SHILLONG, Dec 21: With Christmas just a few days away, senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh is miffed at the state government for not allowing street carols in the city.
Lyngdoh said the government should have reviewed the old standard operating protocols (SOPs) to allow “some sort of carolling” in the city.
She rued the fact that the government has not sought the views and opinions of the church leaders before deciding not to allow Christmas carolling in the streets.
“I really don’t know why there is a big no to carolling. The state government should have invited all church leaders to decide whether Christmas carols should be allowed,” Lyngdoh told reporters on Monday.
The Congress leader said that the government was bound to draw criticism if it took the decision without consulting the church leaders, given that majority of the population in Meghalaya are Christians.
“It is important for the government to understand the sentiments of the people. It should have allowed some sort of carolling by reviewing the SOPs. Many are not happy with the decision of the government to disallow singing of Christmas carols (in the street),” she said.
The senior Congress leader however observed that the people should strictly adhere to the SOPs during Christmas.
Earlier, the state health authorities issued a standard operating protocol (SOP) in this regard which specified that “carolling may be done within the church premises/designated hall and in a localised manner as per the social distancing norms.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the state government will allow churches to organise Christmas carols in their respective areas provided that they obtain prior permission from the respective deputy commissioners and ensure SOPs are strictly followed.