Light candle, diya, torch, mobile flash for 9 minutes on April 5 at 9 pm to dispel coronavirus covid-19 darkness: PM Modi’s appeal to India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his video message on Friday (April 3, 2020) appreciated the discipline and patience shown by 130 crore Indians and said that ”you are not alone in this fight against coronavirus COVID-19.”

Speaking about the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, PM Modi began his video message by saying, “Today when crores of people are inside homes, then some of us may think how will they fight this battle against COVID-19 alone. Such questions might come up in your mind? But please remember, none of us is alone. The strength of 130 crores of Indians is with each one of us.”

PM Modi said, “We have to move towards the light from the darkness created by coronavirus.” He asked people on Sunday (April 5) to switch the lights in their homes and light a candle, diya, flashlight or their mobile phone torches at 9 pm for nine minutes in solidarity with each other.  

This was PM Modi’s third address to the nation in as past two-three weeks. In his first address on March 19, PM Modi had announced the Janata curfew, a 14-hour self imposed isolation. On March 24, he had announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown which became effective from midnight of March 25 to April 14.

Earlier he had tweeted, “In a short while from now, at 9 AM,  will be sharing a video message for the people of India. Do watch.”

On Thursday, PM Modi interacted with the Chief Ministers of all the states and reminded them that the situation is far from satisfactory around the world and that should brace itself for the second wave of coronavirus cases.

PM Modi asked the states to work on a war footing, identify hotspots in their states, encircle them and ensure that the infection does not spread out. He informed the CMs to focus on COVID-19 containment measures — testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine — with a common goal of ensuring minimum loss of life.

India has reported as many as 2069 cases of coronavirus, with 156 cured and 53 deaths till Friday morning. 

(With agency inputs)