Bangalore Lit Fest: Vaccine, politics, language discussions draw big crowds
Public interest in healthcare has increased since the pandemic broke out, microbiologist Gagandeep Kang said on Saturday, the first day of the Bangalore Literature Fest where she was invited as a speaker.
The venue was proof as the audience asked her: How did a mild strain like Omicron become dominant? Do we need booster shots? Is herd immunity the solution? And the white elephant: How did the Covid-19 virus originate?
Some questions did get direct answers. Can we send children to school yet? Yes, she said, adding the risk of infection among them is very low.
RT-PCR tests offer a good opportunity for surveillance of disease outbreaks in the population, she responded to another query.
On the best way countries can prevent Covid variants, she said: “Vaccinate everybody with the best vaccine but sadly, we don’t know what that is. Also, (we need to) monitor the immuno-compromised individuals,” she said.
Scientists in India are grasping the evolving situation quickly but policymakers not as much, she said about our preparedness to battle the future variants. However, a lot remains to be done. “We don’t have enough data on the efficacy of different vaccines, funding on vaccine science is terribly short, we don’t have a system to consolidate data from different agencies, we don’t have ample clinical trials happening,” she explained.
“India has done well in terms of technology, which is making the vaccine, but not on the science behind vaccine… Our institutes are creating doctors to treat patients but not to pursue academic medicine,” she added.
Gagandeep is currently part of a team that’s running clinical trials to study booster shots and welcomed Bengalureans who have received double doses to volunteer.
Another session on science earlier in the day was houseful. It had biochemist Pranay Lal discussing his latest book, ‘Invisible Empire: A Natural History of Viruses’.
Much like tectonic forces have shaped life on the planet, so have the viruses and bacteria, he said. “About 28-35 viruses live within us. If even one is taken out, we won’t function normally,” he reasoned.
Deve Gowda: More than just a caste leader
Journalist Sugata Srinivasaraju’s book ‘Furrows in a Field: The Unexplored life of H D Deve Gowda’ also drew lots of crowds. The former prime minister is more than a leader who leveraged caste politics, Sugata argued.
He is consulted by world bodies like the World Bank on river treaties, a paddy variety in Punjab is named after him, people of Kashmir trust him more than any prime minister and his speeches from the 1960s are a lesson for generations, Sugata told the audience about Gowda’s seven-decade career.
Samjhauta Express: ‘Too bold, too new a film to make’
Joining virtually, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra narrated how he burnt the script of his film ‘Samjhauta Express’ because he could not find takers. It was to initially feature actor Abhishek Bachchan as a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist. “It was too bold, too new for the audience that time,” he commented on the intolerance that a lot of films even to this day.
Winding up the day, author Chetan Bhagat admitted he is “careful” of what he writes given the growing cancel culture.
However, we must keep telling the uncomfortable truths, author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni said during the opening session, referring to the bold protagonist of her book ‘The Last Queen’, who was cancelled in her times. “It is important to resurrect the forgotten role models like Rani Jindan Kaur and feel inspired,” she said.
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