SHILLONG: In playing an auxiliary role towards fighting Covid pandemic, most dorbars have a familiar story to tell. Perhaps, in certain ways, the Dorbar Shnong of Golf-links is on a different street.
As in other dorbars, here too there is no dedicated quarantine centre and to add to its woes the state of the community hall beggars description. And yet, there is a big load of returnees who require the Shnong’s hawk eyed attention.
Not just that. Golf-links Dorbar Shnong, which has a mixed population of 10,000, has been working with a heart. They are not content to dole out what is coming through official channels, they pull in their own resources to assist those in need who are financially struggling.
A core committee formed for the purpose not only gives time and attention (from 9 am to 7 pm daily), but hearteningly they have raised donations among themselves for extending financial support to those who are struggling to have two square meals.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, headman of Golf-links, Michael Hek expressed concern that the shnong has no quarantine centre, the returnees have been housed under institutional quarantine outside Golflinks such as in Rympei ki Paidbah in Pynthorbah, Hotel Assembly and the far way NEHU.
“The community hall is not enough. The schools in the shnong do not have proper facilities be it space or toilet. We want to give better facilities to our people here in the shnong but most of the institutions have been taken by the government. I wonder how the government took these schools that are still lacking in basic facilities.” he said.
Three of the educational institutions under Golf-links have been under government possession. There are 124 persons under home quarantine and four under institutional quarantine. There are 73 returnees who have come from Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam and other places.
Secretary of the dorbar shnong, Jacob Myrten said that those under home quarantine are being supported with essential items. The dorbar shnong members would be in the office from 9 am to 7 pm. The committee members have expressed concern that there is a communication gap between the dorbar shnong and state government with regard to obtaining before-hand information on the returnees.
Though there are hindrances in serving the people while handling Covid-related issues, the dorbar shnong of Golf-links has made it a point to help people in need and even those from outside Golf-links.
The Covid-19 committee of the shnong has also helped members of different communities financially. During the lockdown, the shnong has given one-time financial assistance to ASHA and Anganwadi workers who have been attending to the returnees.
Besides, the committee has extended financial support to four stranded students from Garo Hills who were caught high and dry due to lockdown.
Similarly, the taxi drivers in the locality, who have no income, have also been provided with cash support.
Though faced with financial constraints, the core committee members said, “It is only during such times that we get to help them. In all, we have contributed about Rs 3 lakh. These are contributions from the members of the Covid-19 committee. It is all because the members of the committee have the heart to give”, Hek disclosed.
Other than helping people of Golf-links dorbar, he said that there are other persons from outside Golf-links who want to get help and the dorbar shnong gladly distributes essential items to them. In a place where most of the people are slum dwellers, it is a tough task for the dorbar shnong to attend to all the grievances of the people.
To help the poor, Hek said, there is sufficient stock food stuff. There are also families who want to extend their support to the dorbarshnong and are asked to do so in kind.
Asked about masks and sanitizers, Hek said that there was no distribution of masks or sanitizers from the government but 2000 masks were distributed by the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong. The CRPF also distributed masks and sanitizers to 100 households.
Asked, whether the labourers are getting help from the assistance or not, the president of Seng Samla, Golf-links, Frankie Hek informed ”many have not received. Out of the 1700 registered labourers, only 20 per cent have received”.
