Modi: We must enter ’22 with aim to defeat Covid

In his last “Mann ki Baat” of the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said we “have to enter

2022 with the responsibility of defeating

Covid-19” and that the coming year “will be the golden page of building a new India”. Modi also paid rich tributes to Group Capt. Varun Singh of the Indian Air Force, who had succumbed to his injuries sustained during the helicopter crash near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, recently, in which Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife were among those killed.

The PM said due to the people’s collective and everyone’s efforts, India could fight the biggest pandemic in 100 years. “We stood by each other like a family in every difficult moment. To help someone in one’s locality or city... everyone tried to do more than what one could have done,” the PM said.

He lauded the success of the antiCovid vaccination programme, saying: “If we compare the vaccination figures of the world today with those of India, it feels that the country has handled such an unprecedented task... how big a goal has been achieved. Crossing the 140 million vaccine dose mark is an achievement of each and every Indian. This shows the trust of every Indian in the system; shows trust in science and in scientists; and is also a testament to the willpower of we Indians who are fulfilling our responsibilities towards society. But friends, we also have to keep in mind that a new variant of corona has already knocked at the door. Our experience of the last two years is that our own effort as a citizen is very important to defeat this global pandemic.”

MODI SAID due to the people’s collective efforts, India could fight the biggest pandemic in 100 years.