Indian Prime Minister is using a 1969 Woodstock tradition used by rockstars to control the coronavirus chaos

• The Indian Prime Minister urged millions of the country’s people to do something similar from the windows and balcones of their homes on April 5.
  
• This was his second act of mass motivation in the last one month⁠— the first being the Janta Curfew on March 22 where he urged millions of Indians to observe a one-day voluntary lockdown.
  
• The practise began in 1969 at the original Woodstock Festival where Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk saw the hillside light up with thousands of candles in a spontaneous effort by fans.
  
  

Starting from the most recent U2 concert in the outskirts of Mumbai in 2019, and going as far as back fifty years, there would be numerous examples of fans waving flashlights and cigarette lighters at concerts around the world. The Indian Prime Minister urged millions of the country’s people to do something similar from the windows and balconies of their homes on April 5, as a symbol of unity in the fight against the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic.

Here’s an instance where one can see flashlights spontaneously waved in unison by thousands of fans at a concert


He requested people of the country to light candles, torches, and mobile flashlights on balconies or windows for nine minutes on April 5 (Sunday) at 9:00 pm, after switching off all electric lights.

This was his second act of mass motivation in the last one month⁠— the first being the Janta Curfew on March 22 where he urged millions of Indians to observe a one-day voluntary lockdown followed by a congratulatory clapping of hands and banging of utensils in solidarity with those engaged in essential services amidst the spread of the novel coronavirus.



It is not known with certainty as to when the practice of waving lights at concerts began. In 1969, at the original Woodstock Festival, Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk, was performing in the rain when she saw the hillside light up with thousands of candles in a spontaneous effort by fans. The event inspired Melanie to write a song called "Candles in the Rain", the artist revealed in an interview a year later.


Since then, many iconic artists from the Beatles to Bob Dylan to Leonard Cohen to Metallica, used this technique to bring the audience together with the performer— and as time passed, mobile flashlights replaced lighters in the hands of the swaying fans.

The psychology behind lights and sound

“It is a good idea, when you are telling the whole nation to get together, there is a feeling of being a team and brings a sense of harmony and oneness. Even when you look at concerts, singers ask people to flash lights to bring that feeling of being together. But it all depends on how it is implemented – let’s hope people don’t end up bursting firecrackers,” clinical psychologist Dr Pulkit Sharma told Business Insider.

Light is an important symbol and a tool to improve mental health. “In psychology, light is used as a therapeutic mood stabiliser for mood disorder patients. It creates a positive vibe and right now, with all that's happening, there is a need to create a positive sentiment and a sense of togetherness,” Sripriya V, a Chennai-based psychologist, said.

“Lights and sound are different kinds of therapy. Right now, when the fear and anxiety is at its worst, he has chosen light as a factor,” added Namrata Jain, a mental health professional.

There is another aspect to Modi’s initiative. He is trying to forge a feeling of unity and common purpose on Sunday, and by Tuesday, there will be enough data on his table to decide whether to end the lockdown as planned on April 15 or to extend it. “Of course, it could be a sign of things to come. He has been giving initiations from time to time. In this case, he is lighting a torch so that others can follow him,” Jain added.

If Janta Curfew was a precursor to the 21-day lockdown, this show lights may be followed with an even bigger announcement. And just a diktat can’t ensure that a population of a billion-plus people will willingly participate or cooperate with the policy.


“The video message today was clearly intended to be a morale boost to Indians facing hardships due to the Lockdown. There is hopeful optimism around its effectiveness but one would realistically expect an extension to this period in the weeks to come,” Dr Marcus Ranney from Thrive Global India said.

And for someone like Modi, who leads a crowd like few others in politics, and loves doing it, this is just another day at work.

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