AAPSU calls for 12-day lockdown in Pasighat on June 19

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has called for a 12-day ‘lockdown’ in Pasighat, the headquarters of East Siang district from June 19 to 30 next. The AAPSU said the decision to enforce the lockdown came following a meeting with several student and community based organizations of the East Siang district on Wednesday after two frontline health workers tested positive for Covid19 last week.

The meeting was chaired by AAPSU president Hawa Bagang. “As there is every possibility of a community transmission, the lockdown has been enforced to ease the movement of frontline workers so that they can speed up contact tracing and contain the possible spread of the virus,” AAPSU vice president Meje Taku said.

Addressing media persons at the Press Club here, Taku said the lockdown will not have any impact on the frontline workers while those engaged in essential services duty shall have to take prior permission from the local administration. Taku said the lockdown will be implemented in collaboration with the All East Siang District Students’ Union (AESDSU), East Siang District Indigenous Covid-19 Warriors and several other community based organizations and NGOs of the district.

The same would be effective in the “territorial areas falling under the Pasighat Municipal Corporation”, added Taku. “All business establishments should remain closed and the public is requested not to venture out without a valid reason,” said Taku. “The movement of vehicles from other districts that pass through Pasighat should be escorted by the police from the Ranaghat check gate till the Pasighat welcome gate and vice versa,” Taku added. AAPSU further said the AESDSU and several other organizations of East Siang have requested the state government to transfer deputy commissioner Kinny Singh from the district for allegedly being “inefficient and non-participatory” in the efforts to contain the spread of Covid19.

“We are told that the DC is non-responsive to various concerns raised by the locals and the standard operating procedures are not being followed strictly under her supervision,” Taku said while citing the AAPSU’s motive for endorsing the transfer demand of the organizations. Deputy commissioner Kinny Singh, when contacted, said she and her team has been following all SoPs and protocols and is giving their best efforts to fight the pandemic.In regards to the lockdown, Singh said her office is yet to receive any communication from any of the organizations.