Recently, all hell broke loose in the state when a patient was found positive for Covid-19 in Tezu, in Lohit district. The patient, who is related to the recent religious congregation held at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, is a non-Arunachalee. As soon the news of him being positive came, community-based organizations of the capital complex asked the government not to shift him to TRIHMS, Naharlagun, for treatment. Health Minister Alo Libang while reacting to the demand made the erroneous statement that all Covid-19 patients from eastern Arunachal would only be treated in Dibrugarh, Assam.
This created a major controversy with the people of eastern Arunachal taking strong exception to it. The minister had to apologize for it, and he even issued a clarification to the media. The controversy was uncalled for at a time when the whole state is together fighting against the threat of Covid-19. The health minister should have been careful with his words. Also, it was worrying to see all kinds of venom being spitted on the Muslim community on social media. For the mistake of a few people, it is wrong to blame the whole community. This is not the Arunachal that people know. The tribal people have been very proud of their secular and liberal identity. The state has always welcomed the people of every faith and region. There is no doubt that the religious congregation conducted by the Tabligi Jamaat at Nizamuddin was wrong and the people behind it should be strongly punished. But blaming the whole community is not the way forward.