When on March 22, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Janta Curfew, which was to start from March 24, who knew that it was going to be one of the world's most stringent lockdowns. This was India's stand against Coronavirus, staying indoors, staying safe. Not a soul was seen on the desolate street and silence engulfed the nation, it was unlike anything we have ever seen. We were still in phase II, which is local transmission,and it seemed like a good move until things got out of hand.
Domestic abuse cases were on the rise; migrant labourers decided to undertake the long walk home from cities, where they were left jobless, back to their villages; employees were laid off and mental health was in tatters. The lockdown surely delayed the onset of the virus, but couldn't stop it from engulfing all of us eventually. Now, lockdowns are being declared again though the vaccine rollout is in full swing. Will Janta Curfew be declared again too?
Acceptance and resignation
The 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 is considered one of the darkest in India's modern history because of the emergency that was declared by the then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi. And on March 22, 1977 the Iron Lady of India resigned from her post as Prime Minister saying, “the collective judgment of the electorate must be respected.”
