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Eco123 Revista da Economia e Ecologia
Wednesday, the 22nd Abril 2020
by Purna Lal Chuke
The Nepalese government has announced a lockdown on three occasions since 24 March, 2020. The latest one is set to continue until at least 27 April. All government offices, non-governmental organisations, associations, industries, businesses, educational establishments, private hospitals and clinics are closed. Temples, mosques, churches and gumbas (Buddhist monasteries) are also closed. Central and local government are both doing their best to protect the nation’s citizens, broadcasting messages about the need to stay indoors and remain safe. The internet, mobile and telephone service providers have attached a message to the ringtone of the mobiles that everyone uses, warning citizens to take basic precautions.
At the same time, however, encouraging and positive messages are being broadcast on online news channels and social media, in the form of songs, video music clips, and more besides.
Nepal has a 1,700-kilometre-long land border with India. For a week after lockdown, thousands and thousands of people from India entered Nepalgunj daily, trying to reach their homes. They are being rescued by the police and government officials. Some citizens have already been placed directly into quarantine.
About 50,000 Nepalese returned home from India in one week, crossing the Nepalgunj border. For us, this has greatly increased the already high risk of infection with the new coronavirus. At the same time, other Nepalese people were seeking to return home from various countries, but above all from India. Naturally, they were attempting to come home to stay with their families.
This has brought all kinds of problems to border areas: on 31 March, 2020, 163 Nepalese people were left stranded on the Nepal-India border, near Nepalgunj (which is only about four kilometres away). Those Nepalese who were previously working in India and have since been expelled have been placed in a helpless situation, living in no man’s land for the past three days in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. This is a very painful and frightening situation. But the local government has succeeded in arranging quarantine facilities, regular health checks and food for them.
Due to the cultural, marital and family relationships that have been established between citizens of Nepal and India for many years, it is only natural that relatives should wish to travel back and forth quite easily. People also like to come to Nepal in the hope that they will be safe here in every respect.
In times of crisis, don’t let your morale weaken. Remain strong and steadfast. We should now do our best to spread the positive message that you can reduce the risk of contagion of the coronavirus by staying at home, and we must stop people posting confusing and misleading contents on social media.
Let us share harmony, friendship, love and affection. Nobody knows how long their life cycle will last. In fact, who knows what at this stage? What chance do innocent creatures like us have in this epidemic when even the most powerful people in wealthy countries have died prematurely? Do not let anger rage, and let us not abandon other emotions. Let us laugh and laugh, and spread positive messages to save one other.
