Immersion in party politics is dangerous in the face of a national crisis. It is a tragic fact that the second wave of the pandemic seemed to have caught the Indian government unawares, and the white paper put out by the Congress claims that numerous deaths could have been prevented with better preparation. The prime minister’s refusal to pay heed to warnings by scientists and the Opposition and his absorption in the West Bengal elections are, the document suggests, among the reasons for this. The former Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, has endorsed this criticism. The white paper, however, is not meant for ‘finger-pointing’, according to Mr Gandhi, but to provide insights and information. Assuming a collaborative approach, it suggests means to contain the third wave, such as ready supplies of oxygen, medicines and sufficient hospital space. It also urges a vaccination drive at the highest possible pitch — not just satisfaction at one day’s record — and financial support for the less privileged who have lost earning members to the virus. The document seems to be trying to fill a vacuum left by the Union government by outlining effective strategies to deal with the pandemic, something that the Tamil Nadu government is doing in another sphere on a practical level, by inviting a panel of international experts to advise it on much-needed economic development.

Predictably, the Congress’s white paper has stung the Bharatiya Janata Party into accusing Mr Gandhi of politicizing every issue and claiming that the second wave was worst managed in Congress-ruled states. Making the Opposition’s suggestions look like agenda-driven sniping exposes the BJP’s inability to distinguish between party interests and governance. While Uttar Pradesh is still gasping from the devastation caused by the mismanagement of the pandemic by the Yogi Adityanath-led government, the BJP is already preparing for the assembly elections next year. Banners and hoardings with Narendra Modi’s portrait accompanied by Mr Adityanath’s have burst onto UP’s roads. The chief minister is apparently thanking Mr Modi for free vaccines for all — something which many countries have provided and which India is starting rather late after tussles with the Opposition. Mr Modi’s presence is possibly expected to neutralize resentment against the chief minister. The BJP is busy calculating means to win elections; the possibility of a further national crisis is a mere distraction.