Nationwide lock-down

The Himalayan Times

26 March 2020

Nationwide lockdown

The decision of the government to impose a nationwide lockdown for a week starting from today March 24, is a welcome step, albeit still a bit late, in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19 “Week-long nationwide lockdown from today” (THT, March 24, Page 1). Had it been decided a bit earlier to block northern and southern border points and stop all the international flights, the chances of this deadly virus entering Nepal would have been much lesser. It looks as if the government would not have dared to act on its own to seal the border points if the World Health Organization (WHO) had not advised it to do so “Borders sealed” (THT, March 24, Page 4).

Two imported COVID-19 cases-one from China’s Wuhan city and the latest one coming from France - have forced the government to take this bold decision. Although, no other cases have so far been detected in the country, it cannot be easily ruled out that there will be no more infected cases inside the country considering the entrance of this 19 year old girl from France who flew in with 205 other passengers whose identities are still not known to the government “Nepal confirms second COVID-19 case” (THT, March 24, Page 1). Is it possible that some of them who might have infected with COVID-19 are roaming around infecting people in their surroundings? They should be traced out as soon as possible and proper investigation made to see if they are infected.

Even the governments of the developed countries are struggling to save their citizens from this pandemic. Despite their well-developed strategic efforts, utilising their trained health personnel and abundant resources, thousands of their people have lost their lives. Is our government fully prepared to handle the worst situation should there be an outbreak of COVID-19? I hope it is and hope it will also soon bring out an economic package that focuses on the common people, daily wages workers, small entrepreneurs and other economically affected groups who are directly or indirectly affected by this pandemic disease.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj

Comments

Causes and consequences of self-immolation

Self-immolation—the act of setting oneself on fire—is one of the most extreme, painful, and lethal forms of self-harm and suicide. Globally, it represents a profound intersection of psychiatric distress, intense social strain, and political expression. Causes of Self-Immolation: The underlying motivations for self-immolation vary significantly across different regions, cultures, and socioeconomic demographics. · Political and Ideological Protest: In Western nations and certain East Asian histories, self-immolation is highly associated with political statement . Individuals use it as a highly visible, shocking public act to draw attention to perceived systemic injustices, war, or government policy. · Severe Psychiatric Illness: Globally, a vast majority of individuals who attempt self-immolation suffer from severe, often untreated mental health conditions. The most common diagnoses include major depressive disorder , schizophren...

Mid-term election and referendum simultaneously

Mid-term election and referendum simultaneously The people are tired of politicians who make wonderful promises but have miserably failed to fulfill their rosy promises. As a result, they seem to be gradually losing their credibility by days. However, having said that, the level of political awareness among the majority number of the people is still low which has been the advantage for the politicians to lure them towards their irresponsible and dirty politics. In the recent past weeks, we saw thousands of innocent people out in the streets to cheer up the so-called senior leaders who have miserably failed to lead the nation. We can see now the senior leaders and their parties are busy in forming another coalition government following the Supreme Court’s decision to nullify the unification of NCP a few days ago thus splitting the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist. It was, in fact, a huge legal blow to them. This situation has created another political chaos in the country which might in...

A Legend Falls: Remembering Mountaineering Icon Nirmal Purja

The mountaineering world has lost one of its brightest, most unstoppable lights. It is with a profoundly heavy heart that I wish to express my profound grief over the tragic passing of Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, who lost his life alongside his brave crew in a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak, Pakistan. To say Nimsdai was a legend is an understatement. He was a force of nature who redefined the absolute limits of human endurance and capability. From shattering world records by climbing all 14 of the world’s highest peaks in just six months, to leading the historic first winter ascent of K2, he showed the world that "nothing is impossible." More importantly, he brought long-overdue pride, global recognition, and respect to the Nepali climbing and Sherpa community. Nims now rests eternally among the giant peaks he loved and conquered so fiercely. His fearless spirit, boundless energy, and ultimate motto—"Giving up is not in the blood"—will live on forever in the h...

HELLO NEPAL

Search This Blog