New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across the nation as a means to combat coronavirus.
PM Modi said that this nation-wide lockdown will last for 21 days. He stressed on the importance of this lockdown and spoke of the consequences that India could bear if the virus is not kept under control for the next 21 days.
“For the next 21 days, the entire country will go into lockdown. It is of utmost importance that India stops the spread of this virus in the next 21 days or else the nation will get pushed back 21 years, many families will be devastated forever,” PM Modi said.
He congratulated people for the success of the Janata Curfew, on March 22, but said that what the coming few weeks are crucial.
“Today India is at the stage where our actions today, will decide that to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve again and again,” the Prime Minister said.
He added, “The state governments have also put lockdowns in their states. Please take this very seriously.”
“You have to remember that a Coronavirus infected person initially appears to be normal and doesn’t show symptoms. So maintain precautions and stay at home,” he further requested. “In these testing times please do not take any medicine unless prescribed.”
“Twenty-one days is a long time, but it is important to keep you and your family healthy. I am absolutely sure that every Indian will come out with this lockdown victorious,” PM Modi said.
He said, “I am certain that the private sector stands with every citizen of the country in these challenging times. Have requested State governments that their priority has to be healthcare alone. Centre will allocate Rs 15,000 crore to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in the country”
The Prime Minister said, “We are working on the directions of WHO and taken many decisions. The Centre is doing what it can to strengthen the healthcare system in the country. Whatever is required to save lives will be given top priority. This hour of crisis has also affected the poor people. The entire state machinery is working to minimize the impact of this pandemic on poor people. All efforts are being made and will be made to ensure you get what is essential.”
He said, “Central and state governments are working at a fast pace to ensure that people don’t face inconvenience. Think and pray for the police personnel who are on duty 24×7 to keep you and your families safe. Think of people in the media who are working 24×7 to keep you informed.”
Earlier, PM Modi lauded the media for its praise worthy role in disseminating information about the Coronavirus to every nook and cranny of the country.
He called on the media to generate awareness about importance of social distancing to tackle the spread of Coronavirus.
In an interaction with over twenty journalists and stakeholders from print media from all over the country via video conference, the Prime Minister said that media has played a praise-worthy role in disseminating information to every nook and cranny of this nation.
He said that the network of media is pan-India and spread across cities and villages. This makes the media all the more significant in fighting this challenge and spreading correct information about it at micro level.
Modi said that newspapers carry tremendous credibility and the local page of a region is widely read by people. ‘It is, therefore, imperative that awareness about coronavirus is spread through articles published in this page. It is essential to inform people about where the testing centres are, who should get tested, whom to contact to get tested and follow home isolation protocols. This information should be shared in newspapers and web portals of the paper, the Prime Minister said. He also suggested that information like location of availability of essential items during lockdown can also be shared in the regional pages,’ the PM said.
Prime Minister asked the media to act as a link between government and people, and provide continuous feedback, at both national and regional level.
He underlined the importance of social distancing, asking media to generate awareness about its importance, inform people about the lockdown decision by states, and also highlight the impact of spread of the virus, through inclusion of international data and case studies about other countries in the papers.
Underlining that it is imperative to keep the fighting spirit of the people up; PM emphasized that it was important to tackle the spread of pessimism, negativity and rumour mongering.
‘Citizens need to be assured that the government is committed to countering the impact of COVID-19,’he said.
The journalists joined the interaction from fourteen locations and consisted of both national and regional media, representing eleven different languages.
The journalists and stakeholders from Print Media appreciated the role played by the Prime Minister in communicating effectively and leading the country from the front.
They said that they will work on the suggestions of the Prime Minister to publish inspiring and positive stories.
They also thanked him for reinforcing the credibility of print media and noted that the entire nation has followed his message of coming together to face this grave challenge.
Prime Minister thanked the participants for the feedback and reminded them of the social responsibility towards the less privileged. He said it is critical to improve social cohesion to safeguard our national security.
The Health Secretary thanked the journalists for preventing the spread of panic through sharing information about proactive, preemptive and graded response of the Government.
She appealed to the print media to prevent the spread of misinformation in this hour of crisis.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry and I and B Secretary also participated in the interaction. (With Inputs From Agencies)
