SHILLONG: The state capital on Sunday took on the look of a ghost town as inhabitants remained indoors and businesses downed their shutters while vehicles stayed off the road in response to the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 14-hour ‘Janata curfew’ from 7 am and the East Khasi Hill district administration’s 24-hour shutdown that began on Saturday in view of the fast-spreading coronavirus in the country.
The district administration’s shutdown came on the back of a 24-hour closure from Friday midnight to observe awareness on the disease.
The prime minister’s call for the ‘Janata curfew’ was aimed at social distancing to stem the spread of coronavirus, which has so far claimed seven lives in the country. Besides, he had also requested citizens to appreciate the work of those in the forefront of the fight against coronavirus, like the medical fraternity, by creating assorted sounds through clapping and banging on utensils.
As the clock struck 5 in the evening, the appointed hour to acknowledge the contribution of the coronavirus warriors, sound of conch shells blowing and bells ringing besides clapping among others reverberated in the air.
Some people though, made a mockery of the avowed objective of the ‘Janata curfew’ — that of social distancing — by breaking the shackles of the day as it were, to come out in groups and moving shoulder-to-shoulder making the noises of appreciation; in their overenthusiasm, hardly did they realise that they could end up adding to the burden of those they were out to appreciate.
There were some overzealous policemen, too who beat up a few people who had ventured out of their homes in defiance of the curfew and the shutdown in areas like Mawbah; the cops also meted out light punishment to a person in Lumdiengjri. Videos of these incidents were quick to go viral on social media, but there was no response from Meghalaya Police when the matter was taken up with them.
GH solidarity
The sound of thousands of bells, pots and pans and claps across the five districts of Garo Hills broke the eerie silence of the last two days of the government-ordered lockdown as citizens came out onto their balconies, verandas and courtyards to create the sound.
It was an ‘infectious’ display of unity as the first bells began to chime and hundreds of citizens in Tura joined in a show of spontaneity blowing conch shells and car horns, banging pots and pans and sounding and other items to express support.
The widespread eruption of noise extended from Tura bazaar all the way to the far-flung localities of the town including Araimile and Dakopgre, Chandmari, Ringrey, Hawakhana as men and women, including a large number of children, joined in.
Even the Tura police took part by blowing siren and horns of their vehicles just as the clock struck 5 pm.
“We are doing our bit in the fight against corona through this humble gesture and we feel proud to know that everyone has joined in,” said young businessman Sanjay Prasad of Tura market. He, along with his young nieces and nephews, were out on their terrace making use of different items to make the sound.
For pharmacist Suraj Paul it was a break from the last two days of staying indoors. “Coming out and banging drums and utensils felt good at a time when we are all facing a serious health crisis in our country,” revealed Paul.
Similar reports of people coming together to make noise came in from Baghmara, Williamnagar, Ampati, Resubelpara, and other towns.
Medical staff, particularly nurses, also took to making sound in their quarters at different hospitals in the region.