ABSTRACT
Return refers to the act of going back to the country of origin. There are numerous sub-categories of return. Voluntary return is based on informed decisions freely taken by an individual. In the age of COVID-19, individuals were seeking the comfort and security of their homes. Return at this juncture was considered to be dangerous because if any of them were infected, the deadly disease would reach villages where the healthcare infrastructure is extremely poor. Return migration, possibly carrying the virus, can have a devastating impact on the indigenous communities. When the prime minister of India announced a lockdown in March 2020 urging Indians to stay at home to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, it created anxiety and uncertainty amongst thousands of Nagas who were in different parts of India. The cries of thousands were heard and the stranded Nagas were brought back from different states in India. In order to handle situations such as insufficient quarantine facilities and lack of a COVID-19 testing centre, the Nagaland government health and administrative systems and civil society faced colossal challenges. The future looked fairly grey and sobering, although all community resources were mobilized.
