New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 14-hour-long ‘Janta Curfew’ Sunday was just the beginning of a long battle against coronavirus outbreak, as he lauded the people for their overwhelming response to his appeal for self-restriction, saying together the countrymen can defeat any challenge.
He also thanked people for expressing gratitude towards those at the forefront of fight against coronavirus.
“Today’s Janta Curfew may end at 9.00pm, but this does not mean we start celebrating,” he tweeted.
He said that observing the self-imposed curfew should “not be considered as a success” and that “it is the beginning of a long battle.”
“Janta Curfew is beginning of a long battle. Today, the countrymen have proved that they are capable and once they decide they can together take on any challenge,” he said.
In an earlier tweet, he had said the country thanked each person who led the fight against the coronavirus. “Many thanks to the countrymen,” Modi wrote.
He said that with this “resolve and patience, let’s restrict (social distancing) ourselves as part of this long battle.”
The prime minister thanked elderly women of the country for expressing their gratitude to those fighting the deadly virus.
He also tagged a video which shows his mother Heeraben beating a plate in an expression of gratitude to those fighting the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has killed seven people and infected 360 in India.
“With the blessings of crores of mothers like you, the doctors, nurses, medical staff, police personnel, security personnel, sanitation workers and members of the media fighting coronavirus are encouraged,” he wrote.
In his address to the nation on Thursday, Modi had lauded the hard work of medical professionals, sanitation staff, airline crew, home delivery persons and media personnel among others.
Modi had asked people to express gratitude to them by giving a five-minute standing ovation at 5 pm on Sunday by clapping hands, beating plates or ringing bells.
PTI
