Nation of Mahatma Gandhi will win battle towards pandemic: US civil rights chief, World Information

The whole world is praying for India and its people today, American civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson said on Wednesday, exuding confidence that the land of Mahatma Gandhi will win the fight against this pandemic.

Chicago-based civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson was here in town to urge the Biden government to deliver 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines to India. At a press conference here, the leading American civil rights activist said he had raised the issue with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Karris.

“The whole world is praying for India today,” he said, expressing solidarity with the people of India.

The conference was raised by several Indian-American community leaders. In his remarks, Rev. Jackson called for more money to be raised for the people in India and other countries affected by COVID-19.

“We should ask for more vaccinations for the world. We need respirators, medicines and vaccines now,” he said.

The well-known Indian-American community leader Dr. Bharat Barai thanked Rev. Jackson for his initiative. “Vaccinations are the right thing and the most important thing. It will not only save lives but also prevent the economy from collapsing,” he said.

Sunil Singh, chairman of the National Council of Asian Indian Associations, said India is in dire need of vaccines. “We need vaccines now or never. India coped very well with the first COVID attack last year. It helped 80 countries around the world,” he said.

“Now India is in need and the whole world has come out to help India. We need more vaccines and we need them now. Please help us now,” he said, adding that community organizations are in the region Washington DC have sent 130 oxygen concentrators.

The entrepreneur Ravi Pulli, the founder of the US-India Solidarity Council, called on the Biden government to provide more aid to India, as he appreciated the American support so far.

In its most recent update, the Union Ministry of Health put the total number of COVID-19 cases in India at 2,54,96,330 and the death toll at 2,83,248. The ministry said there are 32,26,719 active cases while 2,19,86,363 people have recovered from the infection so far.