At a time when neighbouring Bihar has imposed a ban on Holi Milan festivities in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, several political and non-political organisations in Jharkhand, including the State Assembly, have started sending out invites for grand ceremonies in the state, a practice doctors fear may increase chances of transmission.

While the BJP organised a Holi Milan ceremony at its state headquarters in Ranchi on Monday, the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha is set to hold a Holi Milan ceremony at the assembly premises on Tuesday, for which it has already sent invitations to media persons and others.

Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto said that all Covid protocols will be followed during the ceremony at the assembly. “We will maintain social distancing during the ceremony. All MLAs have already been tested for Covid-19 prior to the commencement of the Budget session. A detailed SOP will be issued soon related to the Holi Milan,” said Mahto.

Earlier this month, Bihar decided to impose a ban on Holi Milan ceremonies in the wake of rising Covid cases, which is being seen as a second wave of the virus spread by experts. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have ordered special drives to ensure adherence to Covid protocols during the festival. However, Jharkhand is yet to come up with any such directive.

Covid cases have witnessed a sudden rise in Jharkhand in the past one week. Last Monday, the active caseload in the state was 556, and in a week, it has jumped to 756, as per data compiled by National Health Mission (NHM). Ranchi, in particular, has reported the bulk of fresh cases. The count of active cases here jumped from 329 to 404 in the past one week.

“It is our humble request to the people of Jharkhand, please do not play Holi,” said Dr Prabhat Kumar, the nodal officer of Covid management at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, warning against an unprecedented spike in Covid cases if Holi celebrations go out of control.

Dr. Kumar said that he had treated patients in Ranchi when Covid was at its peak, and he would not want that situation to return at any cost. “Playing Holi will not only put you at risk of getting infected, but also put your family members at risk,” he said.