COVID-19 not only physical sickness, calls attention to unhealthy lifestyles, says PM Modi

New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the coronavirus pandemic has drawn people's attention towards unhealthy habits that they used to follow.
"The world is fighting a strong battle against a global pandemic. COVID-19 is not only a physical sickness that is a threat to the lives of people. It also takes our attention to unhealthy lifestyles," he added while addressing the 90th birthday celebrations of Rev Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan in Pathanamthitta, Kerala via video-conference.
"You would be happy to know that powered by our Corona warriors, India is firmly fighting COVID-19. Earlier this year, some people had predicted that the impact of the virus in India would be very severe."
He further stated that country's recovery rate is "rising" and added, "India is much better placed than many other nations."
Talking about the uplift of poor people, the prime minister said, "For the poor, we are bringing one nation-one ration card scheme to help them where they are."
"For the middle class, we have brought a number of initiatives, to boost Ease of Living. For farmers, we have increased the MSP and made sure they get the right price," he added.
"Over 8 crore families have access to smoke-free kitchens. Over one point five crore houses have been made to give shelter to the homeless. India is home to the largest healthcare scheme in the world, Ayushman Bharat," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister further said that the government does not discriminate between faith, gender, caste, creed or language. "We are guided by the desire to empower 130 crore Indians and our guiding light is the Constitution of India," he said.
The Mar Thoma Church has worked to bring a positive difference in the lives of our fellow Indians, the prime minister said.
"They have done so in areas such as healthcare and education. Saint Thomas was blessed with immense wisdom. The Mar Thoma Church played a role in India's freedom struggle. The Church was at the forefront of working towards national integration," Modi told the gathering. (ANI)