The decision of the government of Arunachal to close all the places of worship and religious institutions till the 30th of June is a big relief. Earlier, the MHA had given permission for opening of places of worship from 8 June onwards. With the number of Covid-19 cases rising and a large number of stranded Arunachalees starting to return to the state, there was growing concern over the decision to allow the opening of places of worship. One should not forget the Nizamuddin case where a religious congregation led to large-scale spread of the virus.
In Arunachal also, there are hundreds of churches, Donyi Polo namlos, Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries and masjids where thousands of people congregate. Many of the religious places are not properly sanitized. Also, in a state where the literacy rate is still low, it will be a Herculean task to ensure that social distancing norms are properly followed in the places of worship. Therefore the government has taken a wise decision to close all the places of worship till the end of this month. The Arunachal Christian Forum has already endorsed the move of the government and has made an appeal to the believers to strictly adhere to the directives of the health department and stop all activities of the churches. The other religious bodies should also come out and make similar appeals to their respective followers. This is the time to extend all possible support to the government in the battle against Covid-19.