A crisis exposes a society’s strength and weaknesses. The ongoing pandemic, which has led to a myriad of crises, has revealed the various facets of mankind, some dark and many encouraging and inspiring.
A common impact of the virus outbreak is food insecurity, especially among the poor in cities and towns and the landless rural populace. Besides State authorities, the solution to the problem has come from common citizens, regular organisations, faceless individuals and sensitive entrepreneurs. In Meghalaya too, several Good Samaritans have kept hope alive.
Many groups in Garo Hills, which is far from the seat of power and cut off from both Shillong and parts of Assam due to the ongoing lockdown, have come forward to help distressed residents in their own capacity, distributing food, both cooked and raw materials, masks, sanitisers and water.
Religious organisations like churches are utilising their access to remote areas to help villagers with food and other items. Fr Sunny Joseph Mavelil of Bakdil, a Tura-based social organisation under the Garo Catholic Church, said as the first step, an awareness programme on corona virus and preventive measures was mobilised.
“We make villagers understand the directives of the government on social distancing and sanitising and importance of following them to stay safe,” said Fr Sunny.
Sources said many villages have not received essential items dispatched by the government and it is the NGOs and small groups which have come as saviours. Members of Bakdil are also travelling to remote areas with essential food grain.
“In many places, people have got money from selling areca nut but they do not have food to buy because of the sudden lockdown. We got permission from the district administration (to sell food grain). We are ensuring uninterrupted supply as this is the agriculture season and if the villagers do not work in their fields now, they will be miserable after six months,” said Fr Sunny.
Keeping the uncertainty in mind, Bakdil is advising people to ration food because a “persistent lockdown even in Assam will put pressure on the citizens of the state”. It is also asking cash crop growers to opt for food crops this season for sustainability.
Bakdil has offered its existing infrastructure, like the five primary health centres, to the government for use as isolation wards and quarantine centres for doctors and nurses.
The Garo Catholic Church in Tura has informed all its institutions to cooperate with the government in relief works. Fr CJ Jose, the auxiliary bishop, listed the initiatives of the church, which has 45 parishes in Garo Hills.
The church members are stitching masks, distributing sanitisers and food kits in all the five districts. “Many parishes have up to 100 villages under them. So whenever members hear (about any village in distress), they reach out to the locals. It is a continuing process,” said Fr Jose.
The church has donated Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh to the CM and Prime Minister’s relief funds, respectively.
The women’s wing of the Garo Baptist Convention, which has 17 associations, has also taken up various initiatives to help people during lockdown. “The organisation distributes rice and other items among the needy in various parts of Garo Hills. I have asked all members to stitch masks,” said Bonjera A Sangma, the director of the women’s wing.
Rikman Hotel in Tura is doing its bit to ease the problems of the poor in the town and the adjoining areas. The hotel is supplying cooked food “whenever there is a requirement” in areas like Sasatgre, Sangjanpara, Chilbakgre and Mandalgre, said owner Ronald Rikman Sangma.
The hotel is also distributing rice, dal and dry fish. So far, more than 70 households have benefited from the services.
In view of the prevailing scarcity of masks, many institutions and individuals have come forward for a stitch in time. For instance, the Montford Centre of Education in Tura is making masks. It has already distributed 700 masks and has a target of 1,500, said Br KJ Jose of the Centre.
The education centre is distributing groceries too among the poor in West Garo Hills district.
A post on the Facebook page of the West Garo Hills district administration says, “Don Bosco family of Garo Hills donated 850 nos of hand stitched masks for ASHAs (ASHA workers) in the district.”
Congress leader from Tura Beryl Sangma, who is stranded in Shillong, is utilising his time by stitching masks. “My daughter is also helping me. We are directly distributing to children in the locality when we see them playing on the streets. We also educate them about coronavirus and safety protocols,” he said.
Many self-help groups in the districts are also contributing in making and distributing masks.
These contributions are besides the donations by various institutions and churches for fighting the pandemic. It is this sense of solidarity and spirit of philanthropy that have strengthened the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and made this critical situation less worrisome.
~ NM
Photo from various sources