Manipur Assembly Speaker Yumnam Khemchand is among the coronavirus warriors who are taking it on themselves to serve the people during this global pandemic.
Khemchand is running a quarantine centre involving local community members, all by themselves, to boost the Northeast state’s fight against COVID-19.
“This quarantine facility is completely run by us. It is an example of community participation in the war against COVID-19. We are fighting the disease and not the people. Our team, volunteers and the community workers have set a great example of how we can fight and win the war against COVID-19,” Khemchand told The News Mill about his quarantine centre at Manipur College at Singjamei in Imphal.
Led by Khemchand, the volunteers took technical support from the government and apart from that all other facilities – from food to clothes – were arranged by themselves.
“As many students and working people are outside the state, I had a plan in my mind to help them. This planning was going on from the last week of April. We could make this centre operational from May 2. I decided to run it without the monetary support from the government. The Meira Paibis came in along with other local community based clubs. So, it’s going on in full swing now,” Khemchand, a former martial arts player, added.
The 69-year-old BJP man said that initially some of the volunteers at the centre were taunted by a section of locals. “But now things have changed and I am happy that it has sent a positive message. This is really important,” he added.
Khemchand has also set up his makeshift office in the centre to continue his work.
At present, there are around 100 people, mostly students studying outside the state, who are staying at the centre. But luckily, there was no any positive case here till now.
There are around 70 people who are working round the clock at the centre. “Apart from the regular menu, we are also providing warm water with ginger to the inmates every hour to strengthen their immune system,” Khemchand, the founder president of Assam Taekwondo Association, said.
Khemchand had formed the taekwondo body when he was studying in Guwahati in 1980s.
