COVID-19 outbreak: Resentment against labourers from outside Meghalaya

A REPORTER

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Indigenous People Front (MIPF) has expressed their surprise at the decision of the government to allow labourers form outside to come and work in the State.

"We feel that this decision by the government will create a problem as it will endanger the citizens of the State especially as we are still fighting COVID-19 and more people are still returning from other States and to allow labourers from outside to come and work here at this present time keeping in mind the spread of the virus it's not a wise move by the government," the president of MIPF Airbordong Iawphniaw said.

He said the organization strongly oppose the decision of the State government to allow companies, contractors to bring labourers from outside the State.

"We were shock that the government didn't even think and discuss the dangers this decision could bring to our people," he said.

He said the sudden increase of COVID-19 cases in the country has not stopped when looking at Assam, West Bengal and other parts of India, hence bringing labourers from outside the state may pose a problem for the people of Meghalaya especially concerning the virus.

"There are people with the virus but they are asymptomatic, and it's difficult to identify them as carriers and if labourers are coming from outside then who knows what might happen," he said.