WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 56 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 34.5 C 4.5 C Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | 10-01-2077 Dhangadi Jomsom With hundreds of thousands of migrants due to return, Nepal braces for a crisis Nepalis who work abroad are likely to lose their jobs in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government must make plans to accommodate them.

PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA & CHANDAN KUMAR MANDAL KATHMANDU, APRIL 21

A scenario that experts had long warned about is likely to soon come to pass. And it is going to overwhelm the Nepali state. Foreign employment has played an instrumental role in keeping the Nepali economy afloat, but it was never a sustainable option. Now that the global economy is in the throes of a recession due to the Covid-19 pan- demic, hundreds of thousands of Nepalis abroad are likely to lose their jobs and return home. “The government now has the POST FILE PHOTO responsibility of managing the liveli- If a large number of Nepalis return from hoods of around 10 million people, foreign jobs, Nepal will lose remittance. POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA even if we go by the estimate that People leaving Kathmandu arrive for buses at Jadibuti, Koteshwor on a rainy Tuesday evening. Arrangements were made to send people stranded by a prolonged lockdown to their home districts. one migrant worker supports a family Gulf and Malaysia. of three,” said Govinda Nepal, an “Nepalis go abroad to work because economist. there are no jobs in the country and The government does not have exact we have not been able to create job data of how many Nepalis are cur- opportunities,” said Yubraj Nepal, rently employed abroad, but they esti- director at the Centre for Migration Like most vulnerable groups, soon-to-be and new mated to number in the millions. and International Relations, an organ- According to the Migration in Nepal isation that works in labour migration report, there are an estimated 500,000 policy and workers’ welfare. “We don’t Nepali migrants in Malaysia, the most know what will happen if workers mothers face an uncertain near future popular labour destination, followed return home in droves.” by Qatar with over 400,000, Saudi A number of Gulf countries have Arabia 334,451, the United Arab of already asked governments to take With hospitals and public transport shut, women can’t go for regular check-ups for themselves and their children. Emirates 224,905 and Kuwait 70,000. their migrant workers back, as their These five countries alone accommo- economies are facing contraction ELISHA SHRESTHA & THOMAS HEATON “The last time I visited the hospital, date over 1.5 million Nepalis. amid the Covid-19 pandemic. KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 I had my blood and urine tested Although unofficial estimates also The United Arab Emirates has even because I was suffering from extreme vary widely, the Nepali population in threatened countries who don’t take When Ashmita discovered she was fatigue and back pains,” said Ashmita, India is said to number between 3 to 4 their citizens home with “consequenc- pregnant with her first child seven who did not want her last name dis- million. A majority of Nepalis who es”, including blacklisting and scrap- months ago, a midwife told her to reg- closed. “The doctor asked me to collect work abroad are employed in India. But ping labour relations. ularly visit the hospital for check-ups the report a few days later. However, since Nepal and India share an open Another Gulf country, Kuwait, throughout her pregnancy. Ashmita the lockdown was announced, and I border, there are no official figures. which had swiftly offered general abided. have yet to collect the report. I still With lockdowns in place and busi- amnesty to all undocumented workers So every two weeks, she visited the have health complications, but I’m nesses shuttered, most of these in a bid to encourage them to return Paropakar Maternity and Women’s unable to visit the doctor.” Nepalis are currently out of jobs and home, also came up with a similar Hospital to receive antenatal care. The 18-year-old is one of many even when the lockdowns are relaxed, warning of reconsidering labour rela- However, her hospital visits came to expecting and new mothers dealing they are not likely to be employed, tions with countries that refuse to an abrupt halt when the government with anxiety and uncertainty because POST FILE PHOTO given the beating most economies are withdraw their citizens. declared a lockdown to control the of the nationwide lockdown as they Safe motherhood, which already is a challenge in backward areas, has become a far cry now. currently taking. “Sooner or later, these countries are spread of Covid-19 on March 23. are unable to hold regular face-to-face Nepal is already facing pressure to likely to send Nepali workers home,” consultations with midwives or help me except for my husband,” said into tears because they can’t go for bring home at least 70,000 Nepali said Nepal of the Centre for Migration hospital staff. Few hospitals have Ashmita. “My main concern is how will regular check-ups,” Tripathi said. migrant workers from the Gulf and International Relations. “The outpatient services currently I go to the hospital for my delivery.” The helpline provides women with nations, according to a report in prospect of Nepali workers being open, but making it to the hospi- To assist women like Ashmita, the relevant information, especially on Kantipur, the Post’s sister paper. rehired depends on how long the tals is next to impossible with Midwives’ Society of Nepal has been things like the provision for airlifts in It’s time the government started impact of this crisis lingers and how public transport prohibited. running a phone-in counselling ser- extreme circumstances, and helps making plans to accommodate the they respond.” The Paropakar Maternity vice to provide both clinical and psy- connect women to organisations pro- migrants who are likely to return If Nepali workers start to return Hospital is still open, but chological advice to worried mothers- viding food, finances or transporta- home in droves, say experts, but there home, Nepal will struggle to accom- Ashmita is unable to get there to-be and new mothers. The free ser- tion. Tripathi and her colleagues have is little evidence that the current modate all of these working-age men because she doesn’t have trans- vice has already dealt with over 100 mostly dealt with women in administration has understood the and women. But their return will also port of her own. mothers since the lockdown started, Kathmandu, but they’ve also received severity of the crisis that looms. mean that the Nepali economy will “I’m stressed and worried said midwife Rukumani Tripathi. calls from as far as Pokhara, Jhapa, Instead, it has repeatedly said that lose out on its most significant source thinking that if the lockdown “Most women are calling us in a Nepalgunj and Butwal. there are no immediate plans to repat- of income. continues, I won’t have anyone to panicked state. Some of them burst >> Continued on page 5 riate Nepali workers from the Persian >> Continued on page 5

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY

Inside the Post Quote of the day

Oli’s ordinance issuance draws criticism as an attack on democratic National values and constitutional spirit, Page 3 Organisations working in the education sector have suggested the government scrap the secondary education examination and the tests for grade 11 and 12 and promote the students through internal evaluation amid uncertainty over resump- “The party and the government should not tion of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic. deviate from their main responsibility and should not involve in actions that under- Opinion While the Nepal government is playing a significant role to prevent Covid-19 from mine democratic and constitutional values spreading, the impact on vulnerable communities does not appear on the govern- ment’s radar, nor has there been media coverage of the issue. and the spirit of the rule of law.” Madhav Kumar Nepal, senior Nepal Communist Party leader, on Money the two ordinances issued by Prime Minsiter KP Sharma Oli. Cash-strapped Virgin Australia collapsed on Tuesday, making it the largest carri- er yet to buckle under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global airline industry. Most read online World The UN General Assembly has demanded global action to quickly scale up the Oli’s sudden issuance of two ordinances raises development of and access to medicines, vaccines and equipment to battle the pandemic, while the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that rushing to concerns of a party split in the making ease coronavirus lockdowns could lead to a resurgence of the outbreak. In the midst of a global pandemic that has almost shuttered the entire world, the KP Sharma Oli Cabinet introduced two ordinances on Monday—both unrelated to the fight against Covid-19. The two ordinances, presented suddenly, are relat- Culture & Arts ed to political parties and the Constitutional Council. Misinformation spreads like wildfire in any major event. But this infodemic, meaning an excessive amount of information that circulates on the internet most of which is plagued by fake news, can have far-reaching impacts, experts believe. A worrying rise in Islamophobia ever since a number of Muslim men were diagnosed with Covid-19 On Saturday, a few 10 rupee notes dropped from the pockets of two Muslim women walking in Janakpur, an incident that was caught on CCTV camera. But it took no time at all for this innocent accident to be turned into something News Quiz much more insidious.

1. Which local unit in Saptari a. Dang While produce rots in Nepal’s fields, food imports district saw a scuffle over b. Baglung POST PHOTO: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA continue from India alleged irregularities in relief c. Saptari A man peers out a door during lockdown hours at the Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur. distribution? d. Kavre On Saturday, Rama Shankar Kushwaha was headed for Birgunj on a bicycle a. Bodebarsain Municipality laden with sacks of vegetables when he was stopped by the police. When police b. Kanchanpur Municipality 4. The Ministry of Health and personnel asked him why he was violating the lockdown, Kushwaha told them c. Rajbiraj Municipality Population has started the pro- that he was headed for the market as traders had not come by to his fields for d. Chhinnamasta Rural cess to purchase how many On this day in history three consecutive weeks to collect his produce. The police didn’t buy his argu- Municipality additional RDT kits through ment. fast track procedure? 2. Formula 1 team six-time world a. 500,000 champion Lewis Hamilton cur- b. 1,000,000 Nepal initiates a 3-phase strategy to internationalize Alan Arnette: It will not surprise me if climbing rently drives for which team? c. 100,000 refugee problems does not resume until spring a. Ferrari d. 250,000 When Alan Arnette trekked to Everest Base Camp in 1997 and saw Everest for b. Red Bull KATHMANDU - Nepal has decided to adopt a strategy to internationalize the prob- the first time, it marked the beginning of his love affair with the mountains and c. Renault F1 team 5. Which Australian airlines lem of Bhutanese refugees in three phases, a high placed official source told The Nepal. In 2002, he returned to Nepal, this time to climb Everest but he had to d. Mercedes announced it was entering vol- Kathmandu Post. abort his climb at about 8,400 metres. untary administration amid Under the first phase, Nepal will raise the issue’s economic, social and envi- coronavirus travel ban? ronmental problems created the refugees. In the second phase, Nepal will draw a. Qantas the attention of the international community towards the violation of human b. Virgin Australia rights in Bhutan and the burning problems arising therefrom. Under the third c. Jetstar phase, the ill treatment by the Bhutanese Government to the Nepali Bhutanese. Corrections d. Tiger Airways The Kathmandu Post In the story, ‘Around 200 Khayar trees cut down in Tripurasundari, Dhading’ 6. Authorities directed which of the April 22, 1993 (Pg 5, April 12), it was erroneously mentioned that Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari has following to not to cut services to been arrested numerous times for timber smuggling in the last three decades. He has REUTERS people for non-payment of bills? only been embroiled in timber smuggling controversies. a. Nepal Water Supply Corporation For the most recent corrections, visit kathmandupost.com/corrections. 3. Local governments in which dis- b. Nepal Electricity Authority Answers to News Quiz: 1(b), 2(d), 3(a), 4(c), 5(b), 6(c) trict arranged vehicles for c. Internet Service Providers migrants heading home on foot? d. Nepal Oil Corporation HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) CANCER (June 22-July 22) LIBRA (September 23-October 22) CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) *** *** **** *** Your curiosity might be getting the better of An unexpected influx of money could be com- A friend could offer you some unsolicited advice Your old habits are holding you back in your you right now. Your quest to know all the ing your way, but it might not be enough to today, and while that’s your least favorite kind career more than you realise. They’re lingering, answers all the time has led you down a path make a huge difference in your life. Consider of advice, it still could be advice that you should and you have to try harder to kill them! Luckily, that just might be a dead-end street. So, why ask donating it to charity, a needy person, or some- take. It could hold the key to a new romance or your focus is stronger today, and you’re finally why? Probing into every little mystery will only one else who’s having a hard time. It will make an opportunity at work. They’ve been through beginning to understand the value of sacrifice give the mystery power over you. Don’t try to a bigger impact on their life than yours, and it this all before, and their experience has taught in your life. The next time the urge to do some- figure out why things are happening the way will make you feel good to brighten someone’s them lessons that they think you should learn. thing negative pops up, take a detour. they are. Just roll with it. life that way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) LEO (July 23-August 22) SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** *** **** *** Someone is back on the scene, and they might You need to get things done today, and you might If your favourite authority figure has ceased to You truly value the people you have in your life have a hard time adjusting to the fact that you have to swallow your pride to do it all. Ask for inspire or motivate you, it’s time to find a new right now, so set aside some time to get to know have much more influence than you did when the help you need, as long as you don’t make it a mentor! There is a good chance that they’ve them better. Video chat with a new friend. they first worked with you. This could create a habit. If someone already knows what you’re gotten a bit lazy about exploring new ideas, and Inserting yourself into someone else’s life is power struggle, but only if they start first. You going to ask before you ask it, you should move if so, how are they going to inspire you to do it? easy right now. You’re entering a phase in need to remember your position and have confi- on to a different person who isn’t always your Find a person who intimidates you a little bit. which your ambition is going to take a back seat dence in your leadership. first stop when you’re in need. They’ll be flattered by your attention. to your desire.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) VIRGO (August 23-September 22) SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** ** **** *** Start exploring the places, people, and things Your regular way of doing things might not The way you interact with strangers could Sometimes dreams are just dreams. If you’re that are foreign to you, from food to music to change today, but it might feel different. impact your day. If you choose to ignore every- still scratching your head over a recent series of politics. What other countries have to offer will Something has changed in you, and it’s giving one you don’t know, your day will be uneventful confusing nighttime visions, stop scratching! suddenly be fascinating to you. Things have set- you a fresh perspective. You’re eager to start and typical. But if you engage with other peo- These odd images might hold valuable clues tled down a bit in your life, so you need some- making the transitions. This is all well and ple, you’ll find a huge shift in your energy and about what to do with your life, or they might thing to stimulate your mind and get you think- good, but you have to be mindful that nothing creativity. You don’t have to make any new just be exercises your brain is doing while your ing about new things. will happen overnight. friends, but why not smile a bit more? body sleeps.

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K 03 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 NATIONAL Education organisations suggest internal evaluation for SEE and higher secondary level students National Examination Board says internal evaluation won’t be validated and insists on holding exams.

POST REPORT through internal evaluation. KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 “There is a reason for holding the broad examinations which cannot be Organisations working in the educa- changed abruptly,” Chandra Mani tion sector have suggested the govern- Poudel, chairperson of the board, ment scrap the secondary education told the Post. “Allowing internal eval- examination and the tests for grade 11 uation will raise questions over and 12 and promote the students accreditation.” through internal evaluation amid He argues that graduation certifi- uncertainty over resumption of cates need to be recognised at home schools due to the coronavirus and abroad. The certificates provided pandemic. without holding proper tests cannot The Secondary Education have validation, he adds. Examinations or SEE scheduled for Poudel said the examinations for March 19 was postponed for indefi- the three grades could be held a couple nitely five days before the government of weeks after the lockdown is lifted. on March 24 imposed a lockdown. It is The lockdown has been extended uncertain when the 482,219 student, until April 27 and it is almost sure that who had registered for the examina- the academic institutions are not tion, will be sitting for the test. going to function even if the lockdown Similarly, the tests for grade 11 and is lifted partially. 12 that were slated to commence on The campaign has also suggested April 20 too have been postponed. the government allocate necessary Records at the National Examination budget to equip the schools technical- Board show over 962,000 students were ly and train the teachers for online supposed to sit for their annual tests. education. The National Campaign for “The government needs to train the Education, an association of over 300 teachers in use of technology so that POST PHOTO: SANJOG MANANDHAR organisations involved in the educa- they can teach the students remotely,” People from the Newar community cook rice in a cauldron for Dashkarma Puja, which is part of the Rato Machhindranath festival in Lalitpur on Tuesday. tion sector, said the government the campaign said. should allow the respective schools While promoting online and tech- and the subject teachers to evaluate nology based education, the campaign their students. has stressed that it is crucial to con- “As the tests for the SEE and grades sider the needs of a large number of 11 and 12 are uncertain we urge for students in rural Nepal who do not grading the performance of the stu- have access to computers and internet Government prepares to seal Udayapur dents through internal evaluation,” service. reads a letter issued by the campaign. The Ministry of Education has The students from class one to nine formed a panel to suggest the govern- graduate to the higher grades through ment for providing online education internal examinations but the as the schools and colleges across the district following confirmation of students from grade 10 and above nation continue to remain shut due to have to face national board exams to the threat of the coronavirus. graduate. There are around seven million stu- Officials at the board, however, say dents at the school level and around 11 new Covid-19 cases in a day it is not possible to certify the students 500,000 at the university level. According to Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, all those who tested positive on Tuesday were asymptomatic.

ARJUN POUDEL not yet known. The Health Ministry said that the challenging as all the patients were KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 The National Public Health number of positive cases could asymptomatic,” Pandey told the Post. Laboratory confirmed the disease in increase, as samples of 20 people who “We are preparing to send a team of The Health Ministry on Tuesday con- the samples of three people, and a came in contact with those infected health workers from the centre tomor- firmed 11 more cases of Covid-19, laboratory at the BP Koirala Institute are being tested at the National Public row to assist in contact tracing.” pushing the total number of positive of Health Sciences in Dharan identi- Health Laboratory. The division has already deployed a cases to 42. fied Covid-19 in eight people, accord- A Health Ministry official said that team of health workers including According to Dr Bikash Devkota, ing to Devkota. the local administration has sealed an epidemiologist from the World spokesperson for the Health Ministry, All tests were performed as per the the area where the majority of the Health Organization’s Nepal country 11 people from Udayapur district test- polymerase chain reaction method. Covid-19 cases were detected and office. ed positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. On April 17, 12 people, including preparations are underway to seal the The Health Ministry said that 260 “Yes, an additional 11 people have some Indian nationals, residing in a entire district, which entails restrict- specimens—nasal and throat swabs of tested positive for Covid-19,” Devkota mosque in Udayapur had tested posi- ing all in and out movement. people who came in contact with those told the Post. “All are from the same tive for Covid-19. Another 65-year-old Dr Basudev Pandey, director of the infected—have been collected for poly- Muslim community.” man tested positive for the virus the Epidemiology and Disease Control merase chain reaction tests. They are Of the 11 new patients, nine are next day. With Tuesday’s confirma- Division, said that all the patients who being tested at the National Public males between the ages of 18 and 58, tion, the number of people infected tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday Health Laboratory, the BP Koirala while two are women— one is 36 years with the Covid 19 reached 24 in were asymptomatic. Institute of Health Sciences and the POST FILE PHOTO old and the age of the other woman is Udayapur alone. “Tracing contacts has become more Koshi Hospital. Students sit for the Secondary Education Examination. 50 contractors, suppliers Oli’s ordinance issuance draws criticism as an attack placed on blacklist on democratic values and constitutional spirit More requests were filed this fiscal due to an amendment Leaders, including those from his own party, and experts describe ordinances as the government’s misplaced priority. to the public procurement regulations, officials say. ANIL GIRI pay heed,” the minister told the Post Constitutional Council provisions, as of the President and raise concerns KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 on Monday. the government is facing allegations about it becoming a rubber stamp of PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA to the Federation of Contractors’ A senior ruling party leader said on of protecting the corrupt. the government,” said Adhikari. KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 Association of Nepal, over 2,000 such Political party leaders and experts Tuesday that the decision to issue “The prime minister wants to make Opposition parties have also taken construction contracts have received have described the KP Sharma Oli ordinances showed the Oli govern- other members of the Constitutional exception to the ordinances. The Public Procurement Monitoring extensions following the amendment. government’s move of introducing ment’s misplaced priorities. Council redundant,” said Adhikari. “It has become apparent that the Office has blacklisted 50 construction One of the latest firms recommend- two ordinances as an attempt to “We are in an abnormal situation. “The amendment will make the prime government is not serious about sav- and supply firms as of the third quar- ed to be being blacklisted is Omni undermine democratic principles, In such times of crisis, the party and minister all-powerful in the council.” ing the lives of the people, and is bent ter of the fiscal year, and several more Business Group. The group had rule of law and equally unconstitu- the government should not deviate The Council, headed by the prime on [attacking] the fundamentals of will be added to the list in the months received the government contract to tional too. from their main responsibility and minister, consists of the chief justice, democracy and parliamentary sys- ahead, a senior official said. supply medical goods, including per- The Oli government on Monday should not involve in actions that Speaker and deputy Speaker of the tem,” said senior Nepali Congress The office, which monitors the per- sonal protection equipment, N-95 introduced two ordinances at a time undermine democratic and constitu- House of Representatives, chairman leader Shekhar Koirala. “The consti- formance of government contrac- masks, gloves and other medical when the country should be focusing tional values and the spirit of the rule of the National Assembly, and leader tution has envisioned ownership of tors,had blacklisted 50 companies dur- equipment to fight the Covid-19 its attention on the Covid-19 pandem- of law,” said Madhav Kumar Nepal in of the main opposition as members. constitutional bodies. So this is a ing the last fiscal. It received more pandemic. ic. The ordinances seek to amend a statement. “At a time when the world The minister for law and justice also betrayal to the Nepali people. The way requests to ban companies from secur- On April 1, the Department of some provisions of the Political Party is badly hit by Covid-19, our takes a seat when the appointment is the President has approved it without ing government contracts in the Health Services had scrapped its Act and the Constitutional Council focus should be on combating the related to the judiciary while the chief delay also raises a question over the future this year, due to amendments agreement with Omni citing its fail- (Functions, Duties, Powers and pandemic.” secretary functions as the secretary of integrity of the high office.” made to the public procurement regu- ure to supply adequate medical goods Procedures) Act. the council. But a ruling party leader who is lation, officials said. in the first batch of delivery. It had Once amended, the Political Party According to the proposed amend- close to Oli told the Post that since “More than 30 firms are under scru- also cited Omni’’s inability to deliver Act will allow any party to split if 40 The move has also ment to the Constitutional Council several posts in the constitutional tiny after various government agen- goods on time. percent of its central members or par- Act, if the first meeting of the council bodies are vacant, the government cies asked them to be blacklisted,” The deal had landed in controversy liamentary party members want to called into question fails to take a decision, the next meet- cannot wait forever in the name of said Rajesh Kumar Thapa, director of after it was revealed that the company register a new party. The earlier provi- ing shall be called within 24 hours and consensus and unanimity. After this the office, told the Post. If those under secured the contract despite quoting sion had it that for a party to split, 40 the role of the Office decisions will be taken based on amendment, appointments in consti- scrutiny are also blacklisted, it will be prices much higher than those quoted percent of members of both the cen- majority votes of the members pres- tutional bodies will be expedited, the the largest-ever blacklisting in a year. by other bidders. tral committee and parliamentary of the President. ent in the meeting. This amendment leader said. The highest number of firms black- Based on the recommendation of party were required. Similarly, once will give Oli the upper hand, as he can He, however, refused to justify how listed in a single fiscal year was the government agency that procured the Constitutional Council is amend- almost all the time have decisions in this was an immediacy when the focus recorded in 2017-18 when 52 firms construction equipment, goods and ed, the new provision will allow it to Experts say Oli’s move also attracts his favour, say experts. should have been on the fight against faced action. services, the procurement monitoring take decisions even with simple some constitutional issues. Monday’s development has also Covid-19. “As we still have a quarter left in the office blacklists a firm after giving majority votes. “Any attempt to amend the provi- called the Office of the President’s Dinesh Tripathi, an advocate, said fiscal year, there is a possibility that them an opportunity to furnish The existing provision states that sions related to the Constitutional role into question, given the swiftness the government violated Article 284 of more requests for blacklisting will be clarifications. “each matter submitted at the meeting Council through an ordinance is it showed to approve the ordinances. the constitution. made,” said Thapa. The office, which last week sought shall be decided unanimously”. Sub- unconstitutional,” said Bipin Soon after the Cabinet that took the “It is against the principles of Thapa said that his office received clarification from Omni, has to decide clause 6 says in case there is no una- Adhikari, an expert on constitutional decisions, the ruling party held its power devolution, checks and balanc- more requests this year compared to on recommendations to blacklist nimity among the Council chair and affairs and former dean of the Secretariat meeting. The meeting, es and parliamentary democracy,” the previous years because govern- within six months after receiving a members, no decision shall be made. Kathmandu University School of Law. however, ended long before it could said Tripathi. “The government is ment offices recommended firms for request from the government firm The Oli government’s move has “It looks like the prime minister wants discuss the Cabinet decisions, as the subverting the constitutional spirit blacklisting after their “sick con- concerned. been opposed by leaders of his own to demoralise the constitutional President’s nod had already made the and bypassing Parliament.” tracts” were not extended even after Ram Nirman Sewa, HM Builders Nepal Communist Party (NCP) as bodies.” discussion redundant. A bill seeking an amendment to the the recent amendment to public pro- and Kumbheshwor Nirman Sewa well. Even during the Cabinet meeting The Constitutional Council is a key Within hours, the decisions to issue Constitutional Council was in the fed- curement regulations paved the way Private Limited are three firms on Monday, according to a minister, agency that appoints officials at vari- ordinances were published in the eral parliament, but the government for one last extension. that were blacklisted in April. Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, ous constitutional bodies, including Nepal Gazette. didn’t push it following a controversy. The ninth amendment to the regula- Major firms blacklisted this year are: Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam the Commission for Investigation of According to Adhikari, the Office of Now that the House is in recess, the tion made in December allowed Pappu Construction and its joint ven- Bhusal and Energy Minister Abuse of Authority, the country’s top the President can hold the ordinances government is seeking to amend the long-pending contracts to get a one- ture Raman Construction, and Barshaman Pun had expressed reser- anti-corruption agency. for at least four to five days for study provisions in the Constitutional year extension provided that authori- Sunaula Khimti Construction vations about the ordinances. Concerns have also grown over Oli’s before approving them. Council Act through an ordinance and ties considered it necessary. According Limited. “But the prime minister refused to intent to seek amendments to the “Such moves also weaken the Office that’s wrong, said Tripathi.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL Chepangs face a humanitarian crisis Unilateral separation The impact of the lockdown on vulnerable communities Oli’s move to ram through controversial does not appear on the ordinances is not a good sign for democracy. government’s radar. It seems as if even a global pandemic, and the consequent crisis it has brought at home, is not enough to stop Prime BISWASH CHEPANG Minister KP Sharma Oli’s seeming need to pull a fast one on everyone, including his own party members. To be sure, the past two and then some years have proved to the people that the prime minister’s main goal for his entire tenure is to maintain control—forget the grand promises of political sta- bility, growth and prosperity. However, even by Oli’s own standards, choosing to ram through ordinances that have The Chepang community with a popula- nothing to do with the handling of the current Covid-19 out- tion of about 68,000 living in Chitwan, break—in the middle of an extended and uncertain lock- Makwanpur, Dhading and Gorkha dis- down—is pushing it to a new low. Oli’s intention seems to be tricts are one of the most marginalised the shelving of the government’s relevance in terms of any indigenous communities in Nepal, and particular agenda; he just wants to drag his party and gov- also one of the hardest hit by the Covid- 19 pandemic. ernment on until the next federal elections. The Chepangs have one of the highest The current manoeuvre, coming to light in the late hours illiteracy rates, lowest access to basic of April 20, revolved around the passing of two suspect ordi- public services such as drinking water, nances. One of the ordinances—which had been tabled previ- electricity, education and health care. As ously due to its controversial nature—revolves around the the subsistence agriculture on which working of the Constitutional Council. The council, among most of them depend does not produce its other functions, is responsible for the appointment of offi- sufficient food to last them for a year, most of them survive with additional cials to the various constitutional bodies. This council usual- income as daily wage earners. This story ly includes in its membership the prime minister, the chief is about the high risk of the spread of justice, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Covid-19, and the implications of the PHOTO COURTESY: AAKASH CHEPANG Representatives, chairman of the National Assembly, and lockdown on the Chepangs and measures Chepangs attending a support program at Jimling, Rapti Municipality, Korak village. leader of the main opposition as members. Before the recent to address their plight. ordinance was passed, only a unanimous decision could be tables have gone to waste due to the lock- erings are continuing to take place in First, there is a need for immediate approved by the council. This provision existed in the spirit Vulnerable communities down, and the only source of income for defiance of the call for social distancing. humanitarian assistance consisting of of partnership and cooperation, and to minimise the effects While the Nepal government is playing a the Chepang people has been taken Tilak Chepang of Dhading says, ‘Some food, water, primary healthcare and pos- significant role to prevent Covid-19 from away’. April is the season for sowing of the local Chepangs continue to attend sibly temporary camps to keep people in of majoritarianism. However, with Oli’s sneaky move, the spreading, the impact on vulnerable crops and this is also when food stocks church gatherings every Saturday. This isolation. These are a prerequisite for Constitutional Council can take decisions with a majority, communities does not appear on the gov- become exhausted. exposes the group to risk of infection if survival and prevention of the spread of thereby sidelining the need for cooperation when the ruling ernment’s radar, nor has there been Second, the Chepang community lacks any one member in the congregation is Covid-19. party has a large majority in both houses. This goes entirely media coverage of the issue. There are basic healthcare support systems. They infected. There are 24 churches in Second, local governments and local against the need for a constitutional council in its current stories in the media of how the pandem- have no access to primary healthcare in Dhading, and many Chepangs in recent health authorities should initiate Covid- form and makeup. ic has hit indigenous communities dev- the villages where obtaining even basic years have converted to Christianity’. 19 awareness programmes and support As if this major and blatant move wasn’t enough, Oli also astatingly in other nations, and the steps medicines for fever, diarrhoea, the com- Fifth, people who left Kathmandu for local communities to help them deal taken to prevent transmission among mon cold, minor wounds and emergency their villages were not tested before with the crisis. Thanks to Nepal Telecom unilaterally pushed through another ordinance—one related Aboriginals in Australia, Inuits in cases is a struggle. The lockdown and the departure, and they pose a risk to others and Ncell for bringing out an audio mes- to the stability of political parties themselves. Nepali parties Canada and indigenous communities risk of Covid-19 transmission has fur- if they are infected with the virus. sage as mobile caller tune to raise aware- have a penchant for unification and separation to suit indi- across North America. The lockdown ther aggravated this lack of basic health- Sixth, poor access to information and ness about Covid-19 and possible ways to vidual leaders’ vested interests. All major parties, including and isolation have unique ramifications care. awareness relating to how to protect one- prevent transmission. However, there is Nepali Congress, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the erst- on vulnerable indigenous communities Aambire Chepang of Chitwan, the son self from Covid-19 is another issue. a need to check if the vulnerable commu- while Maoists and other communist factions have all under- in Nepal due to their characteristic of a cancer patient, says, ‘My father with ‘Locals are unaware of the need for nities are aware of it. gone various unification and divorce phases in their history. socio-economic and cultural settings. first stage bile duct cancer had his sched- social distancing and personal hygiene, Third, local community health work- To avoid fissures on the basis of a small minority of a party They cannot be left out, and their plight uled chemotherapy at the government and they roam around as they used to do ers should launch a programme to needs to be addressed if we are to hospital in Bharatpur on the day the during normal times’, says Aakash demonstrate proper handwashing feeling sidelined, thereby creating larger issues of political prevent the spread of this contagious lockdown was announced. Since the Chepang of Chitwan. besides making water supply accessible. instability, the Political Parties Act 2002 requires 40 percent disease. chemo could not take place due to the Seventh, the digital divide prevents Fourth, a special support programme of both the central committee of a party and its parliamenta- There are seven issues facing these lockdown, he was forced to return home, Chepangs from participating in online should be introduced for vulnerable ry arm to agree to a split for the party to fracture. The new communities. and is now fighting for his life’. classes. Online classes have been intro- groups such as children, women and ordinance allows parties to fracture with 40 percent of either First, an economic crisis is causing Uma Chepang, a staff nurse in duced by education institutions, mostly elderly people. of the mentioned entities agreeing, making such splits easier famine. A majority of uneducated Makwanpur, has this to say, ‘There is in Kathmandu Valley including Fifth, local governments should imme- to engineer. Chepangs are daily wage earners work- lack of a proper healthcare system in Tribhuvan University. Chepang students diately coordinate with local farmers so ing at construction sites and in the furni- our community, and people are not aware who returned to their villages are exclud- that they are able to sell their products in Experts are debating over the exact reason why Oli chose to ture industry, hotels and restaurants, of personal hygiene. The risk of trans- ed from online classes as they have no the market. Facilities to store surplus pass this particular ordinance now. But whatever the exact and now they are out of a job. ‘The mitting infection is very high if this electricity, internet and a reliable mobile vegetables in cold storage should be reason may be, it is definitely a move to afford him more per- absence of alternative sources for wages virus is seen in one of the members in network. arranged instead of letting them go to sonal control over the running of government. It is no secret during the lockdown has contributed to a the family or community’. waste. that Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the other chairman, has been rise in famine among the Chepang com- Third, overcrowding at home makes Emergency responses building up support within the Nepal Communist Party munity in Dhading district’, says Tilak them prone to infection if a family mem- Five measures are suggested to address Chepang holds a Master’s in advance Secretariat to challenge Oli’s tight-fisted rule. It is also no Chepang of Benighat village. Neither are ber gets infected. A typical Chepang the crisis facing these most vulnerable development in social works from the secret that the prime minister has been sinisterly attempting farmers able to sell seasonal vegetables home has one room where six to seven indigenous communities at the initiative University of Lincoln, United Kingdom with the market shuttered. Ramkaji family members cook, eat and sleep of local governments, local health insti- and is the MBA programme coordinator to accumulate a two-thirds majority in Parliament—an Chepang of Gorkha says, ‘Seasonal vege- together. Fourth, weekly religious gath- tutions and local communities. at King’s College, Kathmandu. unnecessary move for an executive who already seems to be close to the president and whose party has a large enough majority to pass any laws, except for constitutional amendments. By pushing through these ordinances, against the vocal opposition of a section of his own Cabinet, Oli seems to be gearing for a move to sideline many who stand in his way. Will Covid-19 put us right with nature? The major opposition can be ignored in certain decision-mak- ing processes—against the spirit of the constitution. Moreover, he seems to be calling Dahal’s bluff by daring him The Covid-19 virus may to split the NCP. At the same time, the move could help frac- eventually turn out to be so ture the Madhes-based parties, allowing some lawmakers to switch allegiance to Oli’s side, giving him more power in mild that it fails to jolt Parliament. But whatever may be the reason, Oli’s move is myopic and us out of our habits. self-serving. It is to be condemned as it is against democratic principles and rule of law. Also suspect is President Bidya Devi Bandari’s readiness to assist Oli in his schemes by ROBERT SKIDELSKY expediting the signing of the ordinances. The prime minister must be willing to listen to all lawmakers, including those of the opposition. But the situation becomes even more precarious when Oli cannot even seem to trust his own party members and Cabinet. What, however, is true is that the ordinances have ended the agenda of stability, democracy and rule of law. One of the few things not in short supply in the Covid-19 era is a commentary on the pandemic. Understandably enough, the virus has generated a non-stop flow of news about its spread, instructions on how to avoid and survive it, analysis of Have something to say? its causes and treatment, and conjecture about its impact on work habits, mental The Kathmandu Post invites you to submit well-researched, health, the economy, geopolitics, and unapologetic opinion pieces. To make sure your articles get our much else. My own period of home detention has attention, we ask that you keep the following things in mind when produced the following reflections, inquiring and submitting content to the Post: which I add with some diffidence to the SHUTTERSTOCK chorus of expert voices. pandemics. Each country should be able rather just enough ‘stock’ to satisfy con- Petranek listed eight events that could All your opinion pieces should be pitched to the Opinion desk— To begin with, I read Klaus Mühlhahn’s to identify, quarantine, and treat its sumers at the point of demand. end the world as we know it: pandemics, not to the editor-in-chief. Email your piece or idea (accompanied book Making China Modern. In Chinese infected citizens immediately. Holding financial reserves in case of a solar flares, giant earthquakes, volcanic with a high-resolution headshot) to [email protected]. cosmology, Mühlhahn notes, the human One way to help achieve this, I think, rainy day is also wasteful in this view, eruptions, biological accidents, green- and natural worlds were inextricably would be for G7 governments to issue a because in efficient markets there are no house effects, nuclear war, and a colli- We will only respond to pitches that have original ideas. We linked. ‘When the proper order was global Covid-19 bond, with the proceeds rainy days. So, firms should be leveraged sion with meteors. Four of these would respected, the physical world ran going to a reformed World Health to the hilt. be ‘natural disasters’—that is, cataclys- suggest that you google your pitch before writing to us. If you’re smoothly and the human world pros- Organisation that has a specific mandate This is fine as long as there are no mic events which do not result from the submitting an article that either the Post or other publications pered’, he writes. But, ‘when that order to build up all countries’ medical capaci- unexpected events. But when the world way we order life. But the other four— have already covered in the past, tell us in a sentence or two why was not respected, anomalous or destruc- ties to developed world levels. experiences a ‘shock’ like the 2008 finan- pandemics, biological mishaps, nuclear tive events, such as earthquakes, floods, (Admittedly, even the latter has proved cial crash, the efficient-market model war, and global warming—would result your story offers something new. eclipses, or even epidemics, would take insufficient in the case of Covid-19). collapses, and with it the economy. directly from the way humans interact place’. This WHO spending should be in addi- Something like this is happening to our with nature. The Post receives dozens of pitches every day from aspiring The health expert Alanna Shaikh tion to the World Bank’s development medical services now. The Covid-19 virus, as frightening as it writers, students, political commentators, entrepreneurs and dip- thinks there will doubtless be many expenditure. It follows that ‘just in time’ needs to be now seems, may eventually turn out to lomats. We are not able to respond to every single email, but if we more epidemics as ‘a result of the way Shaikh makes another very sensible replaced by ‘just in case’. Ideally, some be so mild and controllable that it fails to that we, as human beings, are interact- point. ‘Just-in-time ordering systems are global authority should keep a strategic jolt us out of our habits. Indeed, the psy- like your idea, we will get back to you soon. Please DO NOT pitch ing with our planet’. This includes not great when things are going well’, she reserve of medical supplies needed to chologist and Nobel laureate economist us an idea if you’re already pitching it somewhere else. just human-induced global warming, says. ‘But in a time of crisis, what it support life for a limited period (say, Daniel Kahneman thinks that ‘no which is creating a more hospitable envi- means is we don’t have any reserves’. So, three months) in the face of a specified amount of psychological awareness will We carefully review submissions to ensure that no plagiarism ronment for pathogens, but also our if a hospital or a country runs out of set of public health threats. This reserve overcome people’s reluctance to lower has occurred. If we find any articles that have been plagiarised, push into the world’s last wild spaces. personal protective equipment, it has to should be financed by taxes levied on their standard of living’. One can draw either large or small order more from a supplier (often in national governments in proportion to But we would be unwise to continue such practice will lead to blacklisting. conclusions from this line of thought. China), and wait for them to produce and their countries’ national incomes. But relying on technical fixes to get us out of Finally, please tell us who you are in a sentence or two when you The conclusion that Shaikh draws is a ship the goods. such stockpiling can also be done nation- any hole that our profligate lifestyles small one, perhaps because the broader This critique applies to much more ally or regionally: the European Union land us in, because sooner or later we send us your story ideas. We want to know where you have inference is too unpalatable for most than medical procurement; it challenges would be an ideal place to start. will run out of medical solutions to the published before or what your expertise is on the topic you’re people. We need, she says, to build a glob- the prevailing just-in-time orthodoxy in None of this, however, addresses the problem of ‘proper order’. We should use interested in exploring. al health system good enough to enable business. Reserves, the argument goes, far bigger question of the proper rela- our enforced downtime to ponder what countries to respond quickly to epidem- cost money. Efficient markets don’t tionship between humans and nature. In solutions would work. ics and prevent them from becoming require firms to have inventories, but a 2014 lecture, the science writer Stephen —Project Syndicate

C M Y K 05 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 NATIONAL 181 people quarantined in 409 jailbirds released from across country to prevent outbreak of Covid-19 Jamunaha waiting to go home Over half of those freed were serving their time in juvenile correction homes. The quarantined people had arrived at the border crossing from various parts of India. SHUVAM DHUNGANA 409 inmates who were serving a jail crimes. RUPA GAHATRAJ KATHMANDU, APRIL 21 term of one year or less for commit- “Our personnel investigate cases NEPALGUNJ, APRIL 21 ting various crimes,” said director without arresting the suspect,” said A total of 409 jailbirds have been freed general Pradipraj Kanel, at the Joshi. “However, if a person Sixteen days after they were quaran- from various prisons across the coun- Department of Prison Management. commits a serious crime like rape, tined near the Jumunaha border try following a Supreme Court Order “The majority of the prisoners abduction, hostage-taking, human crossing, 181 people trying to get home to release people held over minor released inmates were doing trafficking, money laundering and from various part of India are yet to crimes. time for minor crimes such as inde- killing by taking a hostage or inflict- be allowed to enter into Nepal The Department of Prison cent behaviour. ing torture, the person will be taken The 181 individuals’ hopes of Management said that 409 of the 418 into custody. ” returning home were high on who applied for early release have Section 155 of the Civil (Criminal) Thursday as all of them tested nega- been freed so far. Of the 409 people Court had ordered Code 2017 has a provision that allows tive for coronavirus when tested with freed, 219 were released from juvenile authorities to release inmates sen- the rapid kit. But the officials from the correction homes. government to free tenced up to one-year jail term by District Administration Office, who The Supreme Court on March 20 converting their jail terms into fines, had told them they could come to ordered the government to release jailbirds sentenced said Kanel. Nepal after spending 14 days in quar- jailbirds sentenced up to a year in Jailor Arun Pokharel from antine, did not allow them to leave. prison for committing minor crimes. up to a year for Dillibazaar prison said that jailbirds After six buses came to the quaran- The decision to release jailbirds to minor crimes. who have already served over 50 per- tine to pick up the people, everybody minimise the risk of the virus was cent of their term and who are senior boarded the bus and waited for five taken by a meeting chaired by citizens are eligible for release. He hours, before they were sent back to POST PHOTO: MADHU SHAHI Attorney General Agni Prasad Kharel The release came as reports said that the prison is preparing to the camps. “After five hours, we were The quarantined people have demanded the authorities send them home. and attended by Home Secretary said that prisons in the country, recommend that a list of such individ- asked to get off the bus since the Maheshwor Kumar Neupane, Law most of them overcrowded, could uals serving their time at Dillibazaar Ministry of Home Affairs had direct- said his family members were worried They had demanded that the district Secretary Rajib Gautam, Police Chief turn into hotspots for coronavirus be released,, ed the local government to not allow about him. “They ask me when I will administration coordinate with local Thakur Prasad Gyawali, and chief transmission. Meanwhile, Director General Kanel us to leave,” said Jhalak Thapa, a local get home, but I don’t know that units and send them home by provid- registrar at the Supreme Court Nripa According to Senior Superintendent said they officials have also arranged of Thakurbaba Municipality in myself,” he said. ing them transportation allowances. Dhwoj Niroula. Umesh Raj Joshi, spokesperson for quarantine facilities in prisons to deal Bardiya. KC and those with him in the quar- “The transport fare for Rukum from “The Department of Prison Nepal Police, to prevent jails from with a possible outbreak of Covid-19. “There was no coordination antine worry that even after spending Nepalgunj is just Rs 500. But, we were Management, upon orders from the overcrowding, officials have stopped “Prisons have already banned visi- between the local government, the more than 16 days in quarantine, they asked to pay more than Rs 2,500,” said Supreme Court, has already released arresting suspects involved in minor tors,” said Kanel. District Administration Office and the may have to stay in another quaran- Kunwar. Ministry of Home Affairs. We don’t tine in their own village. “We are Kumar Bahadur Khadka, chief dis- know why they called the buses here staying in quarantine here. We cannot trict officer of Banke, said officials if we were not to be allowed to leave.” stay in quarantine again at our vil- are unable to send the quarantined Thapa, who is returning home from lage,” said Amrit Kunwar, a local of home as his office is still waiting for Kalaiya mayor Uttar Pradesh, said, “We have already Salyan. “This entire situation is directives from the Ministry of Home Like most vulnerable spent more than two weeks at the depressing.” Affairs. “We are coordinating with the facility, but we are still not being On Saturday, the people in quaran- ministry to send home those in quar- held for selling allowed to go home.” tine sent a memorandum to the chief antine. But, the ministry has not made Sandip KC, a local of Rukum (West), district officer listing their problems. a decision yet,” said Khadka. substandard groups, soon-to-be and Relief distributed in lentils new mothers face ... Local units in Bardiya too Police on Saturday sealed >> Continued from page 1 “If the mother is symptomatic, Unable to visit their doctors for everyone attending to her will be in Ramgram were of a grocery store run by check-ups, expecting and new mothers respirators, while the mother will are likely to undergo even more stress, wear a mask and be kept in isolation. slow to distribute relief mayor Raya and sent the compounded by fears over the corona- We will also separate the baby from substandard quality virus itself, said Prasansa Budha her at birth to prevent the baby from NARAYAN SHARMA KAMAL PANTHI “We have launched an investigation sample of the lentils for Lama, project leader at the Young getting the virus,” said Gautam. NAWALPARASI (WEST), APRIL 21 BARDIYA, APRIL 21 to select those who are the most vul- Midwives Committee. Some are uncer- Paropakar is located in the Capital, nerable,” Yadav said. “We are working a quality test. tain whether they should continue where women have access to relatively A week after the residents of Ramgram On Friday, 30-year-old Sushila Pasi, a closely with ward offices to identify taking calcium, iron or iodine supple- more resources, in comparison to Municipality returned foodstuff dis- roadside food vendor, went to the those who are in dire need of relief.” ments, or whether they can get more women in rural areas. Most health tributed as relief to the municipal office of ward number 6 in Gulariya The municipality plans to distribute LAXMI SAH while others are worried about trans- posts, which women rely on, are not office for its substandard quality, the Municipality to seek help. With the 25kgs of rice, two kgs of lentil grains, BARA, APRIL 21 mitting the virus to their child, said up to standard, said Dr Laxmi Tamang, Food Technology and Quality Control nationwide lockdown in place for one kg of salt, two litres of cooking oil Lama. president of the Midwifery Society of Office, Bhairahawa, has verified the nearly a month to control the spread and two soap bars to each family. Police on Tuesday arrested Rajesh While the virus is highly unlikely to Nepal. locals’ claims. of Covid-19, Pasi’s business has come Yadav said that the relief distribu- Raya, the mayor of Kalaiya get to the fetus, the pandemic and the “Even in normal times they are not Chief of the quality control office, to a halt. She had not eaten anything tion will start once the most vulnera- Sub-Metropolitan City in Bara subsequent lockdown have created equipped for births,” said Tamang. Bimal Kumar Dahal, said the food for the past two days and had fed her ble families are identified. But people district, on charge of selling uncertainty in everyone’s life, but “In some places, people have to material distributed as relief lacked one-and-a-half-years-old toddler food like Pasi have expressed frustration substandard lentils from his store to especially for pregnant women, walk hours to get to the nearest health the level of quality approved by the that was provided by her neighbours. that the local unit has been too slow to be distributed as part of food relief for according to Jamuna Maharjan, a facility.” government. Her husband, who is in Mihipuruwa act. “We don’t know how long the lock- the families affected by the ongoing clinical psychologist at Transcultural This could result in women opting The Ramgram municipal office of India for work, has yet to return. down will continue,” Pasi said. “And lockdown. and Psychosocial Organization. for home births without medical assis- had distributed foodstuff worth Once at the office, Pasi, a mother of for how long we would have to spend Raya was detained as per the state- “We have been getting around four tance—something the government about Rs1million to the needy in four, couldn’t contain herself and nights in hunger.” ments recorded by eight persons who to five calls daily from pregnant has long-been pushing against. various wards amid the coronavirus broke down. The elected representa- were held earlier in the same case, women who are seeking help for their “This increases the likelihood of lockdown. tives at the office consoled her and Superintendent of Police Krishna anxiety. Many are worried about not death in mothers and babies,” she After the recipients returned the gave her rations that would last her Pangeni said. being able to get antenatal support,” said. substandard foodstuffs to the munici- for a few days. On Saturday, police had sealed the said Maharjan, who also Back in Kathmandu, Sagar Shrestha pal office in protest, the District “We have not had enough to eat grocery store run by Raya and sent the operates a helpline for psychological and his wife, who just had a son Administration Office of Nawalparasi since the lockdown began,” she said. sample of the lentils collected from counselling. three months ago, are afraid to (West) had formed a five-member task “The neighbours helped us for a few the store to the Regional Food The Paropakar Maternity and take their newborn to the hospital for force to investigate the issue. days but we couldn’t always ask them Technology and Quality Control Women’s Hospital is also offering tele- vaccination. Sagar Gautam, who led the task for food.” Office in Hetauda for a test. phone counselling and is one of the “My son needs his vaccination, but force, said they had sampled 20 sacks According to data by the ward Raya was taken in custody after the few hospitals that is still offering out- we have been postponing our visit to of foodstuffs and found them to be of office, around 200 daily wage earners laboratory test of the sample con- patient and emergency care for women the doctor hoping that the Covid-19 inferior quality. The task force had in the ward have been severely affect- firmed that the lentils were of sub- who are pregnant and those who have pandemic will be over soon,” said sent the samples to the Bhairahawa- ed by the lockdown. Sudhamshu standard quality. given birth, according to Jageshwor Shrestha. “We are worried about based quality control office for further Sharma, the ward chair, said those Before this, police had detained the Gautam, the hospital’s director. catching Covid-19, but we also feel investigation. people are struggling to subsist while chairpersons of wards 1, 7, 11, 13 and “For those who want counselling, guilty for overlooking the needs of our Gautam added that the relief mate- the municipality has been late to dis- 26, secretary of ward 20; two staff they can call us at 01-4260405 instead. baby.” rials did not just lack in quality but tribute relief material. working at Raya’s store and a mill We have operated a helpline from 10 their quantity was also reduced dur- The municipality had asked for a operator based in Birgunj. am to 1 pm every day, where anyone Helplines for Clinical and ing distribution. Each sack fell short written letter from relief expectants. Following repeated complaints from can get counselling from our doctors,” Psychological Counselling: of about 80 to 180 grams in content But the number of those asking for the locals, the security personnel had said Gautam. Midwives’ Society of Nepal: against what was mentioned on the relief exceeded the municipality’s raided Raya’s store and seized around Although pregnant women are not 9849263350; 9843266115; 9823098038 label, according to Gautam. estimation. Mayor Muktinath Yadav 3.2 tonnes of lentils. at high risk of contracting Covid-19, Transcultural and Psychosocial “We found there were serious irreg- said on close inspection, the local unit Raya had allegedly forced the ward compared to other groups, if they are Organization: 16600102005 ularities in the quality and weight. found that many of those who are POST PHOTO: KAMAL PANTHI chiefs to purchase the lentils from infected and precautions are not taken Paropakar Maternity and Women’s The municipal office will be sued of well-off have also filed letters asking Sushila Pasi with her toddler at the ward his store for the municipal relief during the time of delivery, they may Hospital: 01-4260405 this,” he said. for relief. office of Gulariya Municipality-6. programme . transfer the virus to the baby. Ambulance service: 102 5000 people entered Jumla With hundreds of thousands of migrants due to ...

>> Continued from page 1 National Planning Commission. Rameshore Khanal, a former finance ers who return home will be taken In the last fiscal year, Nepal received The task force would also begin dis- secretary, told the Post last week. “The based on the recommendations of the last month but not enough Rs879 billion in remittance, which was cussions with various ministries and government should introduce target- National Planning Commission and equivalent to 26 percent of the coun- stakeholders to recommend measures ed schemes for them to turn the coro- other agencies. try’s gross domestic product, accord- regarding alternative employment, he navirus crisis into an opportunity to “The measures will likely be ing to Nepal Rastra Bank. said. make the country self-sufficient in announced through the budget for the testing has been done “Remittance inflow will certainly Bhatta of the central bank said that food production. Apart from absorb- next fiscal year, to be presented next decrease due to lockdowns and a loss initial discussions on employing the ing returnees into the agriculture sec- month,” said Yamlal Bhusal, joint sec- LP DEVKOTA The provincial government provid- of jobs in major migrant destina- returnees in agriculture and large- tor, the Ministry of Industry, retary at the ministry who is oversee- JUMLA, APRIL 21 ed some RDT kits to Jumla to conduct tions,” said Gunakar Bhatta, chief of scale infrastructure projects have Commerce and Supplies has formed a ing economic packages for sectors rapid tests on returnees from India the research division at the central been held but the modalities have yet separate task force to prepare a spe- affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Data with the Karnali provincial gov- and other countries. However, the dis- bank. to be finalised. cial plan to develop entrepreneurship Earlier, the government had ernment shows around 5,000 people trict has run out of the test kits The government will need to “As the central bank, we can help skills at the local level. announced that it would employ aspir- entered Jumla from several Covid-19 already. explore all channels to ensure that returnees obtain loans at cheaper The task force, headed by Joint ing migrant workers who were unable affected countries including India and “We have stopped conducting migrants are first taken care of and rates if they engage in entrepreneuri- Secretary Pushpa Shahi of the to go abroad under the Prime elsewhere in Nepal in the past one rapid tests because of a shortage of then accommodated when they return, al activities such as commercial Ministry of Industry, will include rep- Minister’s Employment Programme, month. Among them, the number of kits. We will resume testing once the say economists. farming,” said Bhatta. “But we have resentation from the ministries of fed- which guarantees 100 days’ employ- people tested for the novel coronavi- provincial government provides us “The first strategy will be to make yet to hold detailed discussions with eral affairs, agriculture, labour and ment in a year. rus so far is only in the hundreds. with additional kits,” said Krishna diplomatic efforts to save their exist- different government agencies on finance as well as the Federation of Hari Roka, an analyst on political Throat and nasal swabs of only 330 Sapkota, chief at the district health ing jobs and retain as many as possi- how to employ them in various other Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and and economic issues, had told the Post suspects of coronavirus were collect- office. ble,” said Nepal. sectors.” Industry, Confederation of Nepalese in a recent interview that Nepal will ed for Polymerase Chain Reaction test Quarantines with a combined “Second, the government should Despite agriculture being a main- Industries and Nepal Chamber of face difficulty in not just employing and rapid tests were conducted for 149 capacity of 242 beds have been set up create an environment for self-em- stay of the country, the majority of Commerce. migrants who return but also in other people through Rapid Diagnostic in various local federal units in the ployment in commercial agriculture farmers are engaged in subsistence Industry Secretary Chandra accommodating their changing life- Test kits in the province so far, accord- district. According to the district and the restaurant sector. They can farming and successive governments, Ghimire said that the task force will styles amid decreased incomes. ing to the Jumla District Public Health administration office, only five people also be employed in infrastructure despite promising to encourage com- submit its plan within the next 15 According to Roka, every family Office. have been staying in these quarantine projects and under the Prime mercial agriculture, have failed to do days. now owns multiple mobile phones. “Laboratory tests numbering 4,000 facilities while 71 others have Minister’s Employment Programme.” anything tangible. “The task force will suggest what “If you put Rs1,000 as monthly to 6,000 should be conducted given the already returned home. The local The government last week formed a Nonetheless, the agriculture sector changes are required in existing expenditure per mobile, expenses for number of people who entered the administration admitted that most of task force headed by National continues to be the major contributor entrepreneurship development pro- phones alone will be too high for a district in the last one month. But we the people sent home were not tested Planning Commission member Ram to the country’s economy—at 27 per- jects such as Rural Enterprises and family with decreased income,” said haven’t been able to do so because we for Covid-19. Kumar Phuyal to study the impact of cent of the gross domestic product. Remittance Project (Samriddhi) and Roka. “While employed abroad, they do not have a PCR machine despite Rapid testing for Covid-19 has been Covid-19 on remittance and foreign Experts have long called on Micro Enterprise Development for have enrolled their children in expen- having other resources,” said Mangal halted in several districts of Karnali employment. governments to focus on the agricul- Poverty Alleviation and what new pro- sive boarding schools, and their fami- Rawal, director at the Karnali province due to a shortage of RDT “The task force will calculate the ture sector. grammes to implement for the entre- ly members have developed the habit Academy of Health Sciences. The kits. The health directorate had dis- potential number of returnees and “With many labour migrants preneurship development of return- of spending on food, clothes and enter- academy plans to install a PCR tributed around 5,000 RDT kits among recommend measures to create alter- returning to the country due to the ing migrant workers,” said Ghimire. tainment. It will be very difficult for machine within a week and start tests the 10 districts of Karnali Province to native employment for them,” said downturn in the global economy, there Finance Ministry officials said that migrant workers to sustain such life- for the disease, said Rawal. test suspected cases of Covid-19. Puspa Raj Kadel, vice-chairman of the is an opportunity for Nepal,” necessary measures for migrant work- styles after returning home.”

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 | 06 MONEY

FOREX US Dollar 123.24 Food product factories resume Virgin Australia collapses Euro 133.52 Pound Sterling 151.74 under coronavirus strain Japanese Yen 11.48 operations at reduced capacity Chinese Yuan 17.37 Qatari Riyal 33.85 Pokhara Industrial Estate, which was shuttered after the lockdown Australian Dollar 77.43 was announced, threw open its gates on Monday. Malaysian Ringit 28.04 issued, and they are still in operation, Saudi Arab Riyal 32.83 he added. Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank According to him, Sujal, Panthi and Fishtail Dairy have been operating continuously but at reduced capacity PRICE PER TOLA during the lockdown. Sujal produces BULLION powder milk. Mineral water companies Fine Gold Rs 77,000 Annapurna and Himalayan Beverage; plastic bottle and jar makers Satyam Silver Rs 720 Industries, Sujal Plastic and PR National; and two oxygen gas plants SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA never closed. Biswa Feed Industries and Hiltake REUTERS Iron Industry have also been operat- A Virgin Australia Airlines plane is seen at Kingsford Smith International Airport, Australia. GASOLINE WATCH ing continuously. Shanti Engineering, which also AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE was successful. “Nevertheless, such remained open throughout the lock- BRISBANE, APRIL 21 an outcome may remain preferable down, made a fibre swab collection to putting the company into liquida- booth to conduct coronavirus tests Cash-strapped Virgin Australia col- tion with uncertain recovery pros- and handed it over to the Pokhara lapsed on Tuesday, making it the larg- pects,” it said. Science Academy. The company has est carrier yet to buckle under the The airline had already made 1,000 also made a biometric lock for the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, workers redundant and stood down corona test lab, said manager Basanta which has ravaged the global airline 8,000 of its 10,000 pilots, flight attend- POST FILE PHOTO Regmi. industry. ants and ground crew. Workers are seen at a biscuit factory. Gandaki Tile, a block making com- In an announcement to the Strawbridge said the administra- pany, also maintained production Australian Stock Exchange, Virgin tors would “seek to preserve as many LAL PRASAD SHARMA nearby to work one shift a day. despite the lockdown. It says it is now said it planned to keep operating of those jobs as possible”. POKHARA, APRIL 21 Most of the employees live close to facing problems for lack of cement. flights despite handing the keys to Virgin suspended all international the factory, and others who live Upadhyay said that Taja Bread also administrators. routes and scrapped all but one of its Manufacturers of food products that some distance away have been provid- readying to resume operations. “Our decision today is about secur- domestic routes after Australia shut were shut down by the virus lockdown ed accommodation on the premises, Among the 73 factories in the indus- ing the future of the Virgin Australia its borders to limit the spread of are stirring back to life. Several facto- said Amit Thapa, managing director trial estate, 27 are operating at 8-50 Group and emerging on the other side COVID-19 and imposed tough restric- ries have restarted production while a of the company. percent of capacity. They are produc- of the COVID-19 crisis,” CEO Paul tions on movement. number of others are readying to The factory restarted producing ing goods according to demand. Scurrah said in the statement. The airline more recently began resume operations. noodles using the raw materials left in Upadhyay said that other factories “Australia needs a second airline and operating limited domestic routes, as Pokhara Noodles switched on its stock. It is operating at 15 percent of shut down due to lack of sales, diffi- we are determined to keep flying.” well as flights to bring Australians machinery on Monday after summon- capacity. The normal daily output of culties in production and distribution, The airline was more than Aus$5 home from overseas, with financial ing 85 of its employees who work one Rara noodles amounts to 1,012 tonnes, and decreased demand for their goods. billion ($3.2 billion) in debt and had support from the government. shift a day. They have been provided he said. Balabhadra Nakarmi, president of appealed for a Aus$1.4 billion loan to Virgin was struggling before coro- in-house accommodation. Pokhara Industrial Estate, which the Pokhara Industrial Estate stay afloat, but the government navirus, posting an underlying before- “We are back in business albeit was shuttered after the government Association, said that the factories refused to bail out the majority for- tax loss of Aus$71.2 million last year. amid difficult circumstances,” said imposed a nationwide lockdown to that were in operation were using raw eign-owned company. Richard Branson, the billionaire Baburam Panta, executive director prevent the possible spread of the materials in stock. Discussions are Administrator Vaughan founder of Virgin Group, which owns of Pokhara Noodles. “We have coronavirus infection, threw open its being held regarding the procurement Strawbridge, from accounting firm 10-percent of the airline, tweeted a Huawei first-quarter instructed the employees to maintain gates on Monday. of fresh raw materials and ways to Deloitte, said more than 10 parties had message in support of the Virgin a physical distance from each Pokhara Foods and Gauri Shankar move ahead, he said. expressed a “keen interest” in being Australia team. revenue growth other, and we are producing noodles Foods resumed operations last week “We have given first priority to part of the restructuring plans. “I am so proud of you and everything with the raw materials we have in while several other manufacturers are makers of food products,” he said. “There has been an extraordinary we have achieved together,” he said. stock,” he said. making preparations to restart pro- There is no problem with regard to amount of interest in the business “This is not the end of Virgin slows sharply According to Panta, the company is duction, said Bhushan Kumar transportation, but it is difficulty for and in the restructuring of Virgin Australia, but I believe a new begin- producing 12 percent of its usual daily Upadhyay, director of Pokhara the operator to go to the factory and Australia,” he told reporters in ning. I promise we will work day and output of 25,000 cartons of different Industrial Estate. supply raw materials, he said. Sydney. night to turn this into reality.” amid US ban, brands of noodles like Ramba, Bonus “We said that factories producing Refined flour and other raw materi- “And so we are confident that this Branson also joined critics of and Jojo. essential products could operate by als are available in the country, but will result in a restructuring being Canberra for failing to bail out the Himshree Foods, the maker of Rara prioritising human health and fulfill- other necessary materials are in short achieved in a short period of time.” airline, saying governments in most virus headwinds white noodles, also came back ing all safety requirements,” he said. supply, Nakarmi said. With packing Ratings agency Moody’s said unse- countries had “stepped up” to help online on Monday. The company Several factories remained open even factories shut down, this has created cured creditors would have to take “a their carriers during the “unprece- REUTERS summoned 50 of its workers living after the stay-at-home order was another difficulty, he added. significant haircut” if the restructure dented crisis for aviation”. LONDON, APRIL 21

Huawei Technologies’ revenue growth slowed sharply in the first quarter but the world’s top telecoms equipment Apple expands supplier labeled the performance as “resilient” in light of pressure from the United States and the impact of services business to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said its revenue in the first quarter rose by about 1 percent to markets in Africa 182.2 billion yuan ($25.72 billion), ver- sus a 39 percent growth posted a year ago. Its net profit margin over the and beyond period narrowed to 7.3 percent from about 8 percent a year ago. REUTERS Huawei, also the third-largest CALIFORNIA, APRIL 21 smartphone maker in the world, did not disclose its net profit. “The growth Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would rate has slowed, but this is also a resil- expand its App Store, Apple Music and ient performance in the face of both other services to dozens of new mar- the entity list and the coronavirus we kets in Africa, the Middle East are facing at this moment,” Vice and beyond in the biggest geographi- President Victor Zhang said in a state- cal expansion of its services in almost ment on Tuesday. a decade. Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Washington placed Apple Music service in 52 additional Huawei on a countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what blacklist in May last was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other year, citing national countries in 2012. Apple has focused on growing sales security concerns. from its services segment, which RSS totaled 17.8 percent of its $260.1 billion A customer picks strawberries at a farm in Kakani, Nuwakot. The introduction of two high-yield varieties, Ankhime and Eyeberry, and use of tunnel farming to grow in revenue in its most recent fiscal Washington placed Huawei on a strawberries have led to increased cultivation of strawberry in the district. Kakani and Okharpauwa produce 400 tonnes of strawberry annually, according to the District year, as consumers have slowed in blacklist in May last year, citing Agricultural Office. upgrading their smart phones. Apple national security concerns, restrict- executives said in January that the ing sales of US-made goods to the company had an installed base of 1.5 company. The Chinese firm turned in billion active devices and aimed to its weakest annual profit growth in reach 600 million subscribers to either three years in 2019. its own or third-party services by the About impact from the coronavirus Oil market in turmoil as price falls below zero end of this year. pandemic, Zhang said it was difficult Apple’s biggest services revenue to gauge what that would be in the ASSOCIATED PRESS the last asset class to recover from generator is the App Store, where it short or long term, as he presented the BANGKOK, APRIL 21 lockdown” and only when travel keeps a cut of between 15 percent and results from London rather than restrictions are lifted, he said. 30 percent of sales. In Africa, the store Huawei’s Shenzen base to mark 20 The market for US crude was in tur- Brent crude, the international will expand to Cameroon, Ivory Coast, years of business in Europe. moil on Tuesday, with one contract standard, dropped $4.14 to $21.43. It fell Democratic Republic of Congo, Huawei did not report handset ship- trading below zero, as investors wor- nearly 9 percent on Monday to $25.57 Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Rwanda and ments for the quarter. ried about full storage facilities and a per barrel. Zambia. It will also become available Zhang also shrugged off criticism collapse in demand as the pandemic “The historic drop in WTI prices is in the Maldives and Myanmar in the for so-called “mask diplomacy”, say- leaves factories, automobiles and air- an indication of the downward pres- Asia-Pacific region, Afghanistan and ing the company had no ulterior planes idled. sure which many other crude oil Iraq in the Middle East, and several motive behind its donations of mil- The extreme volatility in energy grades could face, given the oversup- nations in the Balkans and Oceania, lions of protective masks to countries markets highlighted investors’ broad ply situation,” Sushant Gupta of Wood for a total of 175 countries. across Europe amid the rise in corona- concerns about the duration of the Mackenzie said in a report. The company is also expanding its virus cases there. coronavirus outbreak and its The volatility in energy markets Apple Music service, bringing the Critics say the move could be a ploy impact on the economy, weighing on unsettled stock markets as well. with total to 167 markets. Apple’s top to win contracts after the EU restrict- financial markets more broadly, Germany’s DAX stock index losing 2.4 streaming rival, Spotify Technology ed Huawei’s role in 5G networks to including stocks. percent to 10,420 and the CAC 40 in SA, operates in 79 countries. address cybersecurity risks. Huawei The US benchmark settled at nega- REUTERS France shedding 2.2 percent to 4,428. has denied that its equipment poses tive $37.63 per barrel on Monday—an An employee holds a sample of crude oil at the Yarakta oilfield, owned by Irkutsk Oil Co, in the Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 1.7 per- any risk. unprecedented event in energy mar- Irkutsk region, Russia. cent to 5,714. “Definitely we will support some kets that reflects the fact that storage Wall Street looked set for losses, countries where there is a lack of PPE facilities are struggling to cope with view of the value of crude but rather reflects uncertainty over where the with the future contract for the S&P (Personal Protective Equipment), it is the huge and sudden plunge in global investors’ ability to take delivery of it world economy will head as govern- 500 down 1.3 percent, while the not because of Huawei’s business, it’s demand, which is this month forecast now. The next futures contract, for ments begin to loosen controls contract for the Dow industrials lost because of corporate social responsi- to hit its lowest since the mid-90s. On delivery in June, is considered to now imposed to contain the coronavirus. 1.7 percent. bility,” he said. Huawei has said that Tuesday, the cost to have a barrel of be closer to the “true” price of crude. “We could merely be in the eye of While share prices have gradually 2020 would be its most difficult US crude delivered in May was at neg- But even that contract was falling the hurricane as the epicenters of its stabilized after wild swings earlier year yet, with the United States ative $7.40 per barrel. sharply on Tuesday. It was down $3.85 rage remain centered around demand this year, uncertainty over growing showing no sign of easing trade Trading of contracts for US oil to be at just $16.58 per barrel, trading as low devastation and crude oil oversupply,” numbers of coronavirus cases in restrictions while also pressuring its delivered in May ends on Tuesday, as $11.79 a barrel at one point. Stephen Innes of AxiCorp. said in a Japan and in some Southeast Asian allies to exclude the Chinese company meaning that the extreme drop does The tumult in the oil market mir- commentary. countries has left investors wary from 5G networks. not accurately reflect the long-term rors volatility in many others and “At a minimum, oil prices will be about new waves of infections. REUTERS

C M Y K 07 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 WORLD

BRIEFING Trump vows UN urges world to quickly scale immigration Coronavirus very likely of animal origin: WHO ban as US GENEVA: The World Health up medicines, vaccines Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests protestors demand that the novel coronavirus originated African officials have been outspoken about the need for medical supplies across the 54-nation continent. in bats in China late last year and it was not manipulated or constructed ASSOCIATED PRESS lockdown end in a laboratory. US President Donald JOHANNESBURG, APRIL 21 Trump said last week that his govern- AGENCE-FRANCE PRESSE ment was trying to determine wheth- The UN General Assembly has WASHINGTON, APRIL 21 er the virus emanated from a lab in demanded global action to quickly Wuhan in central China. “All availa- scale up the development of and Donald Trump pledged a temporary ble evidence suggests the virus has access to medicines, vaccines and ban on immigration to the United an animal origin and is not manipu- equipment to battle the pandemic, States because of the “invisible lated or constructed virus in a lab or while the World Health Organization enemy” of coronavirus, as the disease somewhere else,” WHO spokeswoman warned Tuesday that rushing to ease sparked angry demonstrations on Fadela Chaib told a Geneva news coronavirus lockdowns could lead to a American streets to demand an end to briefing. “It is probable, likely that resurgence of the outbreak. crippling lockdowns. the virus is of animal origin.” It was The UN resolution asks Secretary- In just four months, the virus has not clear how the virus had jumped General Antonio Guterres to work turned the world upside down, confin- the species barrier to humans but with the WHO and make recommen- ing half the planet indoors and killing there had “certainly” been an inter- dations to ensure that all people have nearly 170,000 on its march through mediate animal host, she added. equitable and timely access to testing, virtually every country. medical supplies, drugs and future Drastic measures never before vaccines, especially in developing seen in peacetime have shredded the Muted celebrations countries. global economy, resulting in the as Queen turns 94 African officials have been outspo- extraordinary spectacle of oil LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth ken about the need for medical sup- prices turning negative as demand turned 94 on Tuesday but the corona- plies across the 54-nation continent, evaporates. virus lockdown meant there was little where health systems have historical- World leaders are agonising over fanfare to mark the occasion. ly been underfunded and will be over- when to loosen restrictions, terrified Elizabeth, the world’s eldest and long- whelmed by the virus. Even under a of a second wave but aware their citi- est-reigning monarch, typically best-case scenario, Africa will need zens need to work and live amid grow- spends her birthday privately without $44 billion for testing, personal protec- ing signs of social tension. much public celebration but this year tive equipment and treatment of coro- US President Trump, who has the event will be even more muted. navirus, according to a report last encouraged anti-lockdown protests Royal birthdays and anniversaries are week by the UN Economic Commission roiling parts of the country, said traditionally marked by ceremonial for Africa. The worst-case scenario Monday he would halt immigra- gun salutes, in which blank rounds estimates that $446 billion would be tion—a theme long popular with his are fired from various locations needed. WHO says the number of beds supporters. across London, but the queen felt it in intensive care units available to “In light of the attack from the would be inappropriate to allow this treat Covid-19 patients in 43 African AP/RSS Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to to go ahead given the circumstances. countries is less than 5,000. That’s A boy wearing a face mask carries a small bowl of ‘githeri’, or mixed beans and maize, for him to eat as he walks past an informational mural protect the jobs of our GREAT about five beds per 1 million people warning people about the risk of the new coronavirus in the Mathare slum, or informal settlement, of Nairobi, Kenya. American Citizens, I will be signing compared to 4,000 beds per 1 million an Executive Order to temporarily Driver killed in WHO vehicle in Europe. economies to function. too high,” Bavarian governor Markus “Many citizens are tired of the suspend immigration into the United Africa has more than 23,000 infec- Several European countries, includ- Soeder said after meeting with efforts that have been made so far and States!” he tweeted. carrying virus swabs tions across the continent, including ing Denmark, Austria, Spain and Munich’s mayor. “You can neither would like a significant loosening of At least 22 million jobs have been GENEVA: A World Health Organization more than 1,100 deaths. Authorities Germany, have begun a gradual eas- keep your distance nor work with these measures, or even their total lost in the US since sweeping vehicle carrying swabs from patients this week are starting to roll out a ing of restrictions, allowing some peo- facial protection” at Oktoberfest. abolition,’’ Conte said on Facebook, lockdowns were implemented to slow to be tested for coronavirus came dramatic increase in testing, with the ple back to work, including hairdress- Scores of summer concerts and fes- adding “a decision of that kind would the spread of the virus, and exaspera- under gunfire in Myanmar’s western goal of testing 1 million people over ers, dentists and construction work- tivals have been cancelled due to virus be irresponsible.’’ tion is growing in some parts of the Rakhine state and the driver was the next four weeks. Dr Takeshi Kasai, ers. Scattered protests have erupted lockdowns, but Oktoberfest was sup- In the US, some states announced country. killed, the United Nations said on the WHO regional director for the across the United States, the hard- posed to run from September 19 to aggressive reopening plans on Hundreds took part in a “Patriots Tuesday. It did not say who carried Western Pacific, noted that any easing est-hit nation in the pandemic, with October 4. Monday, despite deep concerns from Rally” in Pennsylvania, one waving a out the attack in a region where fight- of restrictions must be gradual. people demanding a return to work in Germany has taken the first steps health officials. Boeing and at least banner proclaiming “Give me liberty ing between the army and Arakan “This is not the time to be lax. a country that has already seen 22 toward loosening its shutdown, allow- one other American heavy equipment or give me death.” Army insurgents has intensified Instead, we need to ready ourselves for million people lose their jobs. ing small shops to start opening this manufacturer resumed production, Rose Bayer, 50, said it was “crazy” to despite global calls for a ceasefire a new way of living for the foreseeable But in an indication that it will be a week, but it remains unclear when while Australia said on Tuesday that shut down the world over a disease she over the pandemic that killed five and future,” he said. long time before life returns to nor- bars and restaurants will reopen. doctors could resume non-urgent sur- said has a recovery rate of about 98 caused 119 infections in Myanmar. Kasai said governments must mal, German officials announced In one of the worst-hit countries, geries next week. percent. The driver, Pyae Sone Win Maung, remain vigilant to stop the spread of Tuesday they were calling off the Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte on The moves come amid soaring “People will starve, they’ll commit had died in the state’s Minbya the virus and the lifting of lockdowns world-famous Oktoberfest beer festi- Tuesday confirmed businesses can unemployment that the International suicide, they’ll lose everything over township on Monday, the United and other social distancing measures val in Munich, which typically draws start reopening on May 4, but doused Monetary Fund says could lead to the this. The cure—like Trump said—the Nations office in Myanmar said in must strike the right balance between about 6 million visitors each year. any hopes of a total loosening of the developed world’s worst economic cure cannot be worse than the dis- a Facebook post. (AGENCIES) keeping people healthy and allowing “We agreed that the risk is simply country’s strict lockdown. depression since the 1930s. ease,” she said. Afghan prisoner exchanges, US peace South Korea downplays concerns plan threatened by coronavirus over Kim Jong Un’s health REUTERS That both Pompeo and Khalilzad once before negotiations. They have ASSOCIATED PRESS vention and electing his sister as an WASHINGTON/MUMBAI, APRIL 21 travelled as the Covid-19 disease also stepped up attacks on Afghan SEOUL, APRIL 21 alternate member of the political spreads underscores the depth of security forces. Ghani rejected the bureau of the ruling Workers’ Party, The coronavirus pandemic threatens Washington’s concerns that President demand and has begun a phased South Korean officials reported no according to the North’s official to unravel a US effort to end the war in Donald Trump’s effort to withdraw US release of 1,500 prisoners, while the unusual activity in North Korea on Korean Central News Agency. And Afghanistan if Taliban and govern- troops from Afghanistan could col- insurgents have freed 40 detainees. Tuesday following unconfirmed state media have since reported he ment prisoners die in custody before lapse, depriving him of a foreign poli- Meanwhile, the coronavirus has media reports that leader Kim Jong sent greetings to Syrian President they can be exchanged, four sources cy victory to trumpet ahead of the spread, with nearly 1,000 cases con- Un was in fragile health after surgery. Bashar Assad and Cuban President familiar with the matter said. November 3 US presidential election. firmed in Afghanistan, including 20 But the possibly of high-level insta- Miguel Díaz-Canel as well as “birth- Keeping the US peace plan on track “The fact that they came to the staff testing positive within the bility raised troubling questions about day spreads” to two North Korean has acquired particular urgency as region is a clear sign that the presi- Afghan presidential palace in Kabul. the future of a nuclear-armed state officials and a new centenarian. the spring fighting season nears, two dent under no circumstances wants The diplomat and two other that has been steadily building an It’s unclear what would happen if sources said, given the danger that this deal to collapse,” said a Western experts, also speaking on condition of arsenal meant to threaten the Kim is sidelined by health problems accelerating violence could make it diplomat on condition of anonymity. anonymity due to the sensitivity of US mainland amid stalled talks AP or dies. Cheong Seong-Chang, an harder to contain the Covid-19 It was crucial for US diplomats the matter, said the prisoner exchang- between Kim and US President Kim Jong Un analyst at the private Sejong Institute respiratory disease caused by the new to have face-to-face meetings to es could be undercut by Covid-19 Donald Trump. in South Korea, said political upheav- coronavirus. convey the gravity of the messages, because its spread into jails South Korea’s presidential office sued diplomacy in hopes of ending al would be unlikely as Kim’s sister, While the pandemic has grounded the envoy added. could ignite bitter recriminations by said Kim appeared to be handling crippling economic sanctions and Kim Yo Jong, is already exercising other US envoys, Special The State Department did not both sides. state affairs as usual and that it had no obtaining security guarantees. But significant influence within the gov- Representative Zalmay Khalilzad last respond to requests for comment. Accelerating the releases and tamp- information about rumours regarding through it all he maintained his right ernment, and most members of North week flew to Doha, where the Taliban A February 29 US-Taliban deal for a ing down rising violence as the spring his health. But many will be watching to a nuclear arsenal, and most diplo- Korea’s leadership share an interest have an office, and Islamabad follow- US troop withdrawal after more than fighting season nears were among closely for any signs of trouble in macy has stalemated since. with the Kim family in maintaining ing a March 23 trip by Secretary of 18 years of intervention called for the Khalilzad’s main objectives when he North Korea, and whether it will Speculation often surfaces about the North’s system. State Mike Pompeo to Doha and Kabul. government to release up to 5,000 met Taliban negotiators in Doha last address the reports—something it has North Korea’s leadership based on While North Korea has not made “If ... a good number of prisoners Taliban prisoners and the insurgents week, said a former senior Afghan not yet done. attendance at important state events. clear who would potentially succeed on either side contract the disease or to free up to 1,000 detainees by March official. The United States and North Korea Kim, who is in his mid-30s, missed the Kim, some experts believe Kim Yo die in prison because of an outbreak, 10, when they were to open talks to Khalilzad has told Afghan officials appeared to be barrelling toward war celebration of the birthday of his late Jong would step in as leader, at least it will be a humanitarian issue and it end decades of strife. that he is “incredibly worried” that in 2017, with the countries trading grandfather and state founder Kim Il during a transitional period. Others will make intra-Afghan negotiations The Taliban, however, demanded the coronavirus pandemic could insults and threats of destruction. Sung on April 15, the country’s most believe North Korea could be ruled by that much more difficult,” said a Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s gov- undermine the US-led peace process if The next two years saw a surprising important holiday. collective leadership of ruling source familiar with the matter who ernment, which was not a party to it spreads into the prisons, the former series of summits, including three But he presided over a meeting on party elites, similar to the post-Stalin spoke on condition of anonymity. that deal, release all 5,000 prisoners at official added. between Kim and Trump, as Kim pur- April 11, discussing coronavirus pre- Soviet Union. Conspiracy theorists burn 5G towers claiming link to virus

ASSOCIATED PRESS tions links at a time they’re most may now be denied them because of LONDON, APRIL 21 needed to deal with the pandemic. the selfish actions of a few deluded “I’m absolutely outraged, absolute- Some 50 fires conspiracy theorists.” The CCTV footage from a Dutch busi- ly disgusted, that people would be targeting cell towers False narratives around 5G and the ness park shows a man in a black cap taking action against the very infra- coronavirus have been shared hun- pouring the contents of a white con- structure that we need to respond to and other equipment dreds of thousands of times on social tainer at the base of a cellular this health emergency,” Stephen media. They vary widely from claims radio tower. Flames burst out as the Powis, medical director of the have been reported that the coronavirus is a coverup for man jogs back to his Toyota to flee into National Health Service in England, 5G deployment to those that say new the evening. said in early April. in UK this month. 5G installations have created the It’s a scene that’s been repeated doz- Some 50 fires targeting cell towers virus. “To be concerned that 5G is ens of times in recent weeks in and other equipment have been somehow driving the Covid-19 epi- Europe, where conspiracy theories reported in Britain this month, lead- “Nobody wants cancer & Covid19. demic is just wrong,” Dr Jonathan linking new 5G mobile networks and ing to three arrests. Telecom engi- Stop trying to make it happen or every Samet, dean of the Colorado School of the coronavirus pandemic are fuelling neers have been abused on the job 80 pole and mobile store will end up like Public Health who chaired a World arson attacks on cell towers. times, according to trade group Mobile this one.” Health Organization committee that Popular beliefs and conspiracy the- UK, making the UK the nucleus of the The trend received extra attention researched cell phone radiation and ories that wireless communications attacks. Photos and videos document- in Britain when a tower supplying cancer. “I just don’t find any plausible pose a threat have long been around, ing the attacks are often overlaid with voice and data traffic to a Birmingham way to link them.” but the global spread of the virus at false commentary about Covid-19. field hospital treating coronavirus Susan Brinchman, director of the the same time that countries were Some 16 have been torched in the patients was among those targeted. Center for Electrosmog Prevention, a rolling out fifth generation wireless Netherlands, with attacks also report- “It’s heart-rending enough that fam- nonprofit campaigning against “envi- technology has seen some of those ed in Ireland, Cyprus, and Belgium. ilies cannot be there at the bedside of ronmental electromagnetic pollu- false narratives amplified. Posts threatening to attack phone loved ones who are critically ill,” Nick tion,” says that people have a right to Officials in Europe and the US are masts were receiving likes on Jeffery, CEO of wireless carrier be concerned about 5G and links to AP/RSS watching the situation closely and Facebook. One post in an anti-vaccine Vodafone UK, said on LinkedIn. “It’s Covid-19. “The entire 5G infrastruc- In this January 28 photo, mobile network phone masts are visible in front of St Paul’s pushing back, concerned that attacks group on April 12 shared a photo of a even more upsetting that even the ture should be dismantled and turned Cathedral in the City of London. will undermine vital telecommunica- burned phone mast with the quote, small solace of a phone or video call off,” she said by email.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 | 08 CULTURE & ARTS (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Why do people fall for fake news? Misinformation spreads like wildfire in any major event, but in the case of Covid-19, the spread of fake news can be dangerous to the public.

ANKIT KHADGI just because her family members are tell- KATHMANDU ing her to do so. “My father saw some video on YouTube that claimed that by anju Shahi’s day begins drinking panchamrit we can protect our- with her preparing a selves from coronavirus. Although I don’t special drink. She boils know how true it is, I have been drinking water along with piec- it because my family members believe in es of cardamom and it,” says Menuka. cinnamon and then “Since the culture of not questioning Madds turmeric powder. She drinks at least elders is embedded in our society and a cup of it daily believing that it will help even our education system, in which crit- her and her family members boost their ical thinking skills are not imparted well immunity. to young people, it becomes easier to “I saw a video on Facebook the other accept the news we are exposed to,” says day, where a person was claiming that by Khanal, who however believes that much drinking this our bodies can fight the research is required to support this novel coronavirus,” says Shahi, a 55-year- hypothesis. old homemaker from Dallu, who has been Many researchers say that reduced drinking the concoction for the past three SHUTTERSTOCK analytical thinking of people which can weeks. ers. They are more informal in language questioning the piece’s credibility is lit- germinate from people’s inability to think Shahi is not the only one who has been than standard news writing, and thus tle,” says sociologist Neeti Aryal Khanal. critically could be one of the pushing following what she sees on social media more appealing to readers,” says Acharya, Many believe that Authority bias tendency is also deeply factors for people to have faith in fake blindly. In neighbouring India, thousands a faculty member of graduate and post- embedded in our social structure, which news. are drinking cow urine to ‘protect’ them- doctoral studies at University of Ottawa, media illiteracy is means people are likely to give greater For Shahi, although there’s no selves from Covid-19. In France, a flurry Canada. directly proportional credence to authority figures that can scientific claim that the drink she is hav- of tweets stated that cocaine would pro- While many believe that media illitera- either be celebrities, public figures or ing can prevent coronavirus, she tect them against the virus. cy is directly proportional to the prolifer- to the proliferation of even their family members or institu- believes that it might have a positive Misinformation spreads like wildfire ation of fake news, studies and articles tions like media, religious and political impact on her as well as her family mem- in any major event. But this infodemic, say that even those who are literate can fake news. groups. This social functioning can also bers health. meaning an excessive amount of infor- come under the radar of fake news. “The lead to people sharing the information “In the video it was said that our ances- mation that circulates on the internet stories appear so genuine and appealing widely and quickly. tors also drank such conconctions to keep most of which is plagued by fake news, that they capture the core of the public’s the knowledge they lack. According to Khanal believes that this cognitive bias themselves healthy. I think the current can have far-reaching, hazardous impacts, sentiment,” says Acharya, who believes Danish researchers Vincent F Hendricks of any society can accelerate the growth generation has forgotten their roots, experts believe. For instance, more than that everyone irrespective of their aca- and Pelle G Hansen the tendency of peo- of fake news. “When fake news gets maybe now is the time to make them real- 400 people died in Iran after they followed demic background can fall for fake news. ple to imitate others by trusting the infor- shared by important authority figures, ise the importance of ancestral knowl- a fake news that had claimed that corona- The biggest danger with fake news, mation they have, particularly when they the effects can be damaging. Just them edge,” says Shahi. virus can be cured by drinking methanol. however, according to one study and themselves lack enough information and sharing the news means that news gets a This kind of attitude is exactly what, Despite such dangers, what makes peo- experts the Post spoke to, is that the prob- the time to verify news, fosters the growth stamp of approval; it just becomes real according to Khanal, makes people trust ple so susceptible to fake news and infor- ability of it reaching a wider audience of reliance on social information which for the people who follow them,” says fake news easily. “Often fake news affirms mation? According to Bhanu Bhakta quickly is high. could make people believe whatever they Khanal, lecturer of sociology at Patan people’s views and opinions that may not Acharya, a media researcher, the writing One of the major reasons why more see on social media without question. Multiple Campus. be accepted easily. If such information style of any piece of news plays a signifi- and more people depend on social media “When people see a close friend or a However for 34-year-old Menuka, who comes in the form of a news, they feel cant role in its power to convince people. for information consumption is also prominent figure sharing a news article, has been drinking the panchamrit, a emotionally gratified and connected to it, “Fake news is designed to be attractive, because of the people’s reliance on social even if the piece of information could be drink made from five substances, on a making them believe such information is catchy, sensational, and appealing to read- information to acquaint themselves with potentially fake, the chances of them daily basis, says that she is drinking it true,” says Khanal.

How to reduce your screen time Worried you’re spending too much time on your phone, computer and TV? Here are some ways you can cut down on that.

POST REPORT to this is by making sure there are Create screen-free zones Declaring bedrooms screen free will not of these apps not only let you know the KATHMANDU plenty of things to do in the house that Make the dining table a place where only help you significantly reduce screen total amount of time you spent using the doesn’t require smartphones. How about people are not allowed to bring their time but also stops us from ruining our phone but also give you a detailed report s the Covid-19 lockdown starting the day with the entire family phones, and if you want to take it a step sleep schedule. of how much time you spent on individu- has kept us inside our doing some yoga? Or getting the entire fam- further, declare bedrooms screen al apps. Once you know that you have homes, our smartphones, ily to do some gardening work. Cooking is free. The latter is a huge step to Uninstall the apps (for an hour or two been spending a daily average of three laptops, tablets have found also a great way to get the family together. take and requires steadfast commitment every day) that you use the most hours on Instagram, uninstalling the app renewed importance in our Get creative; there’s lots of activities you because we all know we are habituated The beauty of using apps that allow you for an hour or two daily is a good place to lives. These electronic can do beyond your black screens. to checking our phones in bed. to keep track of screen time is that most start. devicesA are helping us maintain some semblance of normalcy in these unprece- dented times—from getting work done, socialising, to keeping ourselves enter- tained. The result is that the time we spend in front of screens has gone through the roof. And yes, while we need our screens to hold onto a little bit of normalcy, the fact remains: excessive screen time comes with its own perils. Studies have shown that children between the ages of 8 to 11 shouldn’t be spending more than two hours in front of screens. Too much screen time is also said to increase the chances of diseases like obesity, diabetes, sleep problems. So, if you are worried you might be doing yourself more harm than good, with how much time you’re spend- ing on your black mirrors, and want to keep it under check then here are five ways to do so.

Keep track of how much time you are spending on your phone One of the most effective ways to cut down on our screen time is by being aware of how much time we are actually spending on our phones. According to a study pub- lished in early 2019 by RescueTime, most people, on average, spent three hours and 15 minutes on their phones. But with the lockdown, it goes without saying that the hours have increased. Keeping track of your screen time is easy. There are a host of third-party apps on App Store (for iPhone users) and Play Store (for Android users) that let users keep track of screen time with a break- down of how much time you are spending on individual apps. Knowing how much screen time you get in a day can prove to be a wake-up call to reduce it.

Don’t take your phone in the bath- room We all know that we end up spending more time in the bathroom when we take our phones with us compared to when we don’t. What is supposed to be a quick five minutes in the bathroom turns into 20 minutes when we are watching videos on YouTube or stalking random people on social media. Time flies. So the next time you enter the bathroom, leave your phone outside, and maybe take that magazine or book that you promised to read but haven’t yet.

Take part in activities that involve the entire family It’s a plain fact that people are more likely to spend a lot more time behind screens when there’s nothing much else to do, which is precisely what’s happening during the lockdown. One solution

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