Muslim social and voluntary organisations in the capital demanded lockdown relaxations in Hindpiri, which has been made a containment zone since March 30 as the highest number of novel coronavirus cases in Jharkhand surfaced from this locality.

So far, 70 infections have been detected from Hindpiri ever since the pandemic reached Jharkhand in March.

According to members of the organisations, the strict lockdown has made life of Hindpiri residents, around 70,000 in number, a living hell, and the “negative propaganda” about them has hurt them.

They have appealed to the state to only keep those lanes where the most number of infections were found as containment zones while freeing other parts to ensure a semblance of normal life.

General secretary of the Edar-e-Sharia, Maulana Qutubuddin Rizvi, said his organisation had given a memo to chief minister Hemant Soren on this demand on Friday during the ongoing Ramzan.

“The strict lockdown has created grave problems for pregnant ladies, the elderly and the ailing, as well as all the people residing in Hindpiri. Even healthy young people of the locality are under mental pressure over the way negative propaganda is being spread about one community being responsible for the spread of the virus,” Rizvi said.

Nadeem Khan, who is convener of a social and philanthropic organisation, Lahu Bolega, echoed the same.

“Containment zones should be made at the micro level, isolating only those houses and lanes where the novel coronavirus cases have been detected,” Khan said. He, however, had a word of caution. “There should be a relaxation and not end of the lockdown. Social distancing must not ignored during Id.”