DIMAPUR, APRIL 23 (MExN): The Konyak Students’ Union (KSU), while thanking the Eastern Nagaland Legislature Union (ENLU) for the initiative of an evacuation drive to bring back stranded people from Dimapur and Kohima to their homes in Eastern Nagaland, issued a series of suggestions.
A press release from the KSU President, Bumang Phaiba and General Secretary, Phoe Konyak advised regular Konyak students, apart from other stranded people who were stuck due to lockdown, “not to return back as there would be more trouble as they have to undergo 28 day’s quarantine mandatorily as adopted by the District Task Force.”
“Instead students are encouraged to stay safe and prepare themselves with their academic wherever they are. Moreover, for regular students we never know when regular classes may resume,” the KSU said.
The KSU informed that more than 2000 people have been registered from Dimapur and Kohima alone who wanted to return back to Mon including students, patients, businessmen and those on emergency trips.
“So it will be practically impossible to accommodate huge number of people due to lack of quarantine and accommodation facilities in Mon,” it added.
Further the KSU said that taking the advantage of present situation some miscreants are rampantly involved in drugs peddling in Mon district especially at the Assam border. The union’s anti-drugs operation drive was temporarily put on hold just before the nationwide lockdown. It cautioned such individuals to abstain from such activities and said that stern action would be taken.
It meanwhile informed that Mon being one of the most vulnerable districts is surrounded by international, inter-state and inter-district borders. Taking this into consideration, the KSU has organised volunteers of around 1,200 youths with a view to protect its land and people from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In collaboration with police security and village guards they are assigned to perform the duty at various locations of all borders even inside the thick forest, “as there are some people who infiltrate the borders through forest in spite of complete lockdown.” Volunteers are on the lookout day and night round the clock without being paid anything, the KSU said.
It therefore appealed to the government seeking special allocation of assistance for the volunteers to at least afford them with their equipment facilities and other necessary help.
The union also asked the State Government and ENLU to look after the matter of inadequate quarantine facilities and other protective equipment in the district and the grievances of the students and citizens of Eastern Nagaland in particular stuck in other parts of the state and the country.
