21-DAY LOCKDOWN ‘Lakshman Rekha’ at doorstep

TT, 25.03.20, New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the nation on Tuesday that all of India would be locked down for 21 days starting from midnight, the most sweeping action in the world yet in the drive to check the spread of the coronavirus.

Modi stressed that there was no option but to enforce social distancing.

When the Prime Minister made the announcement at 8pm, most of the country was already in a lockdown but for up to eight days. Now, the entire country has been shut down at least till April 14 midnight.

Officials in Bengal said the guidelines for the lockdown remained unchanged even after the Prime Minister’s announcement of a complete lockdown but it would be enforced with greater vigour now.

Shops selling essential commodities will continue to be exempt, said guidelines issued by the Union home ministry on Tuesday night.

However, there is one crucial difference. Violators of the 21-day lockdown will face jail up to two years and a fine under Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act.

The guidelines notified by the Bengal government on Sunday night had prescribed a maximum punishment of six months in jail or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both under Section 188 of the IPC. The central order also mentions Section 188 of the IPC.

In his second address to the nation over Covid-19 but in a far more graver tone that suggested a sense of urgency, Modi assured the country that essential supplies would be made available.

After the speech, the Prime Minister tweeted: “My fellow citizens, there is absolutely no need to panic. Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. The Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this.”

In his half-an-hour address, Modi appealed to citizens with folded hands not to step out of their homes, underlining that if the viral infection spreads, Hindustan will have to pay a very heavy price.

The Prime Minister also announced an allocation of Rs 15,000 crore to strengthen the health infrastructure to deal with the pandemic.

The severe clampdown, which the Prime Minister said was like a curfew, came on a day the number of Covid-19 positive cases crossed 500 in the country.

“The country is going to take a very important decision. Starting midnight, the whole country will be under complete lockdown,” Modi announced in his address.

“It is like curfew…. Forget about stepping out of your home for the next 21 days. If you cross the Lakshman Rekha, you will invite the virus home,” he added.

“Twenty-one days’ lockdown may seem to be a long time, but this is the only way to ensure everyone is safe. If we don’t handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backwards by 21 years,” he said, folding his hands to appeal to the people.

Citing the case of the developed countries, Modi said they have all the resources but were unable to stop the spread of the virus and used it to stress that a densely populated country like India could be completely crippled in a similar situation.

He said that health experts drawing lessons from the experience of other countries engaged in battling the pandemic had suggested that there was no other option than “social distancing”.

“Some think social distancing is only for patients. That’s not correct. Social distancing is the only way to fight the virus. It is for every citizen, every family, every member, even for the Prime Minister,” Modi said.

He displayed a poster saying “corona means ‘Koi Road Par Na Nikle’ (No one should come out on roads),” to convey the importance of self-isolation in battling the virus.

Modi stressed it was a time to show “dhairya” (patience) and “sankalp” (resolve) in this hour of crisis and hoped India would emerge successful.

Although the Prime Minister announced that the Centre and state governments would ensure essential supplies reached citizens, lack of clarity over relaxation in the curfew led to panic buying by people.