Early warning

Sir — Speaking at a TED talk in 2015, in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak, Bill Gates had suggested that if anything kills a large number of people in the future, it is “most likely to be a highly infectious virus”. But the nation has already plunged into darkness in more ways than one as reports of the application of excessive force on people found to be disobeying lockdown directives have emerged from different parts of the country. Modi should have issued orders for more effective lockdown measures and asked people to cultivate a scientific temperament and follow the recommendations of healthcare service providers. India is a densely populated country and lacks an adequate number of doctors, nurses, paramedic staff and other healthcare professionals. Sir — Yet again, Narendra Modi came up another meaningless gesture which had led some people to believe that switching off lights for nine minutes on Sunday will help combat the threat of the coronavirus. It is unfortunate that this comes at a time when doctors in our country are facing immense difficulties in treating Covid-19 patients owing to a shortage of PPE and scarcity of testing kits. They rightly urged the government to focus on helping the poor amid the coronavirus pandemic, many of whom do not have a roof above their heads nor the money to feed themselves and their families. Sir — The prime minister’s request that saw citizens switch off electricity and light lamps and candles last Sunday must be lauded. The importance of this move lay in the display of the collective strength of the people and conveyed the message that if we stand united we can defeat this deadly virus. This initiative must be praised, as it will greatly relieve parents and guardians struggling to find good ways to keep children engaged in this tough time of isolation and social distancing.