"Please remember, none of us are alone. The strength of 130 crore Indians is with each one of us," said Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation through a video message, in which he appealed to the citizens of India to come together to defeat the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, that is spreading like wildfire across the nation.
In a unique proposition, the Prime Minister asked every citizen to switch off all lights at their residences on April 5 at 9 PM for nine minutes and instead light a candle, a 'Diya', or their mobile's flashlights to mark India's fight against coronavirus. The purpose of this exercise, Modi said, is to bolster confidence in the heart of the citizens with a realisation of the fact that no one is alone in this crisis, they are in this with 130-crore other Indians who are collectively battling this crisis.
"Today when crores of people are inside their homes, some of us might wonder how we will fight this battle against COVID-19 all alone. Such questions might come up in your mind. But please remember, none of us are alone. The strength of 130 crore Indians is with each one of us," said Prime Minister Modi.
Last month, the Prime Minister had, in an address to the nation, asked the citizens to observe a 'Janta Curfew (People's Curfew)' on March 22 to avoid the spread of the coronavirus infection. For that occasion, Modi had appealed to the people to clang utensils, ring bells, and clap for five minutes at 5 PM to salute the healthcare professionals fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Lakhs of citizens across India had duly obliged and came out to express their gratitude in such a manner as soon as the clock struck 5 PM on Sunday.
Referring to that show of unity, Prime Minister Modi today said, "The way you paid gratitude to people fighting against COVID-19, on March 22, has become a model that is being emulated by other countries. The 'Janta curfew' and ringing of bells, clanging utensils, made the country aware of its unity amid this challenging time."
This is Prime Minister Modi's first message following the announcement of the 21-day lockdown on March 24.
Earlier he had tweeted, "In a short while from now, at 9 AM, will be sharing a video message for the people of India. Do watch."
On Thursday, Modi interacted with the Chief Ministers of all the states and reminded them that the situation is far from satisfactory around the world and that should brace itself for the second wave of coronavirus cases.
The Prime Minister asked the states to work on a war footing, identify hotspots in their states, encircle them and ensure that the infection does not spread out. He informed the Chief Ministers to focus on COVID-19 containment measures -- testing, tracing, isolation, and quarantine -- with a common goal of ensuring minimum loss of life.
In light of the heightened concern on the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India, the country has been placed under complete lockdown for 21 days from March 24. Authorities have asked citizens to maintain strict social distancing to cut the spread of the virus outbreak.
As of 10:15 AM on Friday, more than 2,000 people across India have been reported to have contracted the COVID-19 disease. The virus has affected more than 10 lakh people worldwide. The global death toll has crossed 50,000, according to the COVID-19 statistics center at the John Hopkins University.
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