Addressing the 11th Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat 2.0’, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that India’s fight against Corona is people-driven and along with the people, the government and the administration are fighting the pandemic. He said each and every citizen of the country is a soldier in this battle and they are leading the battle. He lauded the resolve of the people as to how at each and every place, people have come forward to help each other.
The Prime Minister said from arranging food for the needy, to supply of rations, compliance of lockdown, from arrangements in hospitals to manufacturing medical equipment indigenously, the entire nation is marching ahead together. He urged people not to get caught in the trap of over-confidence and not harbour a feeling that if corona has not yet reached their city, village, street or office, it is not going to reach now. He stressed ‘Do Gaz doori hai zaroori’ should be our mantra and people should maintain a distance of two yards and keep themselves healthy. He cautioned that, in over-enthusiasm, there should be no negligence at the local level or elsewhere and people always have to remain.
The Prime Minister said many positive changes are organically making their way into the work culture, lifestyle and daily habits of people. The effect that is most visible around is wearing a mask and covering the face. He said, in the changed paradigm due to Corona, masks are becoming a part of the lives of people. He said masks will now become a symbol of cultured society. He also suggested people use a Gamchha or a light towel to cover the face. He also said it had been a part of the bad habits that people would spit anywhere and it presents a serious challenge both to cleanliness and to health. He urged the people to eradicate the spitting habit. He also said it will not only boost the basic hygiene levels but also help in preventing the spread of the Corona infection.
The Prime Minister said the resolve the countrymen displayed during the crisis has led to the beginning of a new transformation in India. He said businesses, offices, educational institutions, and the medical sector in the country are rapidly advancing towards new operational changes. On the technology front, every innovator in the country is coming up with something or the other amid emerging situations. He cited how a special campaign Lifeline Udan has ensured the supply of medicines to every corner of the country and within a short period. Lifeline Udan, clocked a flight distance of three lakh kilometres, delivering over five hundred tons of medical supplies to people in the farthest corners of the country.
In today’s Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister highlighted how the Indian Railways is running more than 100 parcel trains on close to 60 routes to avoid shortage of commodities. PM also said the postal department personnel are playing a critical role in ensuring medical supplies. He praised the efforts of various government departments and banking sector personnel working together as a team.
PM also commended the state governments for playing a very proactive role in dealing with this pandemic. Expressing his deepest regards for the medical services personnel across the country, the Prime Minister said the doctors, nurses, para-medical staff, community health workers and all such personnel who are working round the clock to ensure a Corona-free India. The ordinance provides for stringent punishment for those harassing or injuring or indulging in violence against Corona warriors.
PM Modi also mentioned that the government has come up with a Digital Platform covidwarriors.gov.in. The volunteers of social organizations, representatives of civil society and local administration have been linked with each other through this platform. He appreciated that in a very short time, 1.25 crore people including Doctors, Nurses, ASHA-ANM workers, NCC and NSS cadets, professionals from different fields have become a part of this portal.
The Prime Minister highlighted that during the crisis, India provided medical supplies to the needy across the world in line with its humanitarian responsibility. He said people across the world are paying special attention to the importance of India’s Ayurveda and Yoga and its role in boosting immunity. PM Modi urged people to follow the COVID-19 related protocol to boost immunity by the Ministry of AYUSH. He said it has been our misfortune that we always refuse to acknowledge our own strengths and glorious traditions. He underlined the need for the younger generation to go in for evidence-based research to propagate our traditional principles in scientific language. He said, just as the world has happily accepted Yoga, the world will surely also accept the age-old Ayurvedic principles.
The Prime Minister wished Akshaya Tritiya and asked everyone to give a thought about the preservation of the environment, forests, rivers and the entire ecosystem. PM also urged people to follow the guidelines of the local administration during Ramadan as it is very important to follow the rules of physical distancing in the streets, markets and in mohallas or colonies. The Prime Minister said Corona has changed the manner of celebrating festivals all over the world including India and it has changed the ways of their observance.
