COVID-19 has taught us self-reliance: PM Modi tells panchayat members

The biggest lesson the COVID-19 pandemic has taught India is to become self-reliant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (April 24) said while interacting with gram panchayat members via video conferencing on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day.

Praising the village leaders for translating social distancing into the simple phrase of Do Gaz Ki Doori (maintaining distance of two yards) for the better understanding of villagers, he said it is rural parts of the country that have handled the crisis effectively than the urban areas.

“The biggest lesson COVID-19 has taught us is to become self-reliant,” Modi said, underlining that it is now imperative that villages also become self-reliant for their basic needs.

Modi said the coronavirus pandemic has thrown up new challenges which the country never faced before, but it also made people learn new things.

Applauding people for observing lockdown rules, the prime minister said it is because of them, the entire world today is talking about how India has responded to COVID-19 crisis.
Despite limited resources amid the coronavirus crisis, citizens are taking on this challenge instead of succumbing to difficulties, he said.

Modi also spoke about the work of his government in making broadband connections available to villages to help them connected with the rest of the world.

(With inputs from agencies)