How Mizoram Managed to Prevent Itself from the Covid-19 Pandemic Outbreak

            Like all the other Indian states, Mizoram has been under lockdown since the 27^th of March, 2020. However, while the disease continues to be virulent even after imposing lockdown measures across the country and lately, to the north-eastern states, Assam, Manipur and Tripura in particular, all of which shares a state boundary with Mizoram, and apart from Bangladesh, another country, amongst many others having a substantial number of Covid 19 cases, Mizoram has managed to prevent itself from the so called community transmission of the virus. The sole victim and lone Covid 19 case in the state was a Baptist pastor, who contracted the virus while pursuing his academic studies in the Netherlands, and who have now fully recovered. The main reason why Mizoram remains Covid-19 free till date, while other states and countries are battling the outbreak of the pandemic could be attributed to various factors.

            Amidst the rampaging daily global rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, in the north-eastern corner of India, the total number of Covid 19 cases has been only ‘one,’ since the outbreak of the pandemic till date, a remarkable and surprising statistic, given the extent of the outbreak of the virus in other Indian states, particularly in its neighboring states. The state in question is Mizoram, a tiny state with a population of roughly 11 lakhs. How did Mizoram managed to keep the deadly disease in check, given the fact that the state does not possess the best of health infrastructures in the country and shared boundaries with Tripura, Manipur, Assam, Bangladesh and Myanmar? The answer lies in the way how the society cohesively and unitedly fought against the pandemic, in short, the social response of the Mizo society.

            Firstly, the persistent efforts of the Village Level Task Forces (VLTFs) have been an outstanding factor for Mizoram being a Covid-free state. Since the imposing of the nationwide lockdown, Village Level Task Forces have been constituted in each and every locality of the towns and villages across the state. These local task forces, headed by the Village Council Chairman of the locality, with representatives of various NGOs within the locality as its members, along with the security forces, have been highly instrumental in maintaining strict social distancing measures, enforcing government curfew measures and in restricting human and vehicle mobility within their own localities. No human or vehicle could ply from one local task force checkpoint to the other without a written permission from the local task force chairman and such checkpoints vary in numbers, from three or four to over the tens and twenties, depending on the size of the villages and towns. These local task force members, who, themselves belong to the same community in which they kept vigil, have been able to develop strong support from the public, of which they are a part. Hence, this cohesive act of the VLTFs, along with the local public has greatly helped in preventing the all-important community/local transmission of the virus, which had been the main reason for the rapid spread of the disease elsewhere. Moreover, utilizing public address systems and information loudspeakers in their own localities, the VLTFs time and again announced various information regarding Covid-19, which greatly helped in spreading community and social awareness about the disease and the safety measures to the public.

            Secondly, on the initiative taken by the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the most influential civil-society organization in the state, duty posts have been set up at numerous strategic points along the Tripura, Manipur and Assam border, as well as along the international boundaries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. These duty posts are manned by members of the various YMA branches around the villages and towns of the border areas, who kept a strict vigil against any illegal intrusion from the adjacent states or countries 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This action of the YMA has greatly strengthened in the government’s efforts in keeping guard along its state and international borders.

            Thirdly, in the light of numerous Mizos returning home from various states across the country, various churches (168 as of now) have opened up their church facilities to be utilized as quarantine centres by the state government for these home comers. This has come as a great relief for the state government at the most crucial time, when the capacities of government quarantine centres would not be able to accommodate the more than 10,000 people returning home from outside the state.

            Fourthly, the early closure of all public places, particularly the various church gatherings since lockdown has been another important factor in the successful maintenance of social distancing measures and community transmission of the virus. Besides, apart from the church, prompt actions taken by the various civil society organizations in the state in canceling their statewide functions and large public gatherings even before lockdown measures were imposed and at the expense of great financial loses has gone a long way in preventing the spread of the virus.

            Fifthly, credit needs to be duly given to the lone victim and sole Covid-19 patient in the state, Rev.V.L. Hruaia, a Baptist pastor, who contracted the virus during his academic trip to the Netherlands, and who has now fully recovered. Had it not been for his timely, sensible and rational self-restricting actions all along the way of his travel home to the state, Mizoram might not have been able to prevent local/community transmission of the virus.

            Lastly, the prompt, cohesive and united support and co-operation of the Mizo community as a whole, in conforming to the various government-imposed restrictions in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has been the most outstanding reason for the state being able to remain a Covid-free zone till date. The Mizo society is a close-knit society, having a number of mandatory socio- cultural and church gatherings and other numerous public functions. However, since lockdown measures was imposed, all these social functions and gatherings had been instantly stopped by the concerned organizations. Hence, the fully co-operative nature and action of the Mizo people as a whole has been one of the most important instrument that shielded the state and the people from this Covid-19 pandemic till date.