Modi cites poet Gurajada to deny politicians early shot

Hyderabad: Any vestigial hopes of elected representatives that they could cut the line and get the Covid-19 vaccination on priority effectively ended on Saturday, the first day of the nationwide vaccination drive that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched.

Modi put paid to even the remotest of hopes that many political leaders harboured of breaking the queue, by declaring that the first priority was and would be vaccinating healthcare workers who were the frontline defence against Covid-19. For good measure, he quoted from Desamunu Preminchumanna, the famous Telugu playwright Gurujada Appa Rao’s extremely popular poem, to drive home the message of the importance of putting the interests of others ahead of one’s own.

Modi, duirng his nationally televised address, quoted the verse that goes: “Swantha laabhamu kontha manuko, poruguvaaniki thodupadavoi, desamantay matti kadoi, desamantay manushuloi.” Translating it for non-Telugu speaking audiences across the country, Modi said: “Yaani, hum doosron kay kaam aayen, yeh niswardh bhaav hamaaray bheetar rahna chahiyay.”

This message was clearly heard very loudly by everyone, particularly in Telangana, a state which had requested the Centre to include elected representatives in the frontline workers category and vaccinate them on priority by giving them the same importance as that of healthcare workers.

At Gandhi Hospital where he launched the vaccination drive, health minister Etala Rajendar, who had first broached the subject of elected representatives getting the vaccine first, during a video conference some days ago, said that following Modi’s suggestion he had decided not to take the vaccine on Saturday as he had originally planned.

At the Urban Primary Health Centre at Tilaknagar in the city, minister K.T. Rama Rao said that though, as political representatives, “We should have been the first to take the vaccine in order to give confidence to the people about the vaccines. But the Prime Minister said elected representatives and political leaders should take the vaccine later. We will honour his suggestion and we will take our vaccine along with everyone else.  Whenever our names come up in the list, we will take (the vaccine).”

Incidentally, Puducherry had also made a request similar to that of Telangana state to the Prime Minister earlier.