Indian Air Force and Navy helicopters on Sunday showered flower petals on hospitals across India treating Covid-19 patients, while Indian Air Force planes conducted flypasts as a gesture of gratitude to doctors, nurses and other workers on the frontline fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This gesture was greeted with anger and ridicule by Twitter users, just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s request to Indians to bang thalis on March 22 in a similar sign of gratitude and the mass exercise of lighting candles in a demonstration of solidarity on the evening of April 5.
Several Twitter users questioned the need for spending tax money on such spectacles when healthcare workers have been reported to be short of vital personal protection equipment and the stranded migrant workers travelling home in special trains are being made to pay for their trips.
Central Vista, luxury aircraft for VVIPs - and, of course, petals https://t.co/tiwDY3k3Bb
— Tony Joseph (@tjoseph0010) May 2, 2020
The ruling class has money to shower rose petals, but they charge migrant laborers for rail fare. The laborers, who can't even afford to eat to save their lives.
— Muskan (@mayurock) May 3, 2020
I wonder what dystopian logic guides those in power.#PanderingInAPandemic
Laughed till it hurt. Rose petals? Will they fall on the migrants walking home or on ambulances carrying patients to hospital? Or on the empty streets lined by pan-beating families in their balconies? Clowns!
— Karthika V.K. (@karthikavk) May 1, 2020
Calling them "bravehearts" and "Corona Warriors" and showering petals etc is fine, but would be nicer and more effective to provide *all* of them with PPEs, place to stay temporarily, protection against stone pelters etc.
— Atul Karmarkar (@atulkarmarkar) May 3, 2020
Are all these feel-good measures for them? Or for us?
Cartoonists, as always, made a sharp comment on the situation.
Migrants! @newssting1 cartoon #MigrantLabourers #lockdown pic.twitter.com/I0qPWKYOZz
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) May 3, 2020
Something to think about -food or flower petals? PPE or banging pots? Think about political choices bec they are also health choices @BiBeKDeep @vinodjose @inchbyinch_rbr @anshul_tewari @dawalelo @BDUTT @tajmahalfoxtrot @paimadhu @lata_MIRROR https://t.co/ctIaprFuAI
— SATB1231 (@SATB1231) May 3, 2020
Fighter jets showered petals on hospitals today. While we perform gimmicks, India might witness more deaths due to hunger than the pandemic itself. pic.twitter.com/eqwYYTGDhO
— Cow Aunty (@AuntyCow) May 3, 2020
Some questioned the point of the PM Cares fund, through which donations to combat the pandemic are being collected.
You would donate to PMCares fund to let army drop rose petals on hospital or to someone directly who is urgent need of essentials?
— Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) May 2, 2020
Think over it!
Speculative accounts of PM CARES fund -
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) May 3, 2020
Collections: Rs. 7,000 crores.
Expense on rose petals: Rs. 1 lakh.
Balance: Rs. 6,999,99,00,000.
Someone compared the Modi government’s methods with those of the Chinese government.
Chinese sprayed streets of Wuhan with disinfectant Twice daily till the Virus was contained.. Modi will use Army to shower Flower Petals 😂😂😂
— GavchaPatil (@AquarianTruths) May 2, 2020
Sanghis are no less than Cartoons ...
An user wondered if the armed forces could be put to use for more practical tasks.
Tasks Armed Forces could have done
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) May 1, 2020
✅ Transport Migrant Labour Home
✅ Community Kitchens
✅ Effective Quarantining
Tasks Armed Forces are asked to do
❌Play Bands
❌Shower Rose Petals
❌Fly Past
Is Modi capable of anything but nautankis? The Govt is demeaning our Armed Forces.
And what about those who have to bear the brunt of such spectacles?
Who will clean the rose petals? Are they being paid for overtime?
— Prasanna S (@prasanna_s) May 3, 2020
Irony is that the sanitary & cleanliness workers, the Covid warriors, for which the flower petals were showered, will be the ones who will have to sweep it off the streets. 😭
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) May 3, 2020
