable with their own perks.” No matter what a crisis is, electricity, water, roads or air pollution, rich people just need to splash money. If the pollution is severe, they buy air filters at home and in the office. The city is insecure, they can hire a 24/7 private security guard. The health system is poor, they seek private doctors or quickly go abroad for treatment … “The Indian rich do not understand that not privatizing everything, a stable society, which ensures the most basic things such as health and education for everyone, is the foundation for development. sustainable, ”said Mr. Sengupta. Time of salvation The ongoing “Tsunami” of Covid-19 is said to be a landmark. Now, even the most expensive and exclusive hospitals run out of something as basic as oxygen. The elite gradually realized they could no longer spend money to get out of this crisis and had nowhere to fly to because most countries such as Canada, UAE, Thailand, Maldives, UK are in turn. processing tourists from India. The Indian super-rich flee abroad on private planes. Photo: Shutterstock. The scholar Abhinav Prakash argues that this is a time when Indians become more deeply aware of inequality in society and towards specific solutions. “Health insurance cannot help in a health crisis without infrastructure. No matter how expensive your health insurance is, it doesn’t make any sense if the hospital runs out of bed, lacks equipment, runs out of oxygen, “Prakash said. India, and most importantly, a growing rich middle class need to realize that public services are the backbone of a united society. “You can throw trash outside, but the stench of trash still gets into your closed doors and windows. It will make you suffocate. Big change comes from times like now. If the rich and relatively wealthy in India realize that their future is tied to a better public service system, it may be the time to save the country, ”wrote journalist Sengupta.