Guwahati: In a virtual meeting held recently, the Catholic Church in the North-East India swung into action by forming a central core team to monitor and take stock of the situation caused by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting had a positive effect as it witnessed participation from all the 15 dioceses spread across North-East India, especially in the five dioceses of Assam and in Nagaland where the Covid-19 cases have been rising at an alarming rate.
In Assam, with the majority of its faithful belonging to the Adivasi community inhabiting in more than 800 tea gardens of Assam, of which, approximately 300 tea estates have been affected by the virus, it was important for the Church to come forward and extend all possible help while complimenting the government and the tea garden management in its efforts to contain the spread and help the affected.
While every Catholic diocese in NE is advised to set up a core team along with a task force at every centre, it is indeed heartening to see things moving fast and in the right direction with religious congregations and lay people getting involved with relief and medical operations going all out to reach out to areas where accessibility is still a challenge.
In one such effort in the Parish of Wokha under Dibrugarh Dioceses in Golaghat District of Assam, relief and awareness operations are on a war footing. The Parish Priest Fr. Caesar Henry, the assistant parish priest Fr. Robert Kujur and a dedicated team is reaching out to all the people who are affected by the partial lockdown caused by the pandemic.
In the words of Fr. Caesar, โthe most affected people are those who are daily wage earners and those who are not been able to go out for work. They are badly hit as they have no support system and no money to sustain themselves and their family, even for basic food and medicine. Besides, those who had gone out of the villages to other states and townships are without work there and have not sent money back home to their families for sustenance.โ
โThese are hard days for our people,โ opined Fr. Robert Kujur, โwe are providing basic relief in the form of rations to all those families who were identified. 350 families were identified and out of which 275 families have so far been provided 25 kg of rice, 3 kg of dal, 10 kg of potatoes, 3 kg of onion, 500 grams of soybeans, one litre of oil, one packet of salt, 2 pieces of soap, baby food, milk powder for the babies below 12 months.โ
In Nagaland, the Diocese of Kohima Covid19 Task Force (DKCTF) was inaugurated on 27th May by Most Rev.Dr. James Thoppil, the Bishop of Kohima, at Peace Channel office, Dimapur. It has also a State Control room operated up by Fr. C. P. Anto the director of peace channel and Johnny Asin, the President of the Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN).
Bishop James remarking about the initiatives said, โThe Catholic Church has been very proactive and on the forefront in addressing various social and health issues of the people throughout the history. Whenever human beings were afflicted with various types of maladies such as epidemics, plagues, smallpox we got involved. And we continue this following the example of Jesus who came to heal and give fullness of lifeโ (Jn.10:10).
The diocese of Kohima covid-19 task force (DKCTF) consists of all sections of the bishop, priests, religious and laity. Fr. C. P. Anto is its convener and Fr. Philip Magh is its secretary. They have also formed various sub-committees to cater to the various needs of people. Fr. Charles, the Director of DAN and Sr. Pramila Lobo UFS, coordinates the distribution of the dry rations and other necessities to those in need in and around Dimapur.
Another needed service to educate and enable families to identity symptoms and manage with home-based care and to seek hospital service at the appropriate is undertaken by a medical team headed by Fr. Chacko Karinthayil the director of Shalom and Fr. Godfrey the director of Holistic Centre, Jalukie. They do this along with a team of doctors and nurses. โAt a time of crisis like this we also need to connect ourselves spiritually, mentally and emotionally with our people,โ says Fr. Sabu Chenackal who heads the prayer warriors. Father Sabu is assisted in this work by Sr. Kaisa Mao, Sr. Mary C.J and Fr. George Rino. The media and publicity committee is coordinated by Fr. T. T. Joseph, Mr. Jonas Yanthan and Mr. Thomas Magh.
The second wave of Covid-19 has already taken several lives in N-E India, however, the efforts of the church in confronting the pandemic go on without fear and thus assures and offer the best of Jesus.