How Mizos are lining up to offer financial aid to fight COVID-19 

Aizawl: At a time when the whole world is struggling to mitigate the novel coronavirus spread, Mizoram showed the way in extending financial help to help fight the deadly virus.

Mizoram College Teachers’ Association (MCTA), an umbrella body of college teachers in the state, has donated Rs 1.5 lakh to the state government as a token of help and its concern to fight the rapidly increasing novel coronavirus spread.

Being the first to do so, the monetary assistance was handed over to health minister R Lalthangliana on Monday, sources said.

Walking in the line of MCTA, Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) also donated Rs 5,000 each to local level task forces on Covid-19 in Aizawl, which maintained round-the-clock vigil to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Mizoram synod, the executive body of Mizoram Presbyterian church, which is the largest denomination in the state, also donated Rs 2 lakh to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to fight the virus on Tuesday.

Financial help also poured in for the state government and needy people from different sources.

Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) chief executive member T Zakunga also donated Rs 1 lakh to Lawngtlai-based Central Young Lai Association (CYLA) on behalf of the council to fight the deadly virus and assist needy people, who are facing food crisis.

Mizorama Maruti-Suzuki dealer GIG Motors showroom owner John Lalpeka also assisted local level task forces in Aizawl with financial help of Rs 5 lakh to reach out to the families, who are facing food shortage.

The young entrepreneur on Tuesday distributed the money to local level task forces in various localities.

Lalrinsanga Ralte, a ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator from Serlui constituency in northernmost of the state bordering Assam, donated Rs 10,000 each to 22 villages to assist families, who are facing food shortage.

Apart from them, many individuals also extended helps to the government to fight the deadly epidemic. Giving aid to the needy and financial help to the government in time of distress has become a tradition in Mizoram, which has been in practice since many years.

Sources said that, several families and daily workers in rural areas are facing food shortage due to state-wide partial lockdown, which commenced from Sunday. A daily labourer said that they are facing problem as daily works were not available since the lockdown.

Mizoram is currently being in lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state. However, officials said that all task forces at district and local levels were asked to make local arrangement to ensure that no one starve during the lockdown.