Call off the Meghalayan Age Festival in view of COVID-19’s contagion

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 5, 2020

With two days more for the much hype Meghalayan Age Festival to commence, the Festival is now under fire with several organizations urging the State Government to call it off in view of the COVID-19 contagion spreading across the globe.

The festival is schedule to start on Saturday and conclude on 15^th of this month at Thadlaskein, West Jaintia Hills District where there will hot air balloons, luxury tents, live band performances, caving and others programmes as to promote Meghalaya as an high end tourist destination.

BJP MDC Lakhon Biam called for its deferment as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the State while exhorting the people to avoid from coming to the Festival as precautionary measures

He also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will avoid holi celebration in large gathering and also urged the people to avoid area of large gathering.

Meanwhile, the Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) asked the Government to keep the Festival in abeyance for it will disturb the students who are currently appearing for various examinations. He also said that festival of this kind will distract the mind of the students and they will not be able to focus in their studies.

JYF President O.L. Tariang wanted the government to defer the festival as the spread of COVID-19 is growing day by day and one single infected person is enough to make the entire community sick and infected.

Joining chorus, the Hynniewtrep Students Union urged the Government to call off the festival as the time is unfavourable as it is wrongly timed during the examination of the students.

Moreover, the threat of spread of COVID-19 is imminent in area where there is large gathering and the festival will tend to attract people in large numbers from all parts of India, the HSU informed.

The demand for calling off the festival continues with the Jaintia Students Union urging the Government not to play with the life of the people by going ahead with the Meghalayan Age Festival with the COVID’s contagion already present in Assam.

They urged the Government to call off the Festival as to avoid disturbing the student community appearing for various examinations.