SHILLONG, Aug 17: A series of restrictions imposed by the government since March 2020 has broken the backbone of the common man in Shillong.
If two phases of COVID-19 lockdown with a break in between weren’t bad enough, people in the city and outskirts were hit by the curfew since August 15 following the unrest over the “encounter death” of former militant leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew.
The worst affected are the daily wagers and petty traders who were beginning to find their feet after the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions a few days ago.
The situation escalated on Sunday but things had come to a standstill by Saturday evening.
“Business is bad with people from rural areas unable to come. Where will the poor go?” asked a vegetable wholesaler in Iewduh, fearing worse days ahead.
“I think the government is not aware that giving even Rs 10 to their children has become difficult for some parents,” he said and pointed out that the 5 kg of rice provided by the MLAs will not help the poor survive the prolonged closure of shops.
Apart from the daily wagers, students who were dependent on online classes have been affected due to the suspension of mobile internet services. Some teachers complained about not being able to take online classes.
People attending to patients in hospitals or having to commute for treatment have found it hard to keep their appointments due to the law-and-order situation. The vaccination drive in the urban areas has been affected too.
