2021 began on a positive note as Covid-19 cases saw a sharp decline amid the festive season but it did not last long with the second wave of the pandemic wrecking havoc across the world, including India. The second wave hit Nagaland hard as well, claiming many precious lives. It subsided eventually as fresh positive cases dropped in the second half of the year but the new variant of concern -- Omicron -- has cast a shadow on the improved Covid situation. With the number of Omicron cases nearing 1000 in the country and having reached 22 states including Manipur, its spread to Nagaland appears imminent. The only way to stop and mitigate its spread is following the basic standard operating procedure like hand washing, wearing of face mask and social distancing besides taking vaccine and timely testing. So, all efforts should be made to stop a possible third wave. Failing to do so may force the authorities to impose lockdown again and disrupt normal life.
As the state enters a new year, the people will expect the central and state governments to serve justice to Mon incident victims. The incident sent the people of the state into mourning, marred the Christmas spirit and broke the trust built between the citizens and the Indian armed forces over several decades. The controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been extended for yet another six months as the whole of Nagaland has been deemed a ‘disturbed area’, much to the disappointment and anguish of many. It is imperative that the government of India take stringent action on the erring armed forces personnel according to the law of the land.
The people will also expect the Centre and the state governments to mitigate the learning loss of lakhs of children across the country. This is one sector that continues to be affected by the pandemic since its onset. Unfortunately, the future looks gloomy for education sector as the new variant of concern looms large. Amid such a scenario, the government should invest in mitigating the learning loss of students as well as preventing dropouts. There are hordes of issues that need to be addressed but priority should be given to controlling the spread of Covid, serve justice to Mon incidents victims, repeal AFSPA and mitigate learning loss in 2022.