Inside Northeast Exclusive: Districtwise Break-up of NE Indians who Attended Hazrat Nizamuddin Congregation

New Delhi, March 31, 2020:

Inside Northeast has now received a list of the 299 people who have initially been tracked down for having attended or being in the neighborhood of the COVID-19 hotspot of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Dargarh earlier this month, where a religious function was held. Apart from the people who took part in the gathering, several others who happened to be in the area during the function, have also been recognized, and the Government is trying to get in touch with them so that they can be screened.

The district-wise break-up is as follows:

Nagaon 31

Karimganj 3

Hailakandi 13

Barpeta 12

Cachar 16

Thoubal 4

Nalbari 6

Jio Assam 11

Dibrugarh 11

Jorhat 12

Dhubri 17

Dhemaji

Morigaon 12

Kamrup 56

Kokrajhar 9

Imphal East

Goalpara 6

Dimapur 2

Tuensang

Darrang 14

Tinsukia 12

Lakhimpur 4

Sivasagar 8

Udalguri - 3

Lohit - 1

Baksa - 3

Sonitpur - 6

Karbi Anglong - 4

Chirang - 1

Zunheboto - 2

Hojai - 1

Dhemaji - 2

Golaghat - 27

Ukhrul - 3

Wokha - 1

Bongaigaon - 4

Dima Hasao - 2

Imphal West - 1

Details to be updated.

Earlier today, Assam Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has been busy preparing facilities to tackle COVID-19, took to Twitter to alert Assam to the situation at hand. The Minister later took to Twitter to inform that the authorities have zeroed in on 299 people who were present in and near the hotspot around the time the virus is said to have spread.

In another Tweet, Sarma announced that a further 157 persons were identified who were near hotspot of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Dargarh during the time frame. After a conference with the district administrations, the Government has informed that they will all be quarantined "by evening."

ALSO READ: 299 from Assam & 5 from Meghalaya Participated at ‘Coronavirus Hotspot’ Tablighi Jamaat Meet in Nizamuddin

The religious congregation at the Hazrat Nizamuddin, where over 2,000 people congregated at a mosque amid the worldwide COVID-19 phenomenon, is being seen as a ticking time bomb by the nation at large. At least six have died in the South Indian State of Telangana, while 1 preacher died of a corona infection in J&K. Now, with the entire nation's eyes trained to the goings-on in the aftermath of the mass gathering, it has now come to light that the NE Indian region might have a closer connection to this congregation that was intially anticipated.

At this point of time, Northeast India is relatively free of the COVID-19, with only two cases -- one in Mizoram and one in Manipur -- reported so far. However, with the ticking time bomb that is the Nizamuddin mosque gathering, there is a frantic rush to identify and isolate all the worshipers who attended the Delhi mosque gathering.

ALSO READ: Assam: Bodofa’s 64th Birth Anniversary Observed with Social Distancing Guidelines

The Shillong Times Editor, Patricia Mukhim took to her Facebook and lashed out at the International Islamic Conference for organising the same during the lockdown, despite the orders by the Government that no religious practices at Church, Dargahs or Temples should take place until further orders. It is pertinent to mention here that at least 5 people from Meghalaya have been identified who took part in the religious ceremony.

A leading media source has revealed that over 1,500 people have been quarantined in the Markaz itself and a facility is coming up for these people in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. At least 800 people who attended are also said to have travelled to other States.