Janata Curfew: PM Modi's Clarion Call, A Resounding Success

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to the nation to observe Sunday March 22 as a day of Janata curfew, proved to be a resounding success across the country. The Prime Minister gave this call to prepare citizens for a period of restraint, self-discipline and social distancing in the battle against COVID-19.

COVID-19 has so far affected close to 400 people and has claimed 7 lives.

The entire nation came together to observe Janata curfew voluntarily. At 5 pm, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal, people across states in various cities, towns and villages in the country came on to their balconies, terraces and rooftops, to clap, blow conches, sound bells and clang plates as an expression of gratitude to essential service providers.

Television channels played out scenes of celebrities in different parts of the country, Bollywood superstars, top politicians across parties, standing in unison with slum-dwellers and residents of apartment complexes across cities to applaud the services of doctors, firefighters, paramedical staff, journalists and other essential service providers.

By evening, 13 states and 80 districts in the country were under lockdown as declared by the Union government. All passenger trains stood cancelled. International flights to many states stood suspended.

Traffic on roads in many states and on interstate highways came to a grinding halt on Sunday as the lockdown came into force. Commuting on intra-city services also got snapped as most cities took buses off the roads and suspended the services of metro and local/suburban trains. Most states announced that only vehicles carrying essential goods will be let into their territories.