Happy Anniversary #JantaCurfew: Indians Humor One Year Of 1st Lockdown Amid Rising COVID Cases

Amid the surge in COVID cases, Indians on Monday marked the one year anniverary of the “mock lockdown” – or “Janta Curfew”, which was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year during a televised address to the nation. Today, Indians complete exactly one year of the “new normal” that brought along working from home, cancelled travel plans and a moratorium on outdoor activities, due to the pandemic.

Last year, India had not even gotten over the Holi festivities when PM Modi announced a day-long "mock lockdown" on 22 March that culminated in the evening with millions of home-bound Indians banging spoons and plates on their balconies to express gratitude to health care workers.

Recalling “Janta Curfew”, the first ever day of a COVID induced nation-wide lockdown, Indians are sharing memes and visuals of the day from last year turning Twitter into a “throwback timeline”.

​Comparing this day last year to today, a lot has changed around the world. Coronavirus, first reported in Wuhan, China back in November 2019, has led to  the death of over 2.7 million people worldwide.

In India, the “lockdown” did not ever really end, once and for all. Although the  government here kept lifting restrictions on public movement officially, several offices, schools and public places still remaindeserted due to the virus scare. Thousands of young people are still studying online, taking virtual exams or working from home.

Festivals and weddings – that make for the pulse of India, are being celebrated amid heavy preventative measures, with fewer than 150 people gathering at one time.

Between 22 March last year and this year, vaccines to fight against Coronavirus have finally been developed by several countries like India, Russia, China, the US and the UK.

But just as virologists had predicted last year, the “second wave” of  the novel pandemic has begun, hitting many countries, including India.

The total number of active Coronavirus cases in India crossed the 11 million mark last week. The government is discussing timely measures to check the spread of the virus once again.

Currently, several state administrations in India have handpicked cities where the contamination rate is higher, and have imposed curfews on Sundays, festivals and the night-time movement of residents.