Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) has appealed to the State government to devise some mechanism and work out strategies to help those whose earnings have been badly hit by the State-wide complete lockdown and could not even afford two square meals a day.
Though lockdowns have become an important tool to check transmission of Covid-19, the council in a release also pointed out that these have taken a very heavy toll on the economically weaker sections of the society, especially the daily wage earners.
Mentioning that numerous Central schemes available for the needy and the poor should be availed by those in need during this hour without delay, Central Nagaland Tribes Council stressed that it was the State government’s duty to look into the matter.
The council also appreciated the role of some churches in looking after the daily wage earners.
CNTC also called on large private schools and colleges to set an example by deducting certain amount of fees as only online classes were going on while basic amenities and other maintenances were not utilized during this time.
It asked the State government to constitute a body to look into this matter at the earliest as many parents were having a hard time paying their children’s school fees when all their earning avenues had been hit due to the pandemic.
On increasing the prices of essential commodities by traders at their whims, the council appealed to local grassroots organisations like GBs and chairmen of village and colony councils to monitor and control them at their respective jurisdictions so that the common people did not suffer more.
As the administration and municipal councils alone could not control price escalation everywhere due to manpower shortage, these local bodies should play their part responsibly in such times, the release added.
Acknowledging that Covid-19 pandemic had rudely awakened “all of us from our deep slumber”, CNTC said everyone – State government, every single legislator (past and present), every single civil society organisation and NGO and church – should take the blame equally for the dismal condition of health infrastructure across the State.
“We have only been after other glitzy materialistic things but the real issues that deal with our very health and life have not caught our attention and have been deliberately ignored. We chose to remain silent at the things that matter the most. We have learnt our lesson in a very hard way,” the release stated.
CNTC appealed to the State government to strictly continue monitoring and insisting on negative certificate from every incoming traveller from outside the State.
Pointing out that delay in sealing State borders and entry points when thousands of migrant labourers were pouring in and out every day during the recent Assembly election in the neighbouring State was a grave mistake, which led to steep hike in cases and fatalities in the State, the council cautioned that the same mistake should not be repeated in the impending third wave.
CNTC also appealed to all to behave responsibly and follow Covid protocols, join hands and continue praying so that together “we can overcome this pandemic”.
The council appreciated the State government, district task forces and all frontline workers in the fight against the global pandemic on a war footing that has devastated the whole world.