Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for a ‘Janata curfew’, where people have been urged to stay indoors to check the spread of coronavirus, the streets in Guwahati bore a deserted look on Sunday morning.
Both public and private vehicles were off the road with only a few persons seen on the road.
“The outbreak is getting out of control in the world and if we don’t do what we are asked to do, then we will be sorry forever,” said Akhil Das, a grocery shop owner while talking to Northeast Now.
“I will keep my shop closed for the next two days,” he added.
Extending support to the shutdown call, the Indian Railways also suspended rail services from Saturday midnight.
The train services will resume at 10 pm on Sunday.
Air carriers like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara also announced of curtailing domestic operations on Sunday.
Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that they will keep their establishments shut across the country on Sunday.
From suspending regular prayers involving large gatherings in shrines of various faiths, including Sunday mass, to disallowing jail inmates from meeting their families on the day, organisations and institutions in every sphere have announced restrictions for Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Thursday called for the ‘Janata curfew’ from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday.
In his appeal, Modi said no citizen, barring those in essential services, should get out of their houses.