Even as there were over 3,500 coronavirus cases on Sunday and the death count reached 83, India overwhelmingly responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call on Sunday night. Right at 9 p.m., Indians switched off lights and lit candles or flashed mobile torches for nine minutes to express solidarity with "Corona warriors".
From metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai to tier two cities like Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior or Karnataka's Mysuru, people rose above their political inclination to respond to PM Modi's call and project a united front.
In the national capital, Prime Minister Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind lit divas. The PM in fact posted his photos along with a Sanskrit shloka. BJP President J.P. Nadda lit candles along with his entire family. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi released a video holding a candle in hand.
Modi's mother Hira Ba too took part in this exercise.
Even senior police personnel like Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh were seen lighting divas along with his family. Among business leaders, Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeted a photo, holding a candle. She said: "Lit the flame of unity for universal fight against COVID-19." Diplomats like Maya Kadosh, Israel's Deputy Chief of Mission, posted a video too.
However, it is the common men and women who led this initiative, regardless of their views on Modi and his policies. In housing societies, apartment balconies, residences, slum clusters, "normal Indians showed they care for those who care for them -- doctors, nurses, and police personnel.
India, like most nations, is manoeuvering through a very delicate time with the nation of 133 crores on a 21-day-long nationwide shutdown, affecting supply of essential goods as well as people's morale. While various sectors of the economy, especially hospitality and manufacturing industry, have already taken a beating, those who haven't faced the economic ramifications are overwhelmed with the idea of working from home, often resulting in domestic confrontations, or wors, as per as claimed by the National Commission for Women. However, in this hour of absolute crisis, the Prime Minister and his message seems to have worked well in containing the disgruntlement of people facing hardships who end up rallying around him, including those who have not necessarily voted for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On Friday morning, PM Modi shared a short video clip, as announced by him earlier on Thursday, urging all to light diyas or candles or even flash flights in their balconies or outside their main gate, as a mark of respect to the Corona Warriors.
"I request all of of you to switch off all the lights of your house on 5 April at 9 PM for 9 minutes, and just light a candle, 'diya', or mobile's flashlight, to mark our fight against coronavirus," he said.
While it was dismissed as unnecessary by many and a diversionby the opposition, its emotional appeal rallied many Indians together immediately. A new hashtag - 9 baje 9 minute started to trend on Twitter almost immediately. And on Sunday, common people went to their balconies to light candles, as a symbolic move.
SC stays Calcutta HC’s order cancelling school jobs; rebukes Bengal govt for alleged recruitment scam
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Calcutta High Court order, which cancelled 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts in the state-run schools made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.
Landslides hit train services in few NE states, affects supply of essentials, fuels
Movement of passengers and transport of goods, including essentials, has been affected in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur for the past two weeks, due to the restricted movement of trains in the region, officials said on Tuesday.
With voting in four seats in Assam, polling complete in all 25 LS seats in NE
With the completion of polling in four Lok Sabha seats in Assam on Tuesday, elections in all the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the eight northeastern have been completed now.
Have 'irrefutable evidence' of India's involvement in recent targeted killings, claims Pakistan
Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, said on Tuesday that Pakistan has "irrefutable evidence" of India's involvement in the recent targeted killings of various individuals in the country.
Work to form multi-polar world order will continue, says Putin after beginning fifth presidential term
The 71-year-old leader was quick to add that the conversation - including on issues of security and strategic stability - is possible "only on equal terms, respecting each other's interests" and "not from a position of strength".
J&K: Top terrorist commander among 2 killed in Kulgam encounter
A top commander of the banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba’s frontal organisation The Resistance Front (TRF) was killed along with another terrorist in an encounter with the security forces in J&K’s Kulgam district.
No relief for CM Kejriwal, SC likely to hear case on May 9
The Supreme Court bench, which initially decided to pronounce its judgement on Tuesday on the interim bail plea of incarcerated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, will most likely take up the matter again on May 9 or the next week.
'Those on bail are batting for Muslim reservation', PM Modi’s fierce counter to Lalu’s quota pitch
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tore into Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for making a fresh quota pitch for Muslims, saying the INDI Alliance cannot see beyond ‘appeasement’.