Pete Setuo
Kohima
Recently I came across an article by Dr Andrew Ahoto Sema titled ‘Apprehensions on state government’s plan to bring in stranded citizens.’
Doctor, as you have written in your article for every right thinking citizen to go through said article and voice out their concerns here is my two cents on it.
There are lots of misinformation in your article but I will stick to just the glaring ones.
You cite the example of Assam and say thousands from across the country were brought in “hordes” and the resultant effect of it is that Assam is a “hotbed” of COVID-19. As of today 14-05-2020, Assam stands at 37 active cases, don’t seem much of a “hotbed” to me.
Next in your article is Tripura, as of today stands at 154 active cases, terrifying! Unless you do a simple Google search and find out that the majority of the cases are BSF Jawans. Let’s not get into the nitty-gritty of an army camp and how it might have facilitated the spreading of the virus.
Your article also incite that the decisions being made by the State Government in bringing stranded citizens might be based on “cheap political mileage”. I will trust my government, as incompetent as they can be sometimes, that in times like this that they wouldn’t resort to such ‘politics’ as human lives are at stake.
You cite the example of a “brave” girl from Sikkim who is stranded in mainland India but took to social media to “educate stranded people like her to practice restraint and not put the people back home at risk.” I will paraphrase a quote from the internet; we are all in the same storm but NOT in the same boat.
I totally understand that in times of crisis like this, people back in Nagaland are tensed and worried that stranded Nagas might bring back home the virus but please don’t spread misinformation and create more tension and stress.
And what about the stress, worry, tension of the ones stranded!? The plight of stranded citizens is completely being ignored! Some are surviving on tea and biscuits! Some barely surviving! Our own brothers are sisters are dying! And being buried, cremated even, in foreign land!
In conclusion, for a “Christian” State, I see very less compassion and love, let alone faith, which is very bizarre and more frightening than the virus itself!
