Six years ago, on March 24, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a major announcement for the citizens as the government had decided to impose a nationwide lockdown, bringing all affairs to a halt.
The announcement was made as India started to feel the pressure of the novel coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, that was reported to have started spreading from China in 2019.
Memories of empty roads, offices shut
More than their generations, for the first time in their lives, saw empty roads, industries and offices completely shut, crores of migrant workers leaving big cities at once.
Several parts of the country have seen localised curfews in the past, but it was the first time that the entire nation went on a lockdown on March 24, 2020.
The memories of lockdown still linger in the minds of crores of citizens, and as a result, people continue to search for “lockdown in India.”
The lockdown was implemented to contain the spread of the virus, which had already taken a horrific form and turned into a pandemic. It played a significant role in the country’s fight against the deadly virus as thousands died before vaccines were finally developed and administered under a huge drive.
PM Modi draws comparison between West Asia conflict and covid pandemic
The memories of lockdown have also refreshed this March 24, as on Monday, PM Modi was addressing the Lok Sabha on the ongoing West Asia conflict, when he compared the crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global supply chains were disrupted.
While assuring India’s farmers of their protection from war repercussions, PM Modi said, “In the past too, our government did not allow the burden of global crises to fall on the farmers”.
The conflict has also disrupted safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, affecting oil and gas supply. Speaking on the issue, the PM said, “India is accelerating all the resilience-building measures that have been undertaken over the past years”.
He emphasised that India diversified its energy imports from 27 to 41 countries in the past few years for crude oil, LNG, and LPG.
“I wish to assure this House and the nation that India possesses adequate crude oil storage and robust arrangements for continuous and uninterrupted supply,” said PM Modi.