The huts, which serve as quarantine hubs, are a concrete sign of interfaith cooperation. They are meant for internal migrants coming home after losing their jobs. In Konsakhul, Christian residents have handed out fresh vegetables to thousands of Hindus and Muslims in nearby towns. Christians in Assam are helping out.
Imphal (AsiaNews) – In Tungjoy, a village in Senapati district (Manipur), residents have built 80 bamboo huts to quarantine people and contain the coronavirus. This is a concrete example of interfaith cooperation at such a time of crisis.
The initiative, which has been reported nationwide, is for villagers coming home, regardless of their religious affiliation.
In the past, Christians in Manipur (more than 40 per cent of the local population) were victims of numerous acts of violence. Today, in this part of India, the fight against the pandemic has brought together people from different faiths working together.
In particular, the huts are meant for internal migrants coming home after losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Each one comes with a bed, bathroom, gas, electricity and running water. Everything was done without public funding.
Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh complimented local residents, as did Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for the Development of the North-eastern Region.
In Manipur interfaith cooperation against COVID-19 has taken many forms. In Konsakhul, a predominantly Christian village in Kangpoki district, people handed out fresh vegetables to thousands of Hindus and Muslims in nearby towns.
The Catholic Church is at the forefront of helping people in need in northeastern India. Since early April, Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati (Assam) has extended the support of his archdiocese to people under social confinement.
To this end, the prelate has met with the local governor, Jagdish Mukhi, to evaluate what steps could be taken and to coordinate the actions of the archdiocese with those of the state.