In case you have a notion that India buckled under pressure to lift export restrictions on certain medicines, our article President Trump and Hydroxychloroquine Episode – Here is the Only Relevant Question India Should Be Bothered About will help you to come out of this wrong perception. On the contrary, in this difficult phase of global pandemic, India is emerging as a true friend of humanity and a leader in fighting COVID-19 in the highest spirit of togetherness. Be it western powers like the US or the neighbours in our Asian continent, all are feeling grateful and happy about India.
Accolades from the Western World
The tweet of gratitude from the US President Donald Trump categorically underlines the sentiment that “India’s timely help will not be forgotten.” Considering that the US is one among those nations which can come up with a vaccination to COVID-19, this becomes a very strong gesture signalling deep friendship.
Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020
The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro also thanked PM Narendra Modi and people of India for the timely help of medicines. In fact, in a letter following his phone conversation with PM Modi, he compared the help of India with that of Hanuman bringing the Saneevini herb for saving Lakshmana. He wrote in the letter addressing PM Modi, “Just as Lord Hanuman brought the holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Lord Rama’s brother Laksmana, and Jesus healed those who were sick and restored the sight of Bartimeu, India and Brazil will overcome this global crisis.”
The United Kingdom has also thanked India and Prime Minister Modi for helping address their shortage of the drug Paracetamol.
Thank you @narendramodi and the Government of India for approving the export of paracetamol to the UK. Global cooperation is critical in the fight against #COVID19. UK and India have track record of working together as a #ForceforGood tackling global challenges.
— Jan Thompson (@JanThompsonFCO) April 9, 2020
Helping the Neighbours
It should be recalled that as far back as March 15 itself, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acted to stich the neighbours together in the fight against COVID-19 by holding a video-conference with all the members. The call to constitute SAARC COVID-19 fund, with India’s initial pledge of $10 million found resonance among the members.
Ever since the world entered the lockdown phase, India has been constantly helping its neighbours also in various ways, apart from attending the domestic needs. Here are some tweets that tell the story.
Sri Lanka
I wish to convey my heartfelt appreciation to Hon PM @narendramodi, Govt & people of #India for your warm gesture in sending medicines to #LKA on a special chartered flight. Your kind & generous support is deeply appreciated in this hour of need #TogetherWeCan #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/XpcUw9xK6d
— Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) April 7, 2020
Bhutan
Thank you Your Majesty and thank you India @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar.
Assuring supplies to Bhutan even when there is 21-day lockdown in India 🙏🇧🇹🇮🇳. https://t.co/PDkZrfMgK3
— Tenzing Lamsang (@TenzingLamsang) March 27, 2020
Maldives
A big thank you to the Government and people of India 🇮🇳 for sending us vital food and medicine at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/BoszbAZuo6
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) March 29, 2020
The Chinese Contrast
To understand fully why the world is appreciating India’s move whole-heartedly at the times of crisis, we can’t help but to look at how China is behaving with the world at this juncture. China too, is offering help to its friends and the world at large; however, questions have been raised on these claims. There are reports in the international press that suggest that even in this hour of global crisis China is ruthlessly pursuing its business interests in the name of assistance.
We leave you with some headlines related to Chinese assistance to draw your own conclusion.
India, that always refrained from using a debt model in delivering assistance to other countries, has proved in this time of global pandemic that it is living the ideal of ‘world as one family’.
