WB: Elderly man quarantined in boat amid COVID-19 scare

In a shocking incident, an elderly person has been quarantined in a boat by his family members and villagers in West Bengal’s Malda district due to lack of space in his relative’s home in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. The elderly man, who earns his living by singing kirtan songs in rural Bengal, had travelled to several places before he reached Malda’s Habibpur.

Malda(West Bengal):West Bengal has already seen a bizarre case of five migrant labourers being quarantined on a tree-top in Purulia district amid the COVID-19 scare.

One such case has again come to light in Malda district, an aged person has been quarantined on a boat away from the residential area, for want of any suitable space.

The elderly Niranjan Halder, a resident of Nabadwip in Nadia district, is a Kirtan (devotional song) singer and this singing takes him to places across the state.

While performing his songs, he had reached Malda on Sunday and could not venture outside due to the Lockdown and the resultant non-availability of public transport.

It was a peculiar predicament of the aged Niranjan, where to go and how to go? Finally, he decided to reach out to his cousin in the Dobapara area of Habibpur in Malda. Once he reached Dobapara, the villagers grew cold feet in accepting an outsider amid the COVID-19 scare.

As it is the man had come from outside. Moreover, no one knows with whom he had contacted during his travels and attending Kirtan gatherings. The villagers decided to take Niranjan to Malda Medical College and Hospital.

The doctors at the hospital did not find any complication in the elderly person's health but advised the mandatory 14-days quarantine as he had come to the district from outside and had a travel history to other places in the state. The second problem now started dawning on the villagers.

Niranjan's cousin has five members in her family and no extra space to accommodate a quarantined person. Where to house the elderly for 14-days in isolation?

After consultation with other villagers, it decided that Niranjan's temporary address will be a boat moored on the neighbouring Tangan river adjacent to the Bulbulchandi crematorium. The location is a desolate area and not many ventures there often.

“We feel about the aged person. He is from Nabadwip and is a Kirtan singer. After he came to his cousin's house, we took him for a check-up as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. The doctors and police all told us to put him under 14-days home quarantine, but there was no extra space in anyone's house.

Then we all decided to house him in a boat on the Tangan river. Every day we reach out to him with all eatables and necessary items,” said Tapan Biswas, a resident of Dobapara village.

Niranjan, however, is upbeat about his peculiar situation.

“I had reached my cousin's place five days ago but was taken to the hospital for a check-up. They advised me to stay aloof, in something called, quarantine. Since then I am in this boat. The villagers as well as my cousin regularly visit me and bring me food and all other necessities. Once this thing is over, I will leave,” says Halder.

The question of Niranjan Halder's safety amid the isolation, however, lingers. Habibpur BDO Subhajit Jana said he was not aware of the situation and has promised to shift the aged person to the government-run quarantine centre.

Till then, the gentle rocking of the waters of Tangan river is only there to keep company with Niranjan Halder in the times of Coronavirus.