In his latest Mann ki Baat address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought forgiveness for putting people in trouble by ordering a complete lockdown in the country but said the fight against coronavirus is one of life and death and demanded tough measures.
“My conscience tells me that you will definitely forgive me as I had to take certain decisions which have put you in a lot difficulty,” he said on his radio programme Mann ki Baat. “Especially, when I look at my poor brothers and sisters, I definitely feel that they must be thinking what kind of a Prime minister is this who has placed us in this situation. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle.”. The address was his third outreach over the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed 25 lives in India, in the past fortnight.
It also comes at a time when there are reports of mass migration of poor daily wage workers, to their respective hometowns, from their work locations in major metro cities, giving a serious blow to the lockdown that was announced to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister had announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown in his address on March 24 as part of the government’s stringent efforts to tackle the spread of Covid-19 that has infected nearly 1000 people and killed 25 in India so far. Before that, he had called for a Janta Curfew on March 22, which was in place for 14 hours as people stayed off the roads and public places during this period.
A new fund was announced on Saturday to fight COvID-19 epidemic, called PM-CARES or Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund. “People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India’s war against COVID-19. Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India,” Prime Minister had said on Twitter.
The Prime Minister’s Mann ki Baat radio programme is aired on the last Sunday of every month.
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