New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the ongoing migrant crisis Sunday and said while no section of India remained untouched by the Covid pandemic, the poor, the labourers and the migrants have been the worst hit.
Modi was speaking during his monthly radio programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat’, which coincided with the last day of the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, as the government has announced a phased exit, calling in ‘Unlock 1.0’.
The focus of ‘Unlock 1.0’ is on relaxing more restrictions.
“There is no section in our country that is not in difficulty, not in trouble, and if one has been most affected then it is the poor, labourers and the migrants. It is not possible to convey their ordeal, pain and suffering in words,” said PM Modi.
With a large part of the economy now opened up, Modi also stressed on the need to be more vigilant and urged people to follow all safety norms, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
He made a special mention of Yoga and Ayurveda as he said people from “Hollywood to Haridwar” are realising the real potential of these during this time of crisis.
LIVE: PM Shri @narendramodi‘s #MannKiBaat. https://t.co/z1kR0vsrEr
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 31, 2020
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‘In the pain of migrants, we see the pain of eastern India’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address comes a day after the first anniversary of the NDA government. The PM mentioned eastern India specifically in his address as he said: “Today, in the pain of our migrants we can see the pain of eastern India. It is very important to carry out development in that region. That part of the country can work as the growth engine of India.”
Modi said it is important to devise a new solution keeping the migrant labourers in mind. “We are taking steps in that direction — whether it is the establishment of a migrant commission, carrying out skill-mapping, or the recent decisions taken by the central government that have opened up a huge possibilities of village employment, and small-scale industry.”
He said a lot of problems would not have been encountered had the villages and towns of India been ‘atmanirbhar (self-reliant)’.
However, he added, the country is trying its best to ease their problems and suffering and is also promoting “vocal for local” and ensuring the focus is on ‘Make in India’.
‘India is in a better situation’
“Last time when I spoke to you through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, passenger train services, buses, and flights had come to a complete standstill. But now a lot has changed as Shramik special trains are working, other special trains have also started. Our flights have also started with a lot of precautions and industry too is slowly returning to normalcy. With the opening up of a major segment of the economy it becomes all the more important to be alert and follow all rules,” Modi said.
Modi congratulated Indians in their efforts to combat Covid-19 and said it is because of the collective efforts of the people and the government that India is in a better situation.
“It is through collective efforts that the war against coronavirus has been fought. When we look at the other countries, we can experience the magnitude of our achievements. Our populations are many times more than other countries, and challenges are different but still we didn’t let the infection spread so rapidly as in other countries. Our fatalities are also low.”
The PM also praised the efforts of the Railways, state government and other government organisations for safely transporting lakhs of labourers in trains, arranging for their food, quarantine facilities, testing and check-ups.
Praising the efforts of railway personnel, Modi said: “Our railway personnel have been toiling day and night. From the Centre, states, to local authorities, everyone has been working hard. The way our railway personnel are carrying out this work persistently; they too are the frontline Corona warriors”.
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‘Fight against Covid-19 is people-driven’
The PM also mentioned the work done by the women self-help groups and innovations by a number of people and said India’s fight against Covid-19 is people-driven and the country’s ‘seva shakti’ is visible in this crisis.
He also stressed on the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign of the government, pointing out that it can take the country to greater heights. He said during this time of crisis people are also realising the real potential of Yoga and Ayurveda.
“During the coronavirus pandemic, I got a chance to speak to many world leaders who expressed a great interest in Yoga and Ayurveda. At the same time, some leaders also enquired how Yoga and Ayurveda can help in these times. People are becoming a lot more health conscious as Yoga is getting associated with their lives. During the coronavirus crisis too, from Hollywood to Haridwar, people are paying serious attention to Yoga while being at home. Many are even taking online classes or even learning it through videos,” he said.
“I strongly believe that the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign can take the country to greater heights. Ayush ministry has also carried out a unique experiment to increase the practice of yoga in our life. I request all of you to take part in an international video blog competition and through this be part of the ‘International Yoga Day,” he said.
PM Modi also highlighted the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the government as he said a few days ago the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat crossed over 1 crore. “If the poor people had to pay for the treatment in hospitals then it would have cost them Rs 14000 crore cumulatively. But Ayushman Bharat has saved the money of the poor people. And our honest taxpayers whose money also goes in this are also a part of this ‘punya’,” Modi said.
Modi also mentioned how the eastern part of India including West Bengal and Orissa are facing natural calamity caused by cyclones while other parts of the country have been hit by locust attack. “It is such attacks which remind us how much damage a small insect can cause,” Modi said.
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