Relevance to Lockdown on COVID-19

 

By Dasher Teshi 

In local traditional practice and definition Doly mean epidemic and Litum mean isolation and Tumnam denotes the act of remaining in camp located far from village. In olden days spreading of epidemic had connected through a career of virus, whoever was responsible in spreading of such virus had to face severe consequences and this crime of spreading virus had, unwanted repercation leading feuds among the communities. Sometime, clan or community clashes occurred on alleged epidemic that virus has been spreaded by an individual.
Broadly, there had four kinds of epidemics prevailed in the society prior to coming of modern medical/health services. They were small pox, Chicken pox, dysentery/cholera and whooping cough. They were locally known as Tobum Doly, Tallw Doly, Echang Doly and Sotung Doly. Other than them, another epidemic nature that took heavy toll of human life was Liya Doly, mean Malaria. Here Liya Lirum denoted the suffering from longer period of fever & pain.
Before coming of health services in the tribal mainland, there had no option except fleeding to forest to have self-quarantine. A large joint family or village community used to flee to jungle to escape from wrath of such epidemics. The community in group or individual made their escape from inflicted area/house. If a grainary houses were located far from dwelling houses, some elderly persons used to stay there to take care of domesticated animals and play the role of messenger in between escaped persons/groups and affected persons by maintaining social distance of communicating from audiable regions or distances.
On outbreak of such epidemics, the clan or community used to go for self-quarantine till natural eradication of epidemic virus or through engagement of DolyNyub (Priest, specialist) in dealing epidemic virus. Effected house or community had to invite such priest who could kill virus through his spiritual chantings and would use all possible weapons viz. Spear, dao, bow& arrows whichever, suit to the situation.
DolyNyub through his spiritual power can negotiate with epidemic virus and kill it in form of unidentified and identified insects like house flies etc. By chanting he would shoot the arrow or spear and its head normally land on earth with pierced insects or house flies stucked in the pointed part of such weapons. These killed insects used to put into burning fire especially arranged in a vessel like frying utensils. The priest would continue to do the job until all viruses were eliminated and on assurance, the people use to break the quarantine and return to their village home. In most cases, there had been instances that reoccurrence of epidemic never happened after engagement of such priest in the past.
Beyond this, the community used to barricade all entry points and also perform preventive rituals called 'Myth Potter' by means of ritual sacrifice. It is nothing but physical and spiritual barrication by involving the God of truth and protector to protect entry of virus through earthly atmosphere and air routes. It mean that no epidemic virus can come through human career and air born one. The entry of out sider during such period remained under prohibited through ritual performance and community distancing. The village by taking shelter in camps in forest has an inherent significance of present day lockdown and quarantine.
On passage of time, and coming of education and health services, such epidemic has limited scope of threatening to human society. Advancement of medical science has greatly influenced and local people to get rid off from erstwhile above mentioned epidemics. The role of priest in such case, now has been taken over by medical science. Moreover, generation or spruting up of priesthood is no longer appearing in general and eradication through such magical priest power has diminished and is almost an extinct matter. Other than DolyNyub, common priest can only perform invocation of 'myth potter' rituals to prevent spread of spiritual virus through physical barricading to protect physical movement of human who are potential career of virus.
The present pandemic (Coronavirus) and natural lockdown has closer similarities with traditional ritual and human transgression where entire community banqueted village called DolyLitumTumnam. Patients i.e. effected persons were left at mercy of God and only appointed DolyNyub (Priest) came to their rescue if luck favours on availability of such priest dealing on epidemic virus. An interesting and amazing fact is that such priests were never inflicted by virus (epidemics) while performing his role.
The system of barricading themselves from outer influence and remaining in quarantine by themselves in the past has been reflected in present scenarios that each sector, colonies, areas, communities have locked themselves during 1.0 and 2.0 lockdown period by maintaining old legacy of quarantine in a urban place like capital region. The tactic is the same old practice on such event of outbreak of epidemics and the system is found to be effective means to prevent themselves from such pandemic ( COVID-19). Surely, it is expected that this stringent measures can defeat coronavirus whatever may be its magnitude or form of killing stinct. The combination of old and modern scientific measures can only defeat any form of epidemic virus necessarily that of virus like corona of Wahan origin which has spreaded its tentacles throughout the world.
The writer is Deputy Director, IPR

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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