India all set for 'Janata Curfew' on Sunday; states in partial lockdown over coronavirus

New Delhi, March 21

The country will be observing an unprecedented shutdown on Sunday following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for a 'Janata Curfew', where people have been urged to voluntarily stay indoors to check the spread of coronavirus. Public transport will be suspended or curtailed, and all markets and shops except those dealing in essential items will be closed on the day.

Cutting across party lines, chief ministers and others leaders urged the people to follow the self-imposed curfew from 7 am to 9 pm, noting that "social distancing" was key to breaking the chain of infection, as the number of coronavirus cases rose to 283 after 60 new cases were detected on Saturday, the highest so far in a day, and states like Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar imposed partial lockdown till month-end.

No passenger train will originate from any railway station in the country from midnight to 10 pm on Sunday while all suburban train services will be reduced to a bare minimum as well. Metro services, including in Delhi, will remain suspended for the day.

Air carriers like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara have announced that they will be curtailing domestic operations on Sunday.

Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that they will keep their establishments shut across the country on Sunday.

From suspending regular prayers involving large gatherings in shrines of various faiths, including Sunday mass, to disallowing jail inmates from meeting their families on the day, organisations and institutions in every sphere have announced restrictions for Sunday.

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Modi had on Thursday called for the 'Janata Curfew' from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, saying no citizen, barring those in essential services, should get out of their houses, and asserted that it will be a litmus test to show India's readiness to take on the coronavirus challenge.

Describing it as the need of the hour, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked everyone in the country to support the step.

In a series of tweets, Shah also asked all citizens to express gratitude to those who are working round the clock to keep the country safe and healthy amid the pandemic.

In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said 50 per cent of the buses will ply on roads on Sunday, considering some people may have to travel due to an emergency.

Autos and taxis will, however, be off roads in the National Capital as several taxi unions have decided to join the 'Janata curfew'.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people of the state to stay indoors on Sunday. "Metro trains, roadways buses and city buses will not operate on Sunday," a statement said on behalf of the chief minister.

Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao cancelled the Sunday mass at all churches in support of the call for the curfew.

In Delhi too, St Peter's Mar Thomas Syrian Church, Patparganj, and Cathedral Church of Redemption in central Delhi have cancelled Sunday mass and all services for the next week, sources said.

Prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh said it will remain closed on March 22 and asked its students not to venture outside.

The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board announced suspension of regular prayers at mosques and shrines affiliated to it in the Kashmir Valley as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister thanked various organisations and business bodies for their efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"Never forget -- precautions not panic!" he said, adding that it is not only important to be home but also remain in the town/ city where you are.

"Unnecessary travels will not help you or others. In these times, every small effort on our part will leave a big impact," Modi said reacting to tweets by people on the virus.

The Prime Minister also shared a video which showed how the virus spreads and ways to check its outbreak.

कोरोना के भय से मेरे बहुत से भाई-बहन जहां रोजी-रोटी कमाते हैं, उन शहरों को छोड़कर अपने गांवों की ओर लौट रहे हैं। भीड़भाड़ में यात्रा करने से इसके फैलने का खतरा बढ़ता है। आप जहां जा रहे हैं, वहां भी यह लोगों के लिए खतरा बनेगा। आपके गांव और परिवार की मुश्किलें भी बढ़ाएगा।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 21, 2020

The Odisha Government on Saturday announced  a "near total" shutdown in five districts and eight other prominent towns for a week.

The Bihar government ordered shutting down of bus services, restaurants and banquet halls across the state till March 31. All schools and malls are already closed in the state.

Authorities have already ordered a shutdown in Maharashtra's major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nagpur.The Akola district administration also ordered a sectoral lockdown between March 22 and 24. PTI

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