Updated: February 19, 2022 1:19 AM IST 
New Delhi: Speaking at the launch of Priyam Gandhi-Mody’s book ‘A Nation to Protect: Leading India Through the Covid Crisis’, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya revealed how India refused to bow to arm-twisting of the foreign vaccine companies during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mandaviya was answering a question from Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhury during the book launch ceremony when he revealed how Pfizer and Moderna were putting unreasonable demands to supply vaccine to India during the crisis.
“Major vaccine-making companies like Moderna and Pfizer perceived India as a huge market for their drugs and they never thought India would be able to vaccinate its over 1.16 crore population on its own, the Health Ministry said. However, India was not only able to make its own vaccine against the coronavirus, but export it to other countries as well,” he said.
The book, which is an account of the government and people of India dealing with the notorious virus and its inflictions, was launched by Mandaviya along with Professor Shamika Ravi (Economist) and Dr VK Paul (member of NITI Aayog). In a follow-up discussion moderated by Zee News editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary, who was managing the book launch event, asked the Health Minister why no foreign pharma company was able to enter India during the Coronavirus pandemic to which Dr Mandaviya made the above observations. Up until now, the Health Ministry has been giving only diplomatic answers to this query, but for the very first time, the Union minister elaborated on the issue.
The discussion also saw Priyam Gandhi-Mody and the eminent panel talk about the aspects of India’s fight against the pandemic. “I was able look at the situation in top-down manner,” said Priyam Gandhi-Mody as she talked about her book. When asked about her approach, she said that she attempted to capture the Indian response to the pandemic from an outsider’s perspective.
In her opening remarks, Gandhi-Mody noted that doomsday predictions were made about India worldwide. “It was said that because of India, global Covid response would take a hit,” she said. She expressed displeasure at ‘political partisanship’ that was observed in Indian political arena just when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was leading the country out of the grips of the pandemic.
Sudhir Chaudhary noted that a section of media was trying to cash in on the frenzy to target the establishment. “Do you think they did a disservice to the nation through their coverage?” asked Chaudhary. “It is often said that ‘sadness is sexy’. But how sexy is it if you are going to do it at the expense of your country?” replied Gandhi-Mody. “A section of political leaders and media made this into ‘us versus them’ battle,” she added.
Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said he believed that ‘A Nation to Protect’ describes the reality as it unfolded during last two years. “We have seen what happens when there is a true leadership with a vision,” said Mandaviya referring to PM Modi.
“PM Modi is a very good listener,” said Dr VK Paul, member of NITI Aayog. “I am often surprised at his capacity to read extensively,” said Prof Shamika Ravi, the economist who has been a member of Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister.
“So do you think Covid is man-made?” Sudhir Chaudhary asked Priyam Gandhi-Mody towards the end of the session. She said that she would like more information to come out. ‘A Nation to Protect’ has been published by Rupa Publications.
The two vaccines, which have been prominently used to inoculate Indian population during the three waves of pandemic — Covishield and Covaxin — have been manufactured here only. The Centre has allowed two more foreign vaccines — Russia’s Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine — both of which are also being made by the Indian pharma companies.
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