Our Bureau
SHILLONG/ NONGSTOIN, Sep 19: The shocking case of a woman delivering her baby inside a tourist vehicle while being stuck in traffic and the death of the infant before receiving medical attention seems to have finally woken up the government and the authorities with the National Commission for Women (NCW) now seeking an action taken report from Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang within seven days.
On September 16, Daphiralin Jyrwa of Mawthawniaw village in West Khasi Hills district was forced to deliver a male baby inside a tourist taxi as the vehicle she was travelling in got stranded for hours in a massive traffic jam on National Highway 44(E) due to an angling competition attended by thousands of people.
Voicing serious concern over the incident, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma asked Wahlang to submit a detailed report within seven days to the commission.
“It is utmost crucial to conduct a programme to sensitise people of Meghalaya to deal with such cases with empathy,” Sharma said, urging the state government to extend all necessary support to the mother of the deceased baby.
The government also jumped into action and issued an order revoking the authority given to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council relating to the administration and control of holding fishing competitions, as published in the Gazette of Meghalaya on August 3, 2023.
In addition, the West Khasi Hills district administration also swung into action and ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Garod LSN Dykes said the district police chief will register a suo-motu case into the incident.
The DC also held a meeting with the SP, ADCs and EACs. He said the organisers of the angling competition and the Dorbar of Ksehkohlong appear before him at his office chamber on Tuesday where he told them that the district administration will proceed as per the law.
The incident also made its way into the Assembly when VPP’s Adelbert Nongrum demanded action against the West Khasi Hills DC for granting permission to the fishing competition without carrying out his responsibility to ensure that law and order is maintained.
While moving a zero hour notice in the Assembly, Nongrum also questioned whether action has been initiated against the West Khasi Hills SP for allowing police personnel to be engaged by the organisers in price distribution while being absent from traffic management and crowd control.
The VPP legislator said even as district administration is guilty of negligence in issuing permission without taking responsibility and maintaining law and order.
He mentioned that the report of this unfortunate incident featured prominently in all the local newspapers and even on the various YouTube channels.
He asked the government to put on hold all angling competitions till such time it is able to put in place a proper regulation by way of legislation to prevent untoward incidents that endanger the health and safety of the public.
He also spoke about the adverse impact of fishing competitions held almost every Saturday on rural households who are shelling out Rs 2,000-Rs 3000 in lure of the prize money.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong informed the House that he will present an official statement on this incident on Wednesday.
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said the government will ensure that there is an advisory for safe passage of ambulances in the state.
Regretting the incident, Lyngdoh said it should not have happened and the government is looking into the matter.
“We all are on the same page,” Lyngdoh said while adding that a fishing competition should not have led to such a chaos.
She said that an inquiry is being conducted into the matter.