Apologies Modi and PR push

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized and apologized to the nations for the foreclosure that caused hardship for citizens, stressing that there was no other option to fight the contagious coronavirus.

Emotional awareness seemed to be an effort to calm the spirits with thousands of migrant workers defying the lockdown and heading to their homes, raising fears of an explosion of viral infections.

I offer my sincere apologies to all the compatriots and I firmly believe that you will forgive me. Some decisions had to be made, causing many difficulties, especially for my poor brothers and sisters, said Modi in his monthly radio address, Mann ki baat.

They (the poor) must be wondering what kind of Prime Minister they have, who pushed them to the brink. I offered them my sincere apologies, added the Prime Minister, making a fervent speech.

Modi said he was fully aware of the suffering of every citizen, but stressed that there was no other option than a lockdown to fight the deadly virus.

I fully understand your concern; I can feel what you’re going through. But to fight the crown in a country of 130 crores like India, there was no other option, he said.

Modi did not directly refer to the scenes of migrants flocking on the roads, desperate to reach their homes. He also did not provide them with a living. He also did not recognize that the foreclosure should have been better planned by the government.

Instead, he tried to instill fear that those who broke the lock would endanger their own lives and those of their family members.

I know that no one wants to go beyond the law and break the rules. But there are some who do, because they don’t try to understand the seriousness of the issue. For them, I would say that if they do not follow the lock rule, it will be difficult to save us, he said.

The fight against the crown is a life between life and death and that is why such strong measures had to be taken, he said.

The Prime Minister said that the virus was intended to wipe out humanity and that it made no distinction between countries or the rich and the poor. He said the challenge was unprecedented and that the measures must also be unprecedented.

Modi incorporated taped telephone conversations with two Covid-19 patients who recovered after treatment, seeking to send the message that people should stay calm and follow the rules even if the virus infects them.

Share it with people, make it viral on social networks. What is going to happen is that people will not be afraid and at the same time, points about adequate care and preventative measures will easily reach people, Modi told Ramgampa Teja, an IT professional, who has recovered.

Modi also spoke to two doctors involved in the treatment of Covid-19 patients. One of the doctors said the country would surely win the battle against the virus and thanked the government for providing all the necessary medical facilities and that there was no shortage of supplies.

This is happening against the backdrop of many doctors and health experts reporting a shortage of basic materials such as protective gear and masks for healthcare professionals to treat Covid-19 patients.

The two recovered patients also said that the isolation services of public hospitals had very good arrangements.

Modi expressed gratitude to all health professionals, calling them frontline warriors.

The Prime Minister spoke of the mistreatment of people who remain at home in self-quarantine due to suspected infection and said it was very painful. It is very unfortunate. We have to understand that in the current circumstances, we have to guarantee social distance, not human or emotional distance. These people are not criminals, he said.

Modi urged people to stay at home. We have to win this battle. And we will win, he said, expressing the hope that by his next radio speech on the last Sunday in April, the crisis would be over.