Editor,
The whole world, including India is fighting the deadly pandemic COVID-19. After the country had undergone series of Lockdowns the Central and the State government of respective states are working for the welfare of the people. In this global economic crisis, people are gripped by financial instability and many are unable to support their family. Various NGO’S, religious bodies, public representatives etc., are joining hands with the Government to support people in need either by providing essential commodities, mask or PPEs. People are finding it hard to meet their daily needs. In such a scenario where survival itself becomes a big question, the Khasi Hills District Council in Meghalaya is keeping a check on the non-tribals for carrying out trade activities which are not permitted in their licence and also their area of trade.
The business sector is the one which is most hit by this global pandemic. Many non-tribals in Shillong are born and brought up here and have been carrying on with the businesses started by their forefathers since ages with proper trading licence. Due to the Lockdown their trades have been hard hit especially those trading in Iewduh area which has remained closed for the last three months. So the genuine non-tribals who have to support their family to meet their basic needs and also their staff members, will have to look for other trades at least to meet their daily needs.
In such a scenario, many have opted to sell vegetables which most of the traders are doing now. KHADC should at least have allowed them to carry on with this trade till the situation improves. Moreover, it was also mentioned in one of the daily newspapers that trades which are carried out by tribals cannot be done by non-tribals. If this is the case then our tribal brothers and sisters are now competent, qualified and are capable of carrying on any kind of trade. They have enough potential to look after the academic, administrative and other fields of administration in the State of Meghalaya. Does this mean then that the genuine non-tribals who are born and bought up here should stop doing any kind of trade since the tribals are now capable of conducting all those trades? Where are the fundamental rights here? Hope the administration in KHADC comes up with a proper solution to address this thorny issue.
Yours etc.,
Homnath Gautam
Shillong -2
Covid resurfaces
Editor,
All is not well with China that was earlier praised for its meticulous and strenuous war on Covid-19 and touted to have successfully contained the pandemic. But with the report of 31 new Covid-19 positive cases on Wednesday, China moved on a war-footing canceling hundreds of domestic flights, testing 3.56 lakh residents, suspending sports events and closing certain gyms. Though Beijing does not operate international flights, it cancelled 1,255 domestic flights. The national railway operator also closed its services. The fresh Covid outbreak indicates that China cannot be complacent with the containment measures taken as the pandemic virus undergoes mutation and resurfaces as and when it wills.
An epidemic control official in Beijing said on Wednesday that the capital had tested about 3.56 lakh residents since Saturday, after more than 100 locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases were spotted in the city. Beijing on Tuesday urged its residents not to leave the city, and closed schools again as authorities scrambled to contain a severe new coronavirus outbreak in the city of 22 million people. Moreover, it is learnt that the cases are not confined just to Beijing but have been recorded in provinces across China too.
What is alarming and defying the imagination of the authorities is that the people of China went through the strictest restrictions imposed in life against the possible contraction of Covid-19 pandemic and yet how this new coronavirus outbreak happened again in China is unfathomable. The good part of the story is that the country had been getting back to normal, with people going back to work and restaurants reopening. Even now there are strict measures being followed and foreigners are banned from entering the country though with some limited exceptions. Likewise, entry to apartment blocks and shops requires a QR code on one’s phone to harvest the location history. Masks and temperature checks are ubiquitous.
It is reported that the new coronavirus outbreak in China is linked to a food market. The vast Xinfadi wholesale market is believed to be the epicenter of the country’s latest battle against Covid-19. The Xinfadi market is the size of more than 250 football fields and claims to be the biggest wholesale food market in Asia supplying up to 80% of the meat and vegetables to the capital’s 22 million people. But, the new coronavirus’ resurgence remains a mystery, despite China’s claims that this outbreak of new Covid is a European strain of the virus. However, China has sequenced the genome. But the million-dollar question is how this European strain of the virus arrived in China. What is worrying the people is that beyond Beijing, a new surge is not Asia’s only flare-up; Japan’s capital city Tokyo has also reported more than 20 new cases over the past six days. These surges in two countries serve as a clear warning to all other countries in the world that governments and people must be wary of its new outbreak.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan
Via email