Tell us how you will vaccinate the state

A woman gets vaccinated in Kandivli. Pic/Satej Shinde

You always get told as a child: ‘Be careful what you wish for.' Uddhav Thackeray, the child of Balasaheb, has experienced it first-hand ever since he wished for a Thackeray to be chief minister of this state. He became one, but at the cusp of a pandemic. Daunting as it might have been, he has largely done what a sane head of province should do - fight it with boots below, and fight it out with suits above.

Vaccine recipients wait at Akurli Maternity Home's vaccination centre on April 24. Pic/Satej Shinde

Most recently, his gradual easing of the state into restricted mode and the two mails he wrote to the prime minister about how best to handle this so-called second wave stand out.

Nonetheless, he needs to remember that what seems to be an ebbing second wave for city and state is the least of his problems. The numbers are gradually going down, yes, but nothing can be taken for granted. There will, surely, be a third wave.

Whether all his hard work of the past 15 months leads to fruition now depends on what he does next - vaccinating the whole state. Considering how industrialised and interconnected Maharashtra is, the state needs to vaccinate its entire population if it hopes for any reprieve from the pandemic.

Especially when his MVA ministers throw promises that the state "will divert every available fund to vaccinate the population" - that means around eight to 10 crore people and 16 to 20 crore doses. At the minimum. And more if needed.

Basic math says vaccinating a population today ensures a better GDP tomorrow. It has, of course, been a tough ride for Mr. Thackeray. But he now needs to tell the state how he plans to go ahead with the next steps.

If he can complete this step successfully, before the year runs out, he would have done something far more long-lasting than some of the promises of his predecessors - instead of making this city the new Singapore or the new Shanghai, he would have shown the world what a new Mumbai is.