India’s selective Covid crackdown
India’s Covid crisis is raging out of control. Over the past two months, the country has witnessed a staggering ten-fold increase in infections. On Monday alone, 259,167 cases were reported. And there are fears the true infection rate might be much higher. Yet India’s government is turning a blind eye to certain religious festivals which may be fuelling the problem. In recent days, millions of Hindu devotees have thronged the banks of the river Ganges for a dip in the water to commemorate the Kumbh Mela festival. The second and third Shahi Snan (holy bath) last week coincided with hundreds of Hindu pilgrims testing positive for Covid-19, as India recorded its highest spike since the start