GUWAHATI:
Bohag Bihu was celebrated across the state amid the threat of covid-19 hanging in the air and the
state health department’s strict SOP.
Events were held at night, too, though in a muted form.
Last year, the
spring festival could not be celebrated because of the outbreak of the pandemic. This year the celebrations were on, but with curbs to prevent the spread of the infection in the second wave.
The SOP was issued by the state health department on April 9 after a fresh spike in Covid-19 positive cases was reported from different parts of the country.
Some Bihu organisers like the
Pub Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani and the Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani, however, got carried away by the festive mood and allowed their events to continue post-midnight though the SOP strictly maintained that all events would have to be wrapped up by 11pm.
Popular singers like
Zubeen Garg and Tarali Sharma supported the guidelines issued by the government to contain the spread of the virus. “The SOP is very welcoming. I personally liked it. And anyway, 11 pm is the best time to conclude any event. If this can be implemented in the future, too, then it would help everyone, including the artists and the organisers,” said Tarali Sharma.
Singer
Manas Robin is not happy with the curbs. “The government should have banned the celebration if they feared the events would spread the infection. It is not easy to wrap up a live show within a stipulated time for several factors. Why did the government allow the festival to roll out in the first place and then put strict curbs on the celebrations,” he wondered.
The health department had made thermal scanning of visitors and use of hand sanitizers must for all events.The organisers were in a dilemma over this and for practical reasons, many of the rules may not have been followed.
Kailash Sarma, adviser to the Greater Guwahati Bihu Organisers’ Coordination Committee (GGBOCC), said, “How will it be possible to make visitors use hand sanitizers? It’s an open-air event and people come from all directions. It is the responsibility of the health department and the district administration to ensure safety of the people by carrying out thermal scanning and sanitization.” But, the district administration refrained from commenting on the matter and passed on the buck to the health department. Assam National Health Mission director Lakshmanan S said, “Keeping public health in view, there is no other way for the organisers but to follow the Covid-19 protocols. The health department cannot send its manpower to Bihu events to sanitize the premises and screen the visitors.”
Health minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma had asked the organisers to follow the SOP and cooperate with the government in preventing the spread of Covid-19.