SHILLONG, Oct 30: Amid the electoral hype, the fear of COVID-19 that once gripped the entire world now seems to have become a mere subject only highlighted on posters and loudspeakers.
As three Assembly Constituencies – Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala – celebrated the biggest festival of democracy today, the Health and Election Departments were on the job to ensure that protocols are being adhered by both officials and electorates while casting their votes in their respective polling booths.
Bringing vaccination closer to the people, health officials have set up vaccination centres alongside the polling booth but the response was not as encouraging as was expected.
Mawponghong polling station, which caters to five villages – Nonglwai, Mawponghong, Nongthymmai rum, Nongthymmai neng and Mawshyieng – with over 700 electorates, also witnessed a low turnout of people visiting the vaccine counter.
“As a shnong, we did our part in informing people about the vaccine centre being set up here but yes, there were no takers. I don’t know the reason,” Mawponghong headman Pran Lyngdoh Mawshillong said.
Maintaining that the vaccine can’t be forced upon the residents, Marshillong said that if they continue to pressurise people, they fear people wouldn’t turn up to the polling station to exercise their franchise.
Melinda Marbaniang, a Public Health Nurse (PHN) incharge of Mawphlang Community Health Centre (CHC) told The Shillong Times that since morning, it was a Herculean task for them to get people to take the vaccine.
“We had brought 50 doses with us but so far, no vaccine has been administered. Rumours about the vaccine being connected to 666 and other ailments played a major role in the low turnout in the rural areas,” Marbaniang said.
In a conversation with some of the villagers, we learnt that many of them were not even aware of coronavirus. “No, I don’t know corona. They told us to take the vaccine but I don’t know what purpose it would serve,” said an elderly woman, who was in line to cast her vote, said.
Anothet villager said, “Why take the tika (injection) when we had already got one when we were children (measles).”
The low turnout serves as a message to officials to further push for more awareness peogrammes in the villages.
