I'm a big fan of complexity, because that's where all the unsatisfying answers live. But for the sake of shorthand, the mask wearing thing isn't that misleading.
India is a big country, and like America its behaviors vary by region and culture. India most likely underreported cases and deaths by a considerable factor, as have Russia, Mexico, and perhaps much of the world. Epidemiologists have been trying to figure out why high density populations with poor health infrastructures -- like India, Bangladesh, Nigeria and others -- had far fewer COVID fatalities than had been predicted, much fewer than Europe and the U.S. They're still a bit baffled, although one theory is that these populations had been exposed to previous coronavirus-related outbreaks that may leave a marker in people which makes the next coronavirus mutation less severe and largely unreported.
But is this really that perplexing?
"This is really serious. You need to wear masks" = Cases go down
"Congratulations! Cases are down. Let's go back to the way things were!" = Cases go back up.
When India went back to the way things were, it meant huge throngs at public gatherings. For a population barely vaccinated.
I believe the forensics on Sturgis South Dakota last summer suggest a celebration that was way too early, and it may have cost thousands of lives.
