COVID-19: Youth Congress Leader Angkita Dutta, back from the US, Quarantines Self in New Delhi

New Delhi, March 21, 2020:

Amid the worldwide frenzy over the coronavirus or COVID-19, Angkita Dutta, Youth Congress leader from Assam finds herself in home quarantine in her residence in the national capital New Delhi. Dutta had earlier been to cities in the United States such as Washington DC, New York, Colombia, and Boston (there are confirmed COVID-19 cases in NY and Boston).

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Let's rewind a couple of days when Angkita arrived in New Delhi in the midst of the phobia over the coronavirus. When Angkita arrived in India, back from a sojourn in the United States, she  had no option but to go into self-imposed quarantine.

Talking to Inside Northeast earlier today, she said, "I have been put in self quarantine. The people that I arrived with, many of them have been taken to their respective States. Jharkhand MLA has been taken to the hospital. I have been self-quarantined in my New Delhi residence since May 19 for a period of 14 days. However, I am pleased to inform that I have no temperature till now."

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It is pertinent to mention here that Angkita, who is the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress’ Deputy president, received the honor to attend a nineteen-day project for India called “Women’s Political Power: Negotiating Space at the Decision Makers’ Table” in the US.

The project with India as its main focus mainly revolved around the history and current state of women’s political participation international cooperation for increasing the same.

The main objective of the “Women’s Political Power: Negotiating Space at the Decision Makers’ Table” is to encourage women’s participation in politics. Angkita Dutta's participation was meant to help her better understand the global political scenario.

Angkita has also informed us that the corona panic started gripping the US while she, along with 4 other women who had been called to the US, were attending meetings and conferences. She told us, "After the 21 day 3 weeks program, we went to Washington and everything went off smoothly. Even though it was very chill. After New York, where several reported cases of COVID-19 were reported, two important meetings were cancelled. After that, we went to Idaho Falls. We then went to Boyse, where there were no cases. We had many meetings there, but some were cancelled. When we were in Boyse, the Government contacted us and said that they would shift us to our homes. We thought that at a time when the Government in a country like the US is planning to send us back, it must be getting serious."

The Congress leader also said that earlier today, she was called by agents of the Assam Health Department who were asking about her whereabouts. "They asked me whether I have reached Assam from the US, and where I am now."

It may be mentioned here that Angkita Dutta was a student of Political Science and Law. She had also taken up Women and Gender Studies and Human Rights as her subjects for studies.