The whole world knows. Why don't they?

"External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday defended holding election rallies and allowing mass gatherings in India despite the Covid crisis which took everyone in the country by surprise. He added that the Indian government is 'moving heaven and earth' to get oxygen to the people," Times of India (TOI). Not everyone, surely? "A forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters." "The warning about the new variant in early March was issued by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium, or INSACOG. It was conveyed to a top official who reports directly to the prime minister, according to one of the scientists, the director of a research centre in Northern India who spoke on condition of anonymity." The US has fact-checkers who grade what politicians and bureaucrats say according to a scale which ranges from mostly true to pants on fire to Pinocchio, Poynter. Have to remain anonymous in India for fear of reprisals from the government. "Police FIRs that cut and paste key details across different locations; detention orders signed by District Magistrates that show 'non-application of mind'; denial of due process to the accused; repeat use of law to block bail -- in case after case, the Allahabad High Court has red-flagged the way the UP government has used the draconian National Security Act (NSA) which gives the state powers to arrest without formal charge or trial," The Indian Express (TIE). At the very least you may be forced out of your job, as was the case with Prof Pratap Bhanu Mehta who resigned from Ashoka University, supposedly a privately funded liberal institution, because he had become a "political liability". A whole list of officials resigned their posts from the Trump administration because they did not agree with the president. Around 50 ministers resigned from the cabinet because of allegations of misconduct or because they disagreed Prime Minister Theresa May. People do not resign in India. The perks and powers of office are so enormous, Byju's. Seven ministers were forced to resign reluctantly during the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh as prime minister because of allegations of scams worth trillions of rupees, Economic Times (ET). Officials in high positions who resigned since 2014 were Governor of the Reserve Bank (RBI) Urjit Patel in December 2018, followed by Deputy Governor of RBI Viral Acharya who put in his papers in June 2019 because of their differences with the government. Two independent members of the National Statistical Commission, PC Mohanan and JV Meenakshi, resigned in January 2019 because of the government's suppression of employment data, The Wire. Not a single minister. Despite the genocide. By the middle of April India was reporting over 220,000 new infections of Covid everyday but election rallies and the Kumbh Mela were still continuing, Reuters. Huge rallies were being held for municipal election in Telangana towards the end of April, CNN. UP was holding Panchayat (village councils) elections with 1.3 million candidates fighting for 800,000 posts, TIE. A furious Madras High Court said the Election Commission should be held guilty of murder for its conduct of elections, TOI. As for oxygen, the erudite minister knows that it is free and is present in the air around us, wikipedia. Patients are dying because of a lack of oxygen, including in the national capital Delhi, BBC. At least 22 patients died of asphyxia in western Maharashtra, Reuters. Another 23 perished in Karnataka recently, TOI. And as the infrastructure gets stretched, 93 people have burnt to death in 24 fire incidents in hospitals because of makeshift oxygen delivery from cylinders procured by desperate relatives, TIE. Dr Jaishankar is minister of foreign affairs. If he is unaware of what is happening in India he can easily ask his counterparts in other countries. They will tell him what is going on. If he really wants the truth.