Sir,
We deeply appreciate your leadership and the frontline workers in the state of Manipur who are actively engaged in combating the unprecedented crisis of Covid-19. We are academicians from Manipur, working in various institutions in the country. We follow with concern the issues pertaining to the return of migrants and the challenges posed by the conditions of quarantine centres in our districts. In our shared empathy with their struggles and palpable pain, we write to you with requests and suggestions to your esteemed office. It is our hope that you will receive our letter in that spirit.
We acknowledge that the administrators and frontline workers in our state have been stressed beyond their limit. However, there are certain issues pertaining to policy, which require urgent attention in order to avert the possibility of a major health crisis in the State. In this regard, we propose and request the following steps to strengthen our fight against Covid-19, to facilitate the safety of the people and to plan evacuation of returnees:
1. Mandatory Institutional Quarantine and Testing: A mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine and testing of all the returnees should be conducted before they are allowed to proceed to their respective villages that do not have healthcare infrastructure to handle Covid-19 and any health emergencies.We urge your office to immediately intervene and halt the issuance of notifications by various district Covid committees. No returnee should be allowed to return home without mandatory test.
2. Monitoring Body for Quarantine Centres: Most of the institutional quarantine centres in the hill districts are functioning without a standard protocol. In some cases, inmates in these quarantine centres have openly protested about the abysmal condition of food, sanitation, waste management and physical distancing. In some centres the families of the inmates are made to deliver the food. There is an urgent need for a statutory body to direct and monitor the operation of these centres to avoid an imminent outbreak. The statutory monitoring body can function under the direct supervision of the CMO or State Covid Committee as deemed appropriate.
3. Phase-Wise Induction of Returnees: We understand that most of the State legislators and administration in the hill districts are already under tremendous pressure to facilitate the return of migrants. Given the fact that the returning population is huge for the District Quarantine Centres to accommodate, and compounded by the poor testing capacity, we suggest for the evacuation of the returnees in phases. This will ease the pressure on the district administrators and institutional quarantine centres. It can also have a substantially reduce the possibility of an outbreak.
4. Fund Allocation: While the state has allocated funds to the quarantine centres most of them have not received it and we request that this matter be looked into urgently. The village run centres across is already functioning and they need to be fully supported to meet our long term goal in combating Covid-19. While Tengbang has brought relief to many people it has not reached to all deserving people. Moreover, one time relief is not sufficient to meet the needs of those left without job and earning. There should be minimum support for those stranded in various parts of the country and waiting to be evacuated.
5. Covid-19 Lab Test at Mao Gate and Jiribam Railway Station: The pandemic is unlikely to end in the immediate future. So we strongly feel that healthcare facilities at entry points to the state by land need to be well equipped and upgraded. The Sub-District Hospital at Mao Gate should be equipped with a laboratory for Covid-19 test, adequate manpower and other infrastructural supplements.
We reiterate our faith in your leadership and hope that the above requests and suggestions will be received well and acted upon immediately. We appreciate and share in your utmost concern for the welfare of the people of Manipur.
Sincerely,
1. Dr.Yaruingam Awungshi, Professor, Dept.of African Studies, University of Delhi
2. Dr.Kham Khan Suan Hausing, Professor, Dept. of Political Science, University of Hyderabad
3. Dr.Xavier P. Mao, Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, NEHU, Shillong
4. Dr.Vareiso Ningshen, Professor, Imphal Law College, Imphal
5. Dr. L. Lam Khan Piang, Professor, Dept. of Sociology, University of Hyderabad
6. Dr. Gladys Muivah, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Botany, Gargi College, University of Delhi
7. Dr. Vera Yurngamla Kapai, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Botany, Gargi College, University of Delhi
8. Dr. Lungthuiyang Riamei, Asst Prof., Dept. of Political Science, Gargi College, University of Delhi
9. AC. Kharingpam, Asst. Prof., Dept. of English, Jamia Millia Islamia
10. Dr. Athikho Kaisii, Asst. Prof., Centre for Culture Media & Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia
11. Dr. A. S. Shimreiwung, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Sociology, Tezpur University
12. Dr. Shelmi Sankhil, Asst. Prof., School of Letters, Ambedkar University Delhi
13. Dr. Thongkholal Haokip, Asst. Prof., Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU
14. Dr. D. Chao, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Psychology, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi
15. Dr. A. Azhoni Krichena, Asst. Prof., National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Mangalore
16. Dr. Khole Timothy Poumai, Asstt. Prof. Motilal Nehru College, Delhi University
17. Dr. Esther Ngaihte, Asst. Prof., SRCC, University of Delhi
18. Dr. Hoineilhing Sitlhou, Asst. Prof., Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad
19. Dr. Veio Pou, Asst. Prof., Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi
20. Dr. Nehkholen Haokip, Asst. Prof. Dept. of Economics, Shyamlal College, University of Delhi
21. Roni Chakre, Asst. Prof., Dep.t of Computer Science, University of Delhi
22. Liankhankhup Guite, Asst. Prof., Miranda House, University of Delhi
23. Khachungla Chalhang, Asst. Prof., Janki Devi College, University of Delhi
24. N. T. Thomas, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Social Work, University of Delhi
25. K. Kokho, Asst. Prof., Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia
26. Martin Kamodang, Asst Prof., Dept. of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia
27. Ginminlen Touthang, Asst. Prof., Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, University of Delhi