Forbes May 3, 2021
As India’s current Covid-19 crisis intensifies it reminds us of the importance of truthful messaging. The biggest blunders committed by Prime Minister Modi’s government were playing down the threat from the virus and misinforming the public. Two months ago, by practically claiming victory over Covid-19, and even hinting that herd immunity had been reached, Modi did his country an enormous disservice.
In The Great Influenza author John Barry wrote about one of the worst pandemics in human history, the misnamed “Spanish Flu” of 1918-1920. In the book, published in 2004, Barry presciently offered his thoughts on lessons to be drawn for future pandemics:
“As horrific as the disease was during the 1918-1920 pandemic some public officials made things worse by...