‘Janata curfew’ gets stellar response
Several people posted videos and audios of sounds of birds chirping, cuckoos singing on social media
Deserted roads, empty parks and silent neighbourhoods — India saw an unprecedented selfimposed shutdown due to the ‘Janata Curfew’ as millions stayed indoors following the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At 5 pm the silence was broken by the sound of clashing thalis, conches and bells.
The applause was to be a gesture of appreciation for the efforts of the health care providers and all others involved in essential services in this time of crisis.
While essential services were allowed to remain open, cities largely saw milk booths opening for only a brief while even as ration and groceries shops remained closed in most parts of the country. Ambulances, police and media persons were the only things out on the roads.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked people for expressing gratitude towards those who are at the forefront of the battle against Coronavirus. In a series of tweets, PM wrote “The country thanked each person who led the fight against the Coronavirus. Many thanks to the countrymen.”
The Prime Minister added that the event marked the beginning of the nation’s victory in a long battle against the Covid-19 menace. He urged the people to bind themselves to the principle of social distancing with the same resolve and restraint.
On Sunday, several people posted videos and audios of sounds of birds chirping and cuckoos singing. With people and vehicles off roads, some cities even reported peacocks on the road.
From North to South, East to West, India was united and determined in its fight against novel coronavirus. No one defied the self imposed curfew as police stood on empty roads. Delhi woke up to empty streets with people confining themselves to homes after the usual paper reading the morning.
Several ditched morning walk though early risers managed to do that too. However, people were seen doing yoga in balconies.
In view of the Janata curfew, the Delhi Metro had announced closing its services while Rail services were also halted across the country. However, a few buses were seen on roads in Delhi. Several states have already closed their malls, cinema halls, multiplexes, cafes, restaurants and bars. session in
Streets of Kolkata too wore an empty look and public places remained deserted. Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, too was completely deserted as people posted videos of empty Marine Drive. Mumbai’s usually bustling western and eastern express highways and other arterial roads were silent as people stayed in their homes to support the curfew.
The bustling cities of Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, too, were deserted and the streets were eerily quiet, with the silence interrupted every few hours by ‘azaan’ or prayer call from mosques.