Seeing a lot of questions, comments, and even jokes about the diya lighting request by the Indian PM on 5th April at 9 pm. Here are some findings and thoughts from me on this topic based on my research so far. Hope all this explains things.
Also, when we light diyas, wherever possible, please use natural sources such as candles or diyas (like the ones we use in our home temple or Diwali). Energy emitted by lamps lit using natural sources has different potency and vibrations than that emitted by artificial sources.
Social & Psychological Significance
Psychological studies show that humans by nature, no matter how introverted or unsocial, start displaying adverse impacts when confined to a closed space with restriction on movement. Psychological impacts include increased anxiety, stress, borderline depression, lowered patience and alertness, more mistakes in day-to-day activities, and so on. The (wrong) feeling that, "I am unable to connect to other people outside my house" further aggravates these conditions. In foreign countries and even in India at smaller levels, we can connect with family and friends using social media, video calls, phone calls, etc. but if we have to connect with each other on such a massive scale as all of India connecting with everyone else at the same time, then even the best of companies have not yet developed a technology which can make this happen. Lighting lamps while maintaining the laws of social distancing can therefore, be an effective way for us to (re)connect with each other and stay in good mental health.
Security Significance
This is straightforward. If everyone who supports the lockdown, India's progress, and wishes that COVID-19 disappears from India participates in this 9 minute activitiy from the safety of their homes, it will be easy to help decide how to remove the lockdown, and where to beef up security post 15th April.
Scientific & Spiritual Significance
Yoga Vashishta, chapter 6: Application of the principle of collective consciousness in a society strengthens and healds the ACE2 receptors which are responsible for viruses entering our system. To put in layman's terms, the positive energy created by 1 billion+ people by lighting a diya or candle with the sankalpa (resolution) that we will not let this illness affect us, individually as well as collectively as a society will act as a catalyst in building our immunity towards the disease. Here is a quick 1-minute video from a former chairman of the IMA and Padma Shri awardee explaining this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eXLpDz59gI
Political Significance
It is no secret that there are forces both within and outside the country who want to destroy India by creating a sense of fear, panic, spreading lies, hate, and division in the nation. This is the time when the citizens need to be more united than ever. Not only that, we need to show our unity, to each other and to those who have been tasked with leading the country. We have to keep boosting our own morale and the morale of friends and neighbors. So, use this opportunity to connect with the leader and tell him you are with him every step of this battle against COVID-19 ... and terrorism too.
Footnote -
There are some very "wise" people who are calling this a shallow feel good act, voodoo, and all other kinds of nonsense. We are not being asked to stop taking medicines or other medical treatment. Even under normal circumstances, we regularly leverage help and guidance from nature and the gods by visiting places of workship, observing fasts, eating dahi before going for exam, wearing kumkum after taking a bath, and what not. This method of lighting diyas does not cost any money or special efforts from any of us. Just take 9 minutes of our time at the same time across the country to stop, pause, be quiet, mindful, and build collective consciousness with one sixth of the world's population. Has our education, money, and modernity made us so arrogant that we can't uphold one simple request? I sincerely hope not.
