Something strange was happening in India when the COVID-19 coronavirus was unleashed onto the world.
Niru speaks with Dr. Prabhat Jha in Toronto (top), Arnob Bal in Mumbai
As the virus ripped through Italy at lightning speed, and then went rampant in the United States, people began to fear the worst for the second most populous nation on earth.
Was the lockdown of 1.3 billion people somehow more effective than lockdowns in other countries? Were there other factors unique to the Indian population that somehow inhibited transmission? And what happened between then and now, as we witness daily the unfolding of the very thing that everyone most dreaded, an alarming rise in cases and deaths with a medical system bursting at the seams?
I needed answers, so I turned to global health expert and epidemiologist Dr. Prabhat Jha to separate fact from fiction and to help me understand the stark reality facing India.
But first, I spoke to Arnob Bal, an Indo-Canadian music producer currently living in Mumbai, to get a sense of life under lockdown in India.
Join us for these eye-opening conversations!
And when you do, you’ll hear the resilience of the Indian spirit expressed in a modern take of a time-honoured tradition…through song! A.R. Rahman (Jai Ho,
Slumdog Millionaire) and a cohort of other talented artists gather in strength, togetherness and hope to fight the pandemic with Hum Haar Nahin Maanenge…we will not be defeated.
Donate to the #HumHaarNahiMaanenge campaign here.
Namaste,
Niru
Visit www.desiland.ca to read Niru’s blogs and subscribe to our Desiblast newsletter. You can also follow us @DesilandNA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
