Modi apologises for hardships, says there was no other option

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:30.03.2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he was sorry for the hardships caused by the national lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, but underlined that there was no other option in a “war like” situation to combat the highly infectious disease.

The PM said, “I ask forgiveness from all citizens. And my ‘atma’ says you will definitely forgive me. Some decisions have had to be taken because of which you have to face many types of difficulties. Particularly when I see my poor brothers and sisters and I feel they must be thinking what sort of a Prime Minister (is he) for putting us in these troubles. I ask for their forgiveness in particular. It is possible many people are upset with me… I understand your problems. But India with its 130 crore population has no choice but to take the steps that have been taken. The fight with corona is a fight between life and death and we have to win this battle. That is why these tough steps were necessary. After seeing the rest of the world, it seemed there is no other way to keep you and your families safe.”

Assuring people during his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ that India would win this war against coronavirus, Modi, however, stressed the need for utmost cooperation in strict adherence to the lockdown guidelines as this was the only way to save people and their family members.

Asks survivors to spread awareness

In his Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi interacted with two Covid-19 survivors from Agra and Hyderabad and urged them to spread awareness about the disease. “You can tell them (people) about the plight of your family and how they can prevent that by following rules,” he told Ashok Kapoor, whose whole family was infected, but now has recovered. The PM also spoke to two doctors who shared their experiences in fighting the pandemic.

Modi dedicates entire 36-minute address to the global pandemic

The PM, in his address, where he dedicated the entire 36 minutes to the global pandemic, said,“Stay at home with your family, be careful and safe, we need to win this battle. And, we will win.”

In context of the current lockdown, he rued that some people overstepped the law and broke rules wilfully as they were not “trying to understand the gravity of the matter”.

“I will say to them that if they don’t comply with the lockdown rules, it will be difficult to save ourselves from the scourge of coronavirus. The world over, many people nursed this delusion… all of them are regretting now,” he said.

Taking full responsibility for the unprecedented decision, he proceeded to justify the countrywide shutdown, the first of its kind in modern history, by quoting Charak, the father of Ayurveda, who had said that prevention could nip a disease which, if not taken head on early, could become uncontrollable.

Full report on www.toi.in

‘No stigma attached to Covid-19’

Hyderabad: In his latest episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to two Covid-19 survivors, including Ram Gampa Teja, an IT professional from Hyderabad, who told the PM that quarantine was not a punishment and there was no stigma attached to the disease.

Teja told PM Modi he was scared after he tested positive for coronavirus but felt reassured because of the doctors and hospital staff. “Although I was scared in the beginning, the doctors and nurses at Gandhi Hospital took good care of me and gave me the strength and assurance to overcome the situation,” said Teja. TNN Full report on www.toi.in