Shillong, August 06: The Jaintia Students’ Union supports for the resumption of International Trade at Dawki Land Custom with proper Safety measures (SOPs) as per government guidelines.
The JSU have expressed concern in regard to the lost of livelihood among Truck Drivers, Miners and other daily wage owners who are fully dependent on this trade. It has also rendered Traders in extreme hardships due to pending loans and bad investments.
The JSU clarifies that the recent opposition to the Border trade was against the opening of trade without safety measures i.e. allowing trade to happen as usual as during the pre pandemic times. The union feels that trade should happen with proper SOPs.
The union wants trade to last up until vaccines are approved, developed, manufactured and distributed to reach the masses which could take years to complete the various stages. The JSU does not want people to take this pandemic situation likely by not adhering to safety measures by thinking that vaccines could be the saviors in the near months.
The union further urges the public to understand that the situation could further worsen if the Government has lesser means to finance especially in these times that the Government is in dire needs of funds to strengthen the COVID-19 response mechanism and infrastructure so as to prevent and fight the disease effectively.
Also, it will create a hard situation if the Government is not able to pay salaries of especially frontline workers such as Doctors, Nurses, Polices, and other Government Servants involve.
The Government also needs to improve Healthcare Facilities such as Ambulance, Hospitals, Medical instruments and equipments, etc.which articles e highly dependent on funds via taxes.
A poor economic condition of the government can create a possibility that the government is not able to help it’s people. Even if government spending is sanctioned, it would instead create severe hardships to the future citizens who would have to bear the burden of increase taxes and inflated price of goods and services to cover up for the previous spendings.
Ka JSU also feels that these times demands for a stable economic condition of the public and if their economic condition worsen it would be extremely hard for the people to deal with hunger and meet their other essential needs which will further put their health in bad condition. The union is concerned that we fail to fight this pandemic due to hunger or due to the lack in preventive health preparations against the disease.
The JSU feels it a bad move to oppose International trade through the land custom Dawki because, while the trade with Bangladesh only involves entry at the land port, the inter state trade involves the import of goods from as far as Andhra Pradesh or other states which passes through various states to reach Amlarem or Dawki.
Interstate trade requires the vehicles to pass through various entry points and also various stores and restaurants in which these areas are already affected by COVID-19.
The JSU urges traders to strictly follow protocols such as the barring of trucks to queue up along the National Highway and the exit of drivers from their trucks thereby having a physical contact with the Bangladesh counterparts.
The JSU supports for international trade to resume so as to fight against the pandemic in economic and health fronts and also urges for the proper enforcement of safety protocols so as to contain the virus spread and infection said a statement by President, JSU War Jaintia Circle, Mr Eddy Kery Pohtam and General Secretary, Mr. Kerrydiam Lamin.
