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Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 10 (EMN): Nagaland has seen a significant surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases, and with the restrictions imposed due to pandemic-induced lockdown still in place, staying within one's home and locality has become the new normal for many.
In various districts, shops are allowed to open for a stipulated period time, yet many colonies and villages maintain certain strict rules.
However, as barber shops and salons continue to remain closed, the youth ministry of Changtongya Baptist Church on June 8 took the initiative of giving free haircuts to the villagers who needed it.
Changtongya is a village inhibited by the Ao Nagas in Mokokchung district. The village is categorised into two — Changtongya village and Changtongya town.
Changtongya village and some neighbouring villages had so far been dependent on the one barber shop, which is at Changtongya town.
"The only barber shop is closed because of the lockdown and we felt the need to provide haircut to villagers,' said the youth director of Changtongya Baptist Youth Ministry, Moa Imsong.
With five self-trained hair dressers, the youth department has provided free haircuts to around 40 men from the village till date.
It was informed that most of them have not had a haircut since the lockdown. Children as young as six years and elderly people in the late 80's were benefited from the free haircut. Imsong informed that the haircut was provided on a 'ticket system' as gathering in group was not allowed in the village.
The youth director informed that the villagers are strictly following the laid down rules set by the government in the form of maintaining social distancing as well as adhering to curfew which was imposed from 5 pm till 6 am.
Ali, an elderly man who had his first haircut in three months, thanked the ministry for undertaking the initiative.