NMA seeks Governor’s attention to help the stranded

Kohima, May 25 (MExN): The Naga Mothers Association (NMA) on Monday submitted a representation to the Governor of Nagaland seeking immediate attention on the plight of stranded citizens who are anxious to return and the condition of health facilities in all districts, among others.


In the representation, the NMA urged that “the State Government take full responsibility for bringing back our stranded Naga children who are willing to return home and anxiously await arrangements to be brought back.” Stating that many do not have the means by now, to return on their own expenses it said that “the state cannot fail to fulfill its bounden duty in bearing all expenses for their return.” It also urged that the state government take into confidence, student leaders in different cities, to reach out to those who chose to stay back with adequate help.


The NMA observed that “So much time has been wasted because to a large extent, the State Government was not fully prepared for such an emerging pandemic,” and as such urged the Governor to intervene and ensure “that enough funds are allotted to the right authorities, the empowered committee, to handle the return of our stranded children, without any hesitations, because the state has received enough funds.” 


The student union leaders in different cities and officials posted have been the frontline workers and the state must acknowledge their service by making available enough funds, especially for the student leaders to move and help their counterparts in such trying times, it added.


Further, the NMA condemned the alleged threats, violence and harassment meted out to passengers aboard the Shramik train from Haryana on May 24 and demanded “an immediate Inquiry into these incidents of violence in Bihar, reasons for so many unscheduled stoppages on the journey on these Shramik trains, and accountability be fixed for the inability of the local police to control the mobs and joining the harassment on our north east children.”


It also urged citizens, travelling either on trains or by road, “to maintain strict discipline for their own safety and security, while crossing unknown regions.”


The NMA meanwhile sought accountability from the State Government on the matter of “inadequate and inferior quality of PPEs” and stated that the health facilities in all districts, be it District Hospitals, CHCs, Sub Centres, PHCs must be well equipped, to combat the pandemic and protect the life and health of all citizens.


While acknowledging the response and generosity from various churches and organisations in sponsoring quarantine centres and food, the NMA urged that the State Government “does not ignore its bounden responsibility of providing clean, hygienic centres and adequate nutritious food to those being kept in all these Institutional Quarantine Centres.”


“The challenge for the state has begun with the latest positive test reports and we seek your intervention that mandatory testing must be done on all returnees for their own safety and within their communities,” it added. 


Further, it pointed out that thermal screening and the police check point at Khuzama is “being conducted in plastic shacks” and requested that better facilities be constructed at Khuzama. It also requested that ambulances be kept ready with a medical team for incoming travellers in case of emergencies.