Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against the coronavirus.
In his second address to the nation on the pandemic ragingacross much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modimade a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’ oftheir homes in the next three weeks.
Any negligence in these 21 days will “push the countryand your families back by 21 years”, he said underlining the massivedanger the coronavirus poses.
The experience of countries, which have been able to containthe virus to some extent and experts’ views have made it clear that
social distancing caused by alockdown is the only way to break the cycle of the infection, he said.
This is the only ray of light, heasserted.
“To save India, to saveevery Indian, there will be a complete ban on people from stepping outsidetheir houses from 12 midnight today,” he said.
“Lockdown is being imposedon every state, union territory, district, village, mohalla and street,”he added.
The lockdown will be like”curfew” and more stringent than the ‘janata curfew’, which thecountry had observed on Sunday, he said, adding it will have an economic costbut saving people’s lives is of the paramount interest to his government.
A lockdown in most of the countrywas already in place till March 31, and Modi’s announcement extended iteverywhere and for two more weeks after this month.
Modi folded his hands a few timesto emphasise his request to citizens to adhere to his call, saying it isapplicable to everyone from the prime minister to a citizen in a village.
Even countries like Italy, Franceand the US with world class infrastructure have been left helpless due to thespread of the disease despite their relentless efforts, he said, emphasisingthe gravity of the situation.
Some people suffer from thiswrong mindset that only infected persons need to follow social distancing, hesaid, warning that such a view can endanger lives of others and their families.