JOWAI: With the state being a witness to the surge in COVID-19 cases in view of the arrival of returnees from various parts of the country, the citizens from East and West Jaintia Hills have opined about the state’s government’s modus operandi. “Those days when the state’s borders were sealed and our beloved residents who were stranded outsides were not even allowed to return, we didn’t have any positive cases in the state because the state government had imposed stringent restrictions. But now, everybody has taken up the matter very lightly,” said a resident from Jowai on request of anonymity.
“The state government has relaxed all activities and is now asking people to maintain social distancing besides other protocols without any implementation?” said another shopkeeper who owns a grocery shop in Jowai.
“Go to any locality-based markets in Jaintia Hills. You will find there were no social distancing and many don’t even care to wear their face mask,” she alleged.
It may be mentioned here that a Congress leader in Jaintia Hills has also raised an issue regarding the way the district administrations put the burden of quarantining the returnees to local headmen and dorbars.
A police officer who called this correspondent also informed that some time back when residents from Jaintia Hills returned back home in the wee hours, they were not providing any food, not even tea.
Lamenting the lockdown-induced inflation, a local pressure group leader said that the lockdown is an opportunity for those with vested interests who take advantage of the poor.
“Yes, the state government has warned those traders who take advantage due to lockdown but who are coming to inspect that? Till now, prices of commodities are high,” he said.
The question arises: who knows better, who is the poor, the poorer and the poorest in their respective localities or villages? The headmen or the party leaders or supporters who are bias, who will distribute rice only to those who had helped them win previous elections?
Besides many, who are planning to contest the next election, are distributing rice to people even though they can survive during the course of lockdown. Why? Isn’t that a move made for their political gain?
While many, who distributed rice and other essential commodities with only one or two kilogram each, always wanted their pictures on the newspapers, there are many who extended their support to the needy and did not even want their names to appear in the newspapers.
