TLP-UPSC Mains Answer Writing
SYNOPSIS [12th June,2020] Day 3: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)
1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had once quoted that riots were the voice of the unheard. Do you agree with his statement? Does it not become an excuse for the angry mob to riot and inflict huge damages to public life and property? Critically comment.
डॉ। मार्टिन लूथर किंग, जूनियर ने एक बार उद्धृत किया था कि दंगे अनसुने की आवाज थे। क्या आप उनके कथन से सहमत हैं? क्या यह गुस्साई भीड़ को दंगा करने और सार्वजनिक जीवन और संपत्ति को भारी नुकसान पहुंचाने का बहाना नहीं बनता? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about whether riots can be justified along with critical analysis about the arguments of Dr. King’s statement being excuse for violence and damage for public and private property.
Introduction:
Despite the civil war over slavery, and the civil rights movement for dignity and equality, systemic discrimination and violence against blacks persists. Racism continues unabated. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. explained riot as voice of unheard to give idea of injustice to the privileged sections.
Body:
The viral video of George Floyd dying under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer was the spark. People have poured into the streets demanding justice and change, in protests that have spread like wildfire across not only the United States, but the world.
- Protests of Afro-American community led to violent clashes with police, destruction of private and public property and looting of stores.
- Violence cannot be justified on any grounds. Regardless of race, private or public property is hard work, savings, blood, sweat, and tears.
- Riot with loot stoking the passions of the otherwise peaceful, and turning away the otherwise allied.
- Riot symbolises unheard voices but is not the right way to get justice. Dr. King’s statement was taken out of context to justify riots. He was true gandhian and believed in idea of peaceful protests.
However, He believed certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots.
- Martin Luther King, Jr., has become a touchstone for those who seek to understand reasons behind riots. He explained it as nation failed to hear, the economic plight of black poor people has worsened but this doesn’t mean Martin Luther king was pro rioter.
- King didn’t defend rioters but merely said there is understandable anger underlying actions of rioters.
- Riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. King still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. Violence will only create more social problems than they will solve.
- He repeated in his speeches that the ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing it, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Conclusion:
He believed in idea of the salvation of the Negro will mean the salvation of the white man. And the destruction of life and of the ongoing progress of the Negro will be the destruction of the ongoing progress of the nation. To put it another way, destruction is not progress.
2. Is it ethical to restrict the treatment of COVID-19 only to the native local population in a state? Substantiate your views.
क्या COVID -19 के उपचार को एक राज्य में केवल मूल स्थानीय आबादी के लिए उपलब्ध कराना नैतिक है? अपने विचारों को सारगर्भित करें।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about whether the decision of Delhi government is ethical or not along with substantial argument.
Introduction:
Recent Delhi government announcement that all Delhi government and private hospitals in the city would only treat Delhi residents till the rising COVID-19 cases are contained. As per Delhi’s statistics, at any given time nearly 60-70% of patients in Delhi hospitals are from other States and opening hospitals for all might fill capacity of beds within three days.
Body:
Delhi government increased health care expenditure substantially in recent times and increased capacity of beds, quality of primary, secondary and tertiary health care. It faced resistance in expanding healthcare facility at various levels. Decisions of such nature might come from that anger.
Decision of Delhi government is hardly ethical:
- Inward looking approach: This type of decisions mostly tend to be more self interested healthcare norms and more individualistic, limited to certain area.
- Violation of human rights: Human vulnerability should not be used for discrimination on the basis of residence. It also shows lack of empathetic liaison towards diseased patient as empathy is basic ethos to treat any patient. It is against human right principles and medical right of citizens.
- Against constitutionalism: Government decision also depicts lack of understanding of constitutional principles. It’s our fundamental right to get health treatment and right to get timely medical treatment in government hospitals under article 21.
- Parochial politics: Also this step of government is seen to be politically motivated and promoting regionalism which could set bad precedent in India. This would be congruous in situations where political strife could lead such aid being used in favour of one group over another.
- Absence of compassionate governance: Our conflict of interest should not influence our medical judgement. It shows lack of altruism as it can affect the migrant worker and many other impoverished families not a local resident.
- Violation of medical ethics: Medical doctors have an ethical duty to protect the human rights and human dignity of the patient. Medical ethics requires respect for the human rights of the patient.
- Patient must be protected and held with personal integrity and such individuals need to be respected.
Such decisions from the states indicate unrealised objective of cooperative federalism. It cannot be defended even with the saying of desperate time calls for desperate measure.
Universal solidarity is the key. There should be sense of more solidarity in this situation of pandemic along with on community, universal welfare, and the unselfish wish to provide healthcare equally for all is required.
In this time of pandemic, there has been display of philanthropic efforts, uplifted humanitarian values, increased compassion and understanding of suffering of others therefore such decisions must be resisted and healthcare infrastructure should be more increased to benefit all citizens without discrimination by all states.
Conclusion:
Need to develop Medical humanitarianism which can address and encourage commitment and motivation to help underserved and uneducated communities to minimize healthcare disparities which will help to create universal health care system.
3. How justified is the expectation that the Government should take all the responsibilities during a pandemic? Critically examine.
यह अपेक्षा कितनी जायज है कि महामारी के दौरान सरकार को सभी जिम्मेदारियां लेनी चाहिए? समालोचनात्मक जांच करें।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about share of responsibilities of different stakeholders in emergency times. Students should also write about whether it’s justified to depend on only one stakeholder or not.
Introduction:
COVID-19 pandemic has created once in century situation for all the government, economy and public life. Governments are one of the pillars of human civilisations built to maintain security, order and welfare in recent times. Though, governments share principle responsibility of fight against such crisis, it cannot be sole fighting entity.
Body:
Responsibility of Government in Pandemic:
- Government is institution established to take care of all the emergency situation may it be pandemic, famine or war.
- There is idea of social contract between government and people in which, people follow laws and regulation, pay taxes and in return government protect people and act in a manner to achieve summum bonum.
- Healthcare for all is universal human right and Right to life with dignity is fundamental right of citizens under Indian Constitution. It puts responsibility on the government machinery to protect lives of people not only from disease per say but also from income insecurity and hunger.
- Real test of government is during the period of crisis as it’s not very difficult to maintain order in nations bided by law and written constitution during peace time.
However, it is far from justified to leave all the responsibility to government in fight against pandemic or any emergency.
- Private sector: It is part of the responsibility of the private sector to not create more burdens for the public and the government, before cutting head count, there is need to look at other ways to cut costs, and weather the storm.
- There are many things that can be done by private sector before laying off people, even without government incentives and support.
- Even private sector can insure testing of their own employee, work from home infrastructure portability and even work with government to share manpower, expertise and capacity.
Not to forget responsibility of masses to do their own role.
- Following government rules, regulations and guidelines in letter and spirit is duty of masses; many people often dissociate them from the efforts of government.
- Maintaining civic sense, collective responsibility approach needs to be followed by people.
- Cooperative approach towards pandemic warriors who are risking lives to save others at frontline.
However, people need to understand role of government is of leadership. During the London bombings of Second World War, British forces and government played their duty by fighting on frontier but its people of London who had shown remarkable patience under the most difficult times.
Conclusion:
Citizens need to take a long-term view, assess how long this period of uncertainty will last, and look at what we can do. With every crisis comes opportunity, and this crisis could actually help us to transform, and come back better, and stronger.
