Staff Reporter / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that social distancing was the most effective way of fighting against COVID-19 and by complying with the lockdown, people were protecting themselves. Sharing his thoughts in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ Programme of All India Radio today, Mr. Modi said, everyone has to protect themselves and their families and for the next many days, they have to abide by the Lakshman Rekha.
He said, the determination and restraint of each Indian will aid in facing the crisis. Mr Modi said, mankind will have to rise unitedly in the resolve to exterminate this virus which poses a threat to annihilate the human race.
The Prime Minister said, in order to battle Corona in a country of 130 crore people, there was no other option but to go for lockdown. He emphasized that the fight against Corona is between life and death and that is why such strong measures had to be resorted to. Mr Modi said, looking at what the world is going through, this was the only way left. He said, the safety of people has to be ensured. He apologized for any inconvenience or hardship caused to the people.
Mr. Modi said, those breaking the rules during the lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 are playing with their lives. He made it clear that those who do not comply with the lockdown rule should understand that it will be difficult to save ourselves from the scourge of the Corona virus. The Prime Minister said, the world over, many people nursed this delusion and all of them are regretting now.
Mr Narendra Modi said, since the battle against corona is unprecedented as well as challenging, the decisions being taken during this time are unheard of, in world history. The Prime Minister said, the steps being taken by Indians to stop the spread of corona and the efforts being made, will ensure that India conquers the pandemic.
Mr Modi said, our sympathy for the poor should also be far greater. Our humanity stems from the fact that whenever we see a poor or hungry person, we first try and feed them in this time of crisis. He said, we should think of their needs and India can do it as it is part of its values and culture. The Prime Minister cited an adage which means, an illness and its scourge should be nipped in the bud itself. However, when it becomes incurable its treatment is very difficult.
The Prime Minister said, Coronavirus has incarcerated the world and it is posing a challenge to knowledge, science, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak alike. He told that the virus is not confined to any nation’s borders, nor does it make distinction of region or season. Underlining the foremost concern in everyone’s mind across the globe about the catastrophic Coronavirus pandemic, he said this is the reason why he has confined to this issue in this edition of Mann Ki Baat.
Mr Modi extended a heartfelt apology to all countrymen and said he strongly feels from the core of his heart that the people will forgive him because he had to take certain decisions may be resulting in myriad hardships. He specially mentioned the underprivileged brothers and sisters and said, he fully understands what they are going through. Citing another adage, he said good health is the greatest fortune and health is the only way to happiness in the world.
The Prime Minister said, in this war, there are many soldiers who are fighting the Coronavirus, not in the confines of their homes but outside their homes. He said, these are our front line soldiers especially the brothers and sisters on duty as nurses, doctors and paramedical staff. Mr Modi said, these are people who have defeated Coronavirus.
The Prime Minister shared his conversations on phone with some of those engaged in the fight against COVID-19 boosting their zeal, in turn raising his own enthusiasm as well and said he has learnt a lot from them.
First he shared his conversation with an IT professional Ramgampa Teja who recovered from Coronavirus. The Prime Minister said, Ram followed Doctor’s instructions fully when suspected of having Corona and as a result, he is leading a healthy, normal life today.
Mr Modi also spoke to Ashok Kapoor from Agra who alongwith his family suffered due to Coronavirus. The Prime Minister said, we can defeat this pandemic without panicking, following the right steps on time, contacting doctors on time without getting afraid and by taking proper precautions.
In order to highlight how the nation is dealing with this pandemic at the medical level, the Prime Minister spoke to some doctors who are leading the front line in this battle. Dr. Nitesh Gupta from Delhi thanked Prime Minister for the support from government to the hospital and told him that everyone’s mood in his hospital is upbeat. Dr. Borse from Pune shared his experiences with patients recovering from the infection.
The Prime Minister said, all these people are persevering to the best extent possible to chase out this scourge. What they tell us is not just for us to listen to, it is to be practiced in life in the truest spirit. Mr Modi said, the sacrifice, perseverance and dedication of doctors remind him of the touching words of Acharya Charak who had said, the one who strives for his patient’s well being in the spirit of service and compassion, with no desire, monetary or otherwise, is the greatest Doctor.
He saluted the embodiment of humanity, the Nurse. The Prime Minister said, the selfless spirit of service with which they perform their duty is beyond compare. He said, it’s a coincidence that the world is celebrating year 2020 as the International year of the Nurse and Midwife. The year 1820 is associated with the birth of Florence Nightingale who lent a new identity, a new paradigm to the term ‘Service to humanity’ and the field of Nursing, taking it to newer heights.
Mr Modi expressed confidence that the nursing community with its dedication will help save many lives. Mr Modi said, India has been able to fight a battle on such a massive scale, only because of the zeal and grit of the frontline warriors like Doctors, nurses, para medics, Aasha, ANM workers and sanitation workers. He said, the country is concerned about their health also and the government has announced a health insurance cover of upto Rs 50 lakhs for around 20 lakhs colleagues from these fields so that in this battle, they can lead the country with greater self confidence.
Mr Modi said, in the battle against Coronavirus we have many examples of real heroes. He recalled that Sudhaakar Hebbaale Niranjan of Bengaluru has written on the Namo app, that such people are daily life heroes. The Prime Minister said, these are people due to whom our daily life runs smoothly. He said, the small retail storekeeper in the neighbourhood is also taking a great risk in these troubled times to ensure that people do not face any difficulty in buying essential goods.
He also talked about drivers and workers, who are continuing to work ceaselessly, so that the nation’s supply chain of essential goods is not disrupted. Mr Modi said, those working in the banking sector are leading us in this fight. Mr Modi said, many people are engaged with E-commerce companies as delivery personnel are continuing delivering grocery even in these trying times.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the people who are enabling the people to watch uninterrupted television and making digital payments with ease. He requested them to follow all the safety precautions, take care of themselves and their family members. The Prime Minister said, people need to understand that in the current circumstances, we need to ensure social distance, not human or emotional distance.
He said, he was pained to see that some of those who were suspected to have Coronavirus and asked to stay in home quarantine, are being ill-treated by others. These people are not criminals. They are merely suspected to be infected with the virus. These people have isolated and quarantined themselves to protect other people from getting infected. At many places, people have taken their responsibilities very seriously. They have quarantined themselves even when they were asymptomatic. They did so because they had travelled abroad recently and were being doubly cautious. They wanted to ensure that nobody else got infected by this virus. Mr. Modi said, such people need to be shown sympathy and cooperation.
The Prime Minister said, social distancing is the most effective way of fighting against Coronavirus but we need to understand that social distancing does not mean ending social interaction. He said, actually, this is the time to give a new lease of life to all our existing social relationships. In a way, this time teaches us to reduce emotional distance and increase social distance.
He recalled Yashvardhan from Kota who wrote on the Namo app, that they are increasing family bonding during the lockdown. They are playing cricket and boardgames with kids and preparing new dishes. Nirupama Harsheya from Jabalpur wrote on the Namo app, that she finally got an opportunity to fulfil her wish to make a quilt. Pareekshit from Raipur, Aaryaman from Gurugram and Suraj from Jharkhand have discussed about having a e-reunion with their school friends.
Mr Modi said, it may be an interesting idea to talk to school and college mates whom we have not spoken to for decades. He mentioned Pratyush of Bhubaneswar and Vasudha of Kolkata who said that they are reading books that they had not been able to read. Mr Modi said, he also saw on social media, that many people took out musical instruments like Tabla and Veena that were lying unused for years and started practicing on them. He said, in this crisis, people have got a rare opportunity to not only connect with themselves but also with their passion.
Replying to Shashi from Roorkee, who asked asked Mr Modi on the Namo App as to what he does for fitness during the lockdown and how he observes the Navaratri fast in these circumstance, Mr Modi reiterated, that although he has urged the people to avoid stepping out of houses, he has also suggested to take a look inwards. As far as the Navaratri fast is concerned, that is between him and his faith and the supreme power.
Regarding fitness, he said, he will upload some videos on the social media including the Namo app. He said he is not a fitness expert but he can inspire some people. He said, he is not a yoga teacher but merely a practitioner and some yoga asanaas have greatly benefitted him. Mr Modi said, today every Indian is confined to the home to ensure his or her own safety, but in the times to come, the very same Indian will tear down all walls on the road to our progress and take the country forward. He again appealed to the countrymen to stay at home, be careful and safe in order to to win this battle.