No Trains, Metro, Buses: India Gears up for Sunday’s Janata Curfew
Delhi’s autos and taxis, Mumbai’s Metro One and Karnataka’s restaurants are all suspending services on 22 March.
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Following Prime Minister Modi's address to the nation, in which he called for a 'Janata Curfew' from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday, 22 March, various state governments and national organisations decided to suspend or cut down their services on the day.
Other gatherings, from restaurants and liquor shops, to protest gatherings, also took calls on what they would do on Sunday. Read on to find out how India is preparing for the 'Janata Curfew.'
Public Transport Services Suspended, Unions Extend Support to Curfew
Autos and taxis will be off the roads in the national capital on Sunday, as several unions have extended support to Modi's call. Several unions including the Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh, Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union and Delhi Taxi Tourist Transport Association, have decided to join the curfew, and Modi tweeted an article about the same.
DMRC said that Delhi Metro would suspend its services on Sunday. "The move is aimed at encouraging the public to stay indoors and maintain social distancing, which is essential in the fight against Covid-19," the DRMC tweeted.
Mumbai Metro One has also declared a suspension of operations on 22 March to encourage people to stay at home. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited too announced the closure of services on Sunday, and so did the Chennai Metro Rail Limited.
Meanwhile, bus services in various states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Haryana have also stated that they will not operate on Sunday.
States Shut Shops, Goa to Impose Sec 144
The Karnataka government has also ordered all bars and sit-down restaurants to shut their doors, and only delivery services are allowed to operate, reported The Indian Express. Liquor stores in the state will be shut from Saturday night to Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Goa's health minister announced that Section 144 will be imposed on the state on Sunday, to restrict all movement of citizens. Muzaffarnagar district jail authorities will not let visitors meet inmates on Sunday when 'Janata curfew' will be in force to prevent the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Friday.
The Muzaffarnagar district jail authorities will not let visitors meet inmates on Sunday when the curfew will be in force, officials said, as per PTI reports.
Domestic travel will also cut down further as airlines like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara announced that they will be curtailing domestic operations on Sunday.
Protests to Continue
Civil society group United Against Hate has urged people to protest against the NRC, NPR and CAA at 5 pm on Sunday from their balconies, windows and gates, PTI reported.
The women protesters at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh will also continue with their protest on Sunday.
Support from Across Party Lines and Industries
The Prime Minister's announcement was met with support from leaders of various parties, who pledged to adhere to the curfew and urged others to do the same.
Meanwhile, celebrities from various industries also pledged their support. Bollywood superstars including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher and Shankar Mahadevan urged their followers to adhere to the curfew. Athletes including Virat Kohli and R Ashwin also did the same.
Meanwhile, netizens shared humorous plans for the curfew on Twitter, from stocking up on cutlery to play in their balconies, to stocking up on liquor, and making lists of movies and shows to watch.
Reportedly, the RSS is pushing for members to spend quality time with their families during the shutdowns, prepare meals, do chores etc, as per The Week.
The hashtags 'ISupportJantaCurfew' and 'JantaCurfew' were trending on Saturday.
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