NEW DELHI, April 3 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country�s �collective resolve� to defeat coronavirus.
In a video message of over 11 minutes, Modi also asked people to maintain the �Lakshman Rekha� of social distancing by staying indoors and not getting together in groups during the exercise.
This message was apparently aimed at ensuring that there is no repeat of March 22 evening when people assembled in large numbers in many parts of the country to ring bells or bang utensils to show their gratitude to those working on the frontlines during the crisis.
The Prime Minister told the nation that many people must have felt alone being at home during the ongoing lockdown but they must realise that the collective strength of 130 crore Indians is with each one of them.
It is required for the country�s people to experience the �greatness, majesty and divinity� of this shared strength and resolve from time to time, he said.
Once people everywhere light up lamps or display flashlights of their mobile phones at their doorsteps or balconies after turning off the lights at home, it will emerge in this �superpower� of brightness that �we are all fighting with a collective resolve�.
�In that brightness we should resolve that we are not alone. Nobody is alone,� Modi said.
He again emphasised the need to maintain social distancing, saying this is a sure-shot solution to prevent the pandemic. � PTI
