When the Covid-19 infection broke out, they were among the most vulnerable states in India. Ringed by China, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh, and with extensive ties with hotspots in southeast Asia, the five northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland—faced a major threat, but they have so far been successful in tackling the pandemic.
Aided generously by the Central government, the five states have streamlined their economic activities, adopted safe cultural practices and have undertaken rigorous testing protocols, reaching around 100 people per million population as against the national average of 70 per million. People have stopped going to neighbouring villages, and shops are open only for a few hours. All states except Meghalaya have inner line permit systems, which have been invoked to prevent the entry of outsiders.
“Our only concern today is mainland India and we will have to somehow stop people coming from there,” said Alo Libang, health minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He said the cities in the state were a little reckless, while the villages—largely tribal—were much more disciplined in practising strict lockdown. “Whenever there are disease outbreaks like malaria or any kind of unknown fever, villagers stay indoors and shops are closed. Local village councils ensure the supply of goods and essential services,”said Libang.
Arunachal Pradesh imposed a lockdown on its own on March 23, even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a national shutdown. One big challenge for the state is its huge NRI population. The state government has asked them not to return now. It has also clamped down on those who attended the Tablighi congregation in Delhi. “The only positive case we have is a person who returned from Nizamuddin. Around 50 others who visited Delhi have been quarantined,” said Libang.
Manipur, which is not a traditional and protected state like Arunachal Pradesh, has two cases—one person who came from London and the other who attended the Tablighi programme. The state, which shares a porous 400km-long border with Myanmar, enjoys flourishing trade ties with it. Tribes on both sides of the border share cordial ties. But Manipur was quick to cut all contact with Myanmar, which has been a critical move, considering the country’s long border and close ties with China. While it has hit the state hard economically, the move seems to have saved the northeast from the pandemic.
While Arunachal Pradesh has a tradition of segregation and isolation, the Manipuri culture is just the opposite. Women run major markets called Ima markets. All such markets are now closed, making the women anxious. The government said it had food stocks for six months and was getting enough support from the Central government. NGOs, too, play a key role in distributing food and essential items. Being under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, the state relies heavily on security forces for the supply of essential commodities.
Manipur has a good number of people working in South Korea who are keen to return. But Health Minister L. Jayantakumar Singh said they should stay safe wherever they were. “The Indian government is in touch with the Korean government in this regard,” he said.
Mizoram reported only one Covid-19 case. The patient, who had returned from Amsterdam, has recovered, but the state is following strict lockdown protocols, with task forces being set up for door-to-door supply of essential goods. “These task forces have government officials, public representatives, the powerful Young Mizo Associations and church leaders as members. The church plays a key role in enforcing the lockdown,” said Remruata Varte, a social activist.
Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Zoramthanga said he was getting generous support from the Centre. The state is surrounded by Myanmar and Bangladesh and there is a huge amount of public movement—especially of the tribal population—across the borders, raising the risk of disease transmission. But the lockdown seems to be working.
Despite having a long, porous border with Bangladesh and the largest population of migrant workers in the northeast after Assam, Meghalaya has reported only seven cases, including one death. The patient who died was a 69-year-old doctor and the other six cases are his contacts. One area of concern is the state’s reliance on Assam for essential supplies. Assam has nearly 800 patients, of which the majority seem to have contracted the virus from the Tablighi congregation. Meghalaya Health Minister A.L. Hek credited the state’s village culture for its success in containing the outbreak.
“We have village response teams, district response teams and state response teams under the director of health services. If a man enters a village, the village head will report that to the local police station or to the deputy commissioner. Even a villager is empowered to inform local authorities about anyone entering his village,” said Hek. Village response teams are arranging door-to-door delivery of food, especially for the poor, the elderly and the sick.
Meghalaya has blocked the entry of all those who had attended the Tablighi congregation. “We face a shortage of doctors and health workers. So we have blocked the entry of the Nizamuddin returnees,” said Hek.
The state has made use of the thriving hospitality industry in Shillong by recruiting the hotel staff to man temporary hospitals set up across the state. “We have recruited Ayush doctors and private nursing staff to create a robust health care system. Even those who have just passed their MBBS exams are being recruited,” said the minister. Director of health services Aman Warr said Meghalaya had only 700 government doctors and 1,300 nurses when the crisis struck. “But with recruitment from outside, we have tripled those numbers,” he said.
Nagaland, which is home to several hunting tribes, was worried when reports about the pandemic came in. But the 16 tribes in the state sat together under the Naga Hoho, the all-powerful civil society umbrella group, and implemented strict social distancing. Whenever a person from another village comes in, villagers will sound the alarm by whistling, an effective tool for social distancing.
“Even neighbours do not meet. There is a stipulated time for members of each village to visit the market to collect their rations,” said H.K. Zhimomi, president of the Naga Hoho.
Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton lauded the efforts of civil society groups like the Naga Hoho. Unfortunately, the insurgency-hit state has only two big hospitals. “We have no testing centres. Samples are sent to Imphal and Guwahati. We rely heavily on the Central government and on God,” said Patton. Nearly 20 foreigners stuck in the state have been quarantined.
The state reported its first case on April 12. A private hospital in Dimapur in Nagaland had referred the patient to Guwahati Medical College, where the infection was confirmed.
The Naga insurgents, also known as “national political workers”, are keeping a low profile. Zhimomi said the Naga Hoho had asked insurgents not to tax people during the crisis. “They are playing a very positive role this time,” he said.
Naga leaders, meanwhile, are worried about the community spread of the disease. “If it happens, the entire Naga community will be at risk,” said Akum Naga, vice president of the Business Association of Nagaland. “We are shocked to see the situation in mainland India. It can infect us if we open our state borders,” said Akum. “It would be great if India takes help from China, which has successfully controlled the disease, although it originated there.”
It will, however, be the last thing the Modi government would want to do as it fights an uphill battle against the deadly virus.