Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation, marking his first address since the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. The speech was mainly on the recent India-Pakistan conflict before the ceasefire. He mentioned zero tolerance on terrorism and said that, “Terror, talk and trade can’t go hand in hand- blood and water can’t flow together”, including other crucial points.
Notably, this date coincides with a prior address five years ago, on May 12th, 2020. However, the context of the two addresses stands in stark contrast. The 2020 address focused on critical lockdown measures and economic relief packages during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the recent address comes amidst a different set of national circumstances.
The announcements made on May 12, 2020, were:
Economic Package
Prime Minister announced a special economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore, which stands for almost 10 per cent of India’s GDP, to bolster various sectors impacted by the pandemic. The major focus was on land, labour, liquidity, and law, and to help MSMEs, the working class and the poor.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
PM Modi launched Self-Reliant India Movement (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) and mentioned five pillars for to achieve such as Economy, Infrastructure, System (technology-driven), Vibrant Demography and Demand.
Lockdown 4.0
The announcement of Lockdown 4.0 was a crucial part of the 2020 address. PM stated that Lockdown 4 would begin after May 17, 2020, with new rules and guidelines. He also said that the new phase of lockdown would be different from the previous one.
Opportunity in Crisis
PM in the address of 2020 mentioned how India turned the challenge of COVID-19 into an opportunity. He stated about increased domestic production of PPE Kits and N95 masks and urged citizens to use this crisis to build a stronger, self-reliant nation.