Urges members to self-declare if they have attended
DIMAPUR, APRIL 5 (MExN): As per the Nagaland state government, two persons from Nagaland were found to have attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in Delhi in March.
However, initial figures from the state Health department and the Muslim Council Dimapur (MCD) pointed to only one person from Dimapur attending the congregation.
While the Health department later stood by the state government figure, the MCD reiterated that only one person attended the conference in the Nizamuddin neighbourhood of Delhi in March.
The MCD issued a press release today stating, “As per the Tabliq Jammat (Preaching Group) report, only one person (from Dimapur) went to the Markaz at Nizamuddin, attending the Congregation of 7th & 8th March 2020 and returned to Dimapur on 12th March.”
Based on that information, the release said that the MCD was able to trace the person (on March 31), who was handed over the Health authorities. It added that the person’s family was also placed under quarantine and all have tested COVID-19 negative.
Two other persons, who were initially believed to have attended the congregation, were also traced by the MCD and handed over to health authorities. Clarifying on this, the MCD said that the two were actually in Delhi at the time on a business trip. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, they were traced and placed in a quarantine facility in Dimapur. It added, “They also tested Covid-19 Negative.”
Clarifies on scare generated by letter
Responding to a letter issued by the Old Showuba Village Council, which circulated on social media on April 5, the MCD said that the 10 persons listed in the letter had attended a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Narangi in Guwahati from February 10 to March 20. They returned to Dimapur on March 21 and “were checked at the Railway Station,” it said.
While informing that all ten have been home quarantined, the MCD called for sensitivity and restrain from circulating names of persons believed to have attended Tablighi Jamaat congregations “as this will add to further panic among the citizens of Dimapur.”
“The MCD understands that due to the Tablighi/Nizamuddin issue there is a growing concern among the citizens in Dimapur including the Muslim Community, but if we all act as responsible citizens, we can erase the panic and that would also help us from not developing hatred against a particular community.”
It further appealed the Muslim community of Nagaland, who are Tablighi Jamaat members, to voluntarily self-declare to the authorities or the MCD “if anyone of them has attended the congregation in Nizamuddin or any other religious congregations in the past one month.”
