Locked down in Aizawl

In my locality, Chaltlang in Aizawl, Mizoram, every shop (even the ones that sell essential goods like vegetables and groceries) is shut down in the mornings, and only one store is allowed to operate—Nu Muani’s.

Every morning, I watch from my bedroom window—technically my niece’s bedroom because she is quarantined in my bedroom as it has an attached bathroom—people are unloading vegetables and other goods outside the store, and only the workers and the Local Level Task Force (LLTF)* members are out.

At a particular time, every day, an announcement is made over the locality loudspeakers that other shopkeepers can now come to Nu Muani’s store to purchase what they need. They are required to maintain distance when standing in line. Others are not yet allowed to come out of the house, and we can’t ‘cheat’ because we are a small community and all the LLTF members know who is a shopkeeper and who is not.

Once all the shopkeepers have bulk-purchased what they need, Nu Muani’s store is closed down, the locality is back on lockdown, and the streets are deserted. Then, at five in the evening, another announcement is made over the loudspeakers, informing people that those selling essential goods can open their stores and that only one member from each household can come out to buy supplies from the shop nearest to them.

We still have to maintain distance while standing in line, and only 2-4 people are allowed inside a shop at the same time. None of the shopkeepers are allowed to sell anything at a price higher than usual; the LLTF keeps a check on that.

*The LLTF is a voluntary group of community leaders in a locality that is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the lockdown is maintained.

Kima Mizohican is a blogger from Mizoram. You can read more of his stories here.