Marking the first anniversary of his second successive full majority government at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter addressed to all Indians, reminded them not only of the bold decisions taken by his government in the last year, but, in a reference to the raging COVID-19 pandemic, exhorted them to “remember that the present and future of 130 crore will never be dictated by an adversity”.
“We will decide our present and future,” Mr. Modi said.
He recapped the many decisions taken by his second successive government in its first year, describing the vote as one for continuity of the work his government had done between 2014-19 and squarely addressed the way his government was handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Modi said when the pandemic broke, everyone assumed that India would flounder in its handling.
But, Mr. Modi said the country displayed its unity and resolve in all spheres in dealing with the disease outbreak.
“In a crisis of this magnitude, it can certainly not be claimed that no one suffered any inconvenience or discomfort. Our labourers, migrant workers, artisans and craftsmen in small scale industries, hawkers and such fellow countrymen have undergone tremendous suffering,” he wrote.
“However, we have to take care to ensure that inconveniences that we are facing do not turn into disasters. Hence it is very important for every Indian to follow rules and guidelines. We have displayed patience so far and we should continue to do so,” he wrote a day before Lockdown 4.0 is to end