Four day long ‘Teeka Utsav’ (Vaccine festival) is being organised by the Government of India in the country from 11 to 14 April. The vaccine festival is commencing with the birth anniversary of social reformer Jyotiba Govindrao Phule and shall culminate on 14 April coinciding with birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. In order to inoculate maximum number of eligible people against Covid amid a worrying surge in cases and to support TEEKA UTSAV, 44 Assam Rifles under the aegis of 22 Sect AR/ IGAR(E) made its continuous and deliberate efforts to curtail the upsurge of COVID cases in its area of responsibility by conducting vaccination drives for troops and promulgating information through awareness campaigns for the public in Tamenglong district.
In the present situation where number of positive cases and mortality rate due to COVID is high on daily basis, 44 Assam Rifles battalion headquarter and its COB at Dikuiram reached out to locals to spread the message and appeal locals to get vaccinated as many eligible people as many possible and target zero vaccine wastage. The company commander while addressing the people on the occasion of birth anniversary of Mr Jyotiba Govindrao Phule, the pioneer of women education in India, appealed the public to let their girls study and pursue her dreams. Mr Jyotiba and his wife Savitribai Phule had opened the first school for girls in India way back in Aug 1948. Thus we collectively shall contribute towards social reform and follow the aims of Beti Bachao, Beti Padao campaign. He also conveyed that COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) should be strictly enforced among the local populace.
With an aim to promote CAB, requirement of necessary precautions in the pandemic situation and the necessity of vaccination for the eligible persons was promulgated through various platforms. The unit employed posters, banners, lecture, audio messages through Drones in local languages. The drone based sound bite system was used to disseminate information about proper wearing of masks, hand hygiene, maintaining physical distance and timely vaccination. ‘Dawai Bhi, Kadai Bhi’ message was effectively and profusely spread. The CMO, Tamenglong battalion appraised the public that during this vaccination festival the vaccination drive in coordination with civil medical staff shall be taken to interior areas of Akhui, Azuiram and Dikhuiram.
The aim to educate the locals about the importance of maintaining a healthy day to day life style along with routine exercise/ yoga and good food habits to cope up with current situation shall continue for the said period of the Teeka Utsav. The attendees to these awareness campaigns would be greatly benefitted by the information pertaining to COVID free health. The battalion is endeavouring to incorporate various civil administration authority, church authorities, CSOs, Youth leaders and public opinion makers to further spread the awareness about vaccine.