Shed vaccine hesitancy, do not believe in rumours: PM Modi to people

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio broadcast on Sunday made an emotional pitch against hesitancy towards vaccines against the coronavirus.

He laced his public appeal against the vaccine-hesitancy and apprehensions by recounting the prophylactic merit of inoculation against Covid disease.

He lent substance to his appeal by citing empirical evidence of him and his mother, each availing both the prescribed dosages of the vaccines.

Interacting with a tribal of a village in Maharashtra, he urged the public to have trust in country scientists who have developed the vaccines. They should not pay heed to fear mongers, he said.

“You know very wellhellip;I’ve myself been vaccinated with both doses,” Modi said.

“… And my mother is close to a hundred years of agehellip;she too has taken both doses!”

“At times, some people develop fever on account of thishellip;but it’s very minor; just for a few hourshellip;See, not getting vaccinated can prove dangerous.”

He cautioned not to let the guard drop against Covid-19, saying they mutate in a number of ways like con artist and come via stealth.

Lauding the world’s biggest vaccination drive of the Union government, he said that on the launch of the next phase of vaccination campaign on June 21, 86 lakh people were administered vaccine free of cost on a single day. It manifests the country’s strength, he said.

He said over 31 crore people have got themselves vaccinated so far.

Modi mentioned Weyan village in Bandipora district in Kashmir which has achieved 100 per cent vaccination of the populace above the age of 18 years.

Extolling many who have contributed in the fight against the pandemic, he appreciated Taroq Ahmad Patloo of Srinagar, who was infected with corona, and has now converted his houseboat in Dal Lake into an ambulance.

Modi stressed on the need for conservation of rainwater.

He cited Uttarakhand’s Satchidanand Bharti of Pauri Garhwal village for his public spiritedness on this front.

Bharti, a teacher, has created more than thirty thousand water tanks due to which the huge water crisis in the Ufrainkhal area of ​​Pauri Garhwal has come to an end.

Modi lauded Tamil language, saying it is the world’s first language and was proud that it is of India.

He referred to the forthcoming National Doctors’ Day and National Chartered Accountants’ Day on July 1.

Mentioning about the coming Independence Day, he urged people to associate with the ongoing “Amrut Mahotsav” to commemorate the 75th year of country’s Independence.