Let’snotbecomplacent, longbattleahead:modi

MANN KI BAAT Be on guard as curbs are eased, says PM; expresses pain at migrants’ plight

nNEWDELHI: As India opens up after a 68-day lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday the battle against the pandemic is a long one, warned against complacency, and reiterated the need for citizens to adhere to social distancing norms, wear masks and wash their hands regularly.

In his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, Modi also said although every section of the society has been affected by the viral pandemic, the pain felt by the poor cannot be measured in words. The PM’S remarks come in the wake of millions of migrant workers making their way back home during the lockdown, and sustained reports of their economic deprivation, hunger and even deaths.

The PM also emphasised the need for economic self-reliance, sensitivity to the environment, expressed solidarity with those affected by Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha, and placed importance on the power of yoga in building immunity and for good health.

The address was broadcast a day after the Modi government unveiled guidelines for what it termed as Unlock 1.0 — in con