WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 64 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 33.7 C 5.7 C Wednesday, April 29, 2020 | 17-01-2077 Nepalgunj Jomsom Faced with increasingly hostile party leaders, Oli makes last ditch effort to retain his position Opponents, however, are firm in their opposition, leading Oli to warn his confidantes to prepare for consequences, including a party split.

TIKA R PRADHAN & ANIL GIRI uled Secretariat meeting. But negotiations KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 collapsed, according to two Standing Committee members. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is in the Both chairs then agreed on calling the midst of a political quagmire from which it Secretariat meeting, which will decide the might be difficult to escape unscathed, as a date for a Standing Committee meeting. number of senior party leaders are likely to “Continuing with the status quo is not ask him to step down. going to resolve the ongoing crisis,” said In an attempt to buy some time, a Beduram Bhusal, a Standing Committee Secretariat meeting called for Tuesday was member who has close relations with Nepal. postponed, but insiders say Oli cannot avoid “There is no alternative to Oli’s removal. The holding the meeting on Wednesday. way his government has undermined the dem- Several rounds of tough ocratic process is a matter of negotiations on Monday and grave concern.” Tuesday failed to yield any Khanal, a former prime result and now there is no minister who has been eyeing option left for Oli, who is also Sheetal Niwas, is most likely a party chair, to face the to make the first move at POST PHOTO: KABIN ADHIKARI Secretariat on Wednesday. Wednesday’s Secretariat meet- People donning face masks as protection against coronavirus walk on a street that is covered in petals fallen from spring flowers near Bir Hospital in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Sensing imminent danger, ing to demand Oli’s resigna- Oli has been in close consulta- tion. tions with his confidantes to “Oli agreed to call the ensure a majority in the Secretariat meeting for Parliamentary Party. Of the Wednesday at the insistence 174 lawmakers from the Nepal of Dahal, who has already Unity of Madhesi parties could be hamstrung Communist Party (NCP), Oli, POST FILE PHOTO allied with Khanal to press for who is already in the minority KP Sharma Oli the meeting,” said Bhusal. in the nine-member According to party insiders, Secretariat and the 44-member Standing the Dahal and Nepal factions are united by a lack of coherence among their leaders Committee, has around 78 on his side--10 against Oli, even though Nepal has not made Members of Parliament short of a majority. up his mind about Dahal’s offer. On Monday, Oli made an all-out effort to On Tuesday evening, Oli had invited party Analysts are wary of welcoming the unification of the Rastriya Janata Party and the Sanghiya Samajbadi clinch a deal with senior leader Madhav lawmakers and his confidantes to Baluwatar Kumar Nepal, who now holds the key to Oli’s to discuss the ongoing situation in the party. Party as they see it as a reactive move rather than a unity born out of shared agendas. stay in power, with around 40 Members of According to a leader present at the meet- Parliament on his side. Oli has even offered ing, Oli told all participants that he was not directly elected lawmakers are Nepal the party chair, along with two chief going to give up and asked them to brace for ANALYSIS from Province 2, except for minister positions and ministerial portfolios any challenges that may come in the coming ment to a provision in the Political Baburam Bhattarai (Gorkha), for his confidantes, as long as he gets to con- days. “Prepare yourself for the worst case Party Act. Mohammad Ishtiyak Rai (Banke) tinue as prime minister. scenario, even a party split,” said the leader, The unified party is now called and Resham Chaudhary (Kailali). The way Oli, who once drove Nepal into a who spoke on condition of anonymity. the Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal And they share a majority of agen- corner, has been making concessions to According to lawmaker Bijay Subba, dur- and its leaders say they want to das, with amendments to the con- Nepal has left the Dahal faction with no ing the meeting which was also attended by turn it into a strong alternative stitution being the most important. option than to up the ante, according to Lekhraj Bhatta, a former Maoist and current political force. There are, however, Analysts say that the major chal- insiders from the Dahal camp. Dahal has minister, many lawmakers, including Tilak questions if a new party with the lenge the newly formed party faces offered Nepal the prime ministership. Mahat and Navaraj Silwal, told Oli that they same old faces can truly provide an will be to manage the egos of its Nepal, however, has not committed to any- would stand by him. alternative. leaders, which largely led to the one and is said to be weighing the options. “I called you to brief you about the situa- “This is a unity of compulsion past failures to unite. In a last ditch effort to find a middle path, tion and the possible consequences, so that because the government tried to Past mergers had largely failed Oli held a meeting with Dahal on Tuesday, you aren’t shocked later,” Subba quoted Oli as split both the parties,” said because of one leader—Upendra which led to the postponement of the sched- saying. “Be mentally prepared for anything.” Puranjan Acharya, a political ana- Yadav. Even within the Samajbadi POST PHOTO lyst. “If we look at the track record Party, leaders were not happy with The unified party is now called the Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal and its leaders say of the leaders in these parties, Yadav, which was why some law- they want to turn it into a strong alternative political force. there is enough evidence that they makers were quick to take Oli’s are to blame for destroying their bait to split the part y. ANIL GIRI announced their merger last week own political agendas.” The Samajbadi Party itself was KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 in dramatic fashion. While earlier Both Samajbadi Party and formed in May last year after a efforts at unity had failed, their Janata Party, with 17 and 16 seats merger between Yadav’s Sanghiya The third and fourth largest par- April 22 merger was prompted respectively in Parliament, have Samajbadi Forum and Baburam ties in Parliament, both with a by Prime Minister KP Sharma their vote base in the Madhes, espe- Bhattarai’s Naya Shakti. large base in the Madhes, Oli’s ordinance seeking an amend- cially the eastern half. Almost all >> Continued on page 5 As tourists stay home, homestays have no business The coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown could lead to a collapse of homestays that have provided communities with economic support and a sense of identity.

ELISHA SHRESTHA can get back to business.” KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 In most areas, homestays are part of an economic chain, buying When the Visit Nepal 2020 tourism locally produced goods and farm campaign was first announced, products to serve tourists. A lack Dilli Maya Magar was excited. For of homestay business means a the past nine years, Magar has knock-on effect that ripples been operating a homestay in throughout the entire community. Dhankuta’s Namje village, hosting “We produce organic vegetables. both domestic and foreign tourists, We have a poultry farm and cows and she was hopeful that the Visit for milk,” said Magar. “I am afraid Nepal 2020 would boost an already that we won’t be able to compen- flourishing homestay industry in sate for our financial losses even the community. after the lockdown.” Namje’s 13 community According to Badal, the impact homestays were expecting around of Covid-19 on the homestay indus- 400 to 500 guests a month from try could affect around 40,000 people. March until May but then Covid-19 Dibya Shakya, who operates a began to spread. The government homestay in Nakabahal, Lalitpur, in Nepal responded by cancelling invested around Rs8 million in Visit Nepal 2020 and imposing a renovating his home to function nationwide lockdown that prohib- as a homestay and he’s afraid that ited all public movement. he won’t be able to recoup his “Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, POST FILE PHOTO investment. we are completely out of business Income in villages like Lamjung’s Ghale Gaun has dried up due to the slump. “Those who were planning to in the months that were supposed stay for longer periods of time to be our peak time,” Magar told ty-based lodgings where visitors of the Nepal Homestay Association, have returned to their countries the Post. reside with locals and take part in along with community-based and right now, only two out of Homestays are communi- the local culture. In recent years, homestays, there are more than 800 eight rooms are occupied,” said homestays have emerged private homestays in the country. Shakya. “Even if the lockdown as a popular means for Purna Bahadur Gurung, who ends, it will take a year or two to rural communities to hosts a homestay at Sirubari vil- recover from the financial loss shore up their local econo- lage in Syangja, was hoping to caused by the pandemic.” my while also preserving make good money during peak The pandemic and the ensuing and sharing their ethnic tourist season. Generally, he makes lockdown have already hit the culture. Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 a month. tourism and hospitality industries According to 2018 data “There are 17 houses that pro- hard, with many smaller outfits on from the Ministry of vide homestay services in our the verge of collapse. The pandem- Tourism, communi- Gurung village,” he said. “These ic has led to cancellations of flights ty-based homestays houses have the capacity to accom- while the lockdown has meant that increased from 217 in 2015 modate around 84 guests. However, even domestic tourists are not to 324 in 2018. According right now, we are just waiting for allowed to travel. to Kesab Badal, president the lockdown to be over so that we >> Continued on page 5

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY

Inside the Post Quote of the day

As tourists stay home, homestays have National no business, Page 1 Measles outbreaks have been reported in several districts including in Kathmandu and Lalitpur amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. “I am afraid that we won’t be able to Opinion compensate for our financial losses The sheer boredom of staying at home is the major problem of the bourgeoisie in the Kathmandu Valley. They have the means to have everything they need— even after the lockdown. organic vegetables and fruits, fresh fish and lean meat, cottage cheese and alco- holic drinks—delivered at home in sanitised packets. Dilli Maya Magar, a homestay operator in Dhankuta, on the Money impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in her business. Demand for digital advertising is shrivelling after a decade of explosive growth amid the pandemic-fuelled downturn. That could complicate things for Google and Facebook, who for the first time may have to contend with revenues that are actually shrinking. Most read online World France and Spain, two of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, Factions fail to see eye to eye, leaving Oli in a tenuous were laying out separate roadmaps on Tuesday for lifting their lockdowns, while signs emerged that the virus has been all but vanquished in New Zealand and position in the ruling party Australia. Marathon meetings between the various factions in the Nepal Communist Party on Monday failed to find common ground, indicating that the ongoing tumult Culture & Arts within the ruling party is likely to continue. With comedy clubs from California to New York dark due to social-distancing mandates, comedians are finding ways to keep bringing the laughs to the public. Biratnagar city office calls out Kathmandu local administration and government for stopping Valley residents from going home The decision of Kathmandu District Administration Office to prohibit the resi- dents of Kathmandu Valley from returning home after they had travelled all the News Quiz way from Biratnagar has exposed the double standard of the city authorities and the federal government, an official at Biratnagar city office has said. 1. An automatic sanitiser machine going home? has been installed in which city a) Birgunj With everyone forced indoors and online by the lockdown, of Bagmati Province targeting b) Pokhara vehicles and people arriving c) Chitwan cases of cybercrime are increasing POST PHOTO: SANJOG MANANDHAR from India and eastern Tarai? d) Biratnagar When the lockdown started on March 24, Anoushka Pandey had already A man pushes an elderly woman on a wheelchair in Kathmandu. a. Hetauda been on the receiving end of prolonged abuse from her partner’s former girl- b. Bharatpur friend for four months. Every day, she received messages, audio and video calls, c. Bhaktapur and voice messages on Facebook and Instagram from fake profiles created to d. Dhulikhel On this day in history harass her. 2. The European Union is offering an aid package of what amount Without immediate support, small and medium to Nepal to tackle the outbreak POST PHOTO ‘Shri Krishna’ to be telecast from today enterprises on verge of collapse of the coronavirus pandemic? Since the lockdown began on March 24 to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a. Rs 10 billion 5. When did Supreme Court issue KATHMANDU – Nepal Television (NTV) is to telecast ‘Shri Krishna’, a Hindi serial Rishiram Poudel, proprietor of the Chitwan-based Abiral Hatchery, has just one b. Rs 9.8 billion a ruling barring authorities based on life of Lord Krishna every week from Thursday. chore to perform everyday—dump his chicken eggs. “I don’t have customers for c. Rs 8 billion from granting amnesty to con- Ramananda Sagar, producer and director of the mega hit Ramayana has pro- the chicks that I supply as poultry farms are not buying them anymore,” Poudel d. Rs 8.9 billion victs in cases of serious human duced this serial. Recently, the metro channel of Door Darshan has started tele- told the Post over the phone from Chitwan. rights violations? casting it. 3. The construction of which a. 2010 The story of the serial ‘Shri Krishna’ is based on Shreemad Bhagvat Gita, railway has been stalled follow- b. 2015 Bhrama Baiwarta Purana, Garga Samhita, Agni Purana, Haribansha and ing obstruction from locals c. 2018 Markandeya Purana. demanding compensation? d. 2012 In this serial, the character of Lord Krishna has been presented in a different a. Jaynagar-Bardibas way than that of Mahabharata, in which he was shown as a shrewd diplomat. Corrections b. Raxaul–Birgunj-Kathmandu 6. Shortage of supplementary equip- The serial is divided into 78 episodes. Thirty-nine episodes cover the childhood c. Mechi-Mahakali ment, including VTMs and pro- of Krishna and the rest is devoted to his youth. Our reporters and editors do their best to make sure our reporting is free from d. Kathmandu–Kerung cessing kits, is affecting coronavi- errors. But when we make mistakes that warrant correction, we will be transparent rus testing in which province? The Kathmandu Post and clarify at the bottom of the specific article. 4. Which city office has called out a. Bagmati April 29, 1993 If you believe we have got something wrong and it requires correction, please Kathmandu local administra- b. Sudurpaschim email us at [email protected] with “correction” in the subject line. tion and government for c. Karnali Answers to News Quiz: 1(a), 2(b), 3(c), 4(d), 5(b), 6(c) For the most recent corrections, visit kathmandupost.com/corrections. stopping Valley residents from d. Gandaki HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) CANCER (June 22-July 22) LIBRA (September 23-October 22) CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** *** *** **** Have you been too agreeable lately? You may You don’t have to be as skilled as a professional You could have an intensely magnetic effect on If you’re working on building a new romance, run the risk of being branded a pushover! chef to throw a virtual dinner party, so what’s people today, which will be thrilling and fun. the best course of action for you right now is to Today, it’s time to stand up for what you think is stopping you? Your social circle needs a get-to- But keep in mind that while you’re pulling take no action at all! Now is not the time to move right. Don’t back down from being the lone gether. You can all decide on a type of food to some fabulous people into your orbit, you’ll any relationships forward, especially a new one. voice of dissent. If something isn’t right to you, cook in your own kitchens, then convene online undoubtedly pull in one or two very insecure Don’t fall for the false assumption that you need then it isn’t right! You deserve the chance to say to enjoy the company. The people in your life people, too. Be careful not to make them think to provide positive feedback or encouragement your piece. just want to hang out with you. you play a bigger role in their life. in order to keep someone interested.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) LEO (July 23-August 22) SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** **** **** *** You’ve become quite a trendsetter in your Today, pick a controversial topic and ask some- If you’re going to say something that might be Get ready to ride a gigantic wave of creative group, haven’t you noticed? Your friends are one smart what they think about it. Who knows tough for someone to hear, first consider their energy today. It might hit you with little or no starting to emulate the way you talk, the way whether any major drama will erupt or not, but temper. Is it easily triggered? If so, make sure notice, so make sure you keep a pen and paper you dress, even the way you laugh! You’ve been you’ll get a charge of whatever happens. Hearing you start your conversation on a positive note! nearby. Jotting down every little thing that pops feeling good, and when you feel good you look people’s opinions is a great way to build your Talk about all the things about them that you into your head might not be very practical, but good. And when you look good, people want to relationship with them, so choose a person you appreciate and enjoy. Then ease into the prob- these little gems will come in handy in a few follow your example! want to get to know better. lem and focus on a positive outcome. weeks when you’re looking for inspiration.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) VIRGO (August 23-September 22) SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) PISCES (February 19-March 20) **** **** **** *** When you think you’ve come across a great bar- Today, you need to develop a more analytical Your fresh attitude is fresher than ever, and Today, it will be easy for you to see the truth, so gain or amazing, no-fail investment opportunity, attitude, especially when it comes to people you today it will help other people jump on the it’s a great day for judging someone. After a few you’d better stop and look more closely. Things don’t like. If they rub you the wrong way, so happy bandwagon right along with you! This is minutes of light conversation, you’ll be able to aren’t always what they seem, and it would be in what? Do they really have an impact on your a time of optimism, but there are one or two know who is genuine and who is full of it. There your best interests to ask a lot of questions life? If so, you need to address it once and for all. responsibilities you need to make sure you take is at least one person who’s trying to make you about what you’re considering. And when you Establish what your relationship will be with seriously! But if there is anyone who can have believe something that isn’t true, but they won’t get that feeling, you’d better run for the hills! them and then don’t look back. fun while getting stuff done, it’s you! succeed.

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K 03 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 NATIONAL Attorney’s office also refuses to register case on alleged kidnapping of lawmaker District attorney asked them to leave an application, but didn’t file the complaint, Janata Samajbadi leaders say.

POST REPORT pass two controversial ordinances last KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 week. One of the two ordinances, now repealed by President Bidya Devi The Kathmandu District Government Bhandari, made it easier for political Attorney’s Office on Tuesday refused parties to split. Many believe that the to register a case against Nepal ordinance was specifically targeted at Communist Party lawmakers Mahesh the party Yadav belonged to. Yadav Basnet and Kisan Shrestha and for- was allegedly brought to Kathmandu mer police chief Sarbendra Khanal from Janakpur by the trio in order to for their roles in the alleged kidnap- facilitate the split in the erstwhile ping of lawmaker Surendra Yadav last Samajbadi Party, which was negotiat- Wednesday. ing a merger with the Rastriya Janata Top leaders from Yadav’s Janata Party. Samajbadi Party, who approached Following the issuance of the ordi- authorities to file the complaint, were nances, the Samajbadi Party and the told to leave an application at the Rastriya Janata Party decided to enter office, and that officials would study into a merge on Wednesday night, in the document and inform them of its an attempt to foil Oli’s plan to divide fate later. the third and fourth largest parties in “The District Government Attorney Parliament. Office refused to file the complaint,” The recent controversy surround- said Keshav Jha, a leader of Janata ing Yadav’s alleged abduction has also Samajbadi Party. According to the triggered a factional feud in the ruling new civil code, complaints related to party with leaders from Oli’s rival POST PHOTO: DEEPAK KC criminal cases can also be filed direct- camps criticising him over his han- People play a game of volleyball in Jadibuti, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, the 36th day of the nationwide lockdown aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19. ly at the office of the district attorney dling of the situation. concerned. Numaraj Khanal, a Kathmandu dis- Jha said that District Attorney Hari trict government attorney, had said on Prasad Regmi asked Upendra Yadav, Sunday that if a police office refuses Rajendra Mahato, Mahendra Rai to register a case, the complainants Yadav, Ashok Rai and other leaders of either need to file an application at the the newly formed Janata Samajbadi district government attorney’s office Parliamentary committees gradually Party, to leave an application at his or reach out to a higher police office. office and that the office would study It was unclear what the party plans it and inform them about his decision. to do next after Tuesday’s events. Janata Samajbadi Party leaders Meanwhile, members of the student approached the district attorney, two wing of the ruling Nepal Communist return to business after lockdown break days after Kathmandu police refused Party approached the Kathmandu to file a complaint against Basnet, District Attorney’s Office to register a The Public Accounts Committee starts a probe into alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment while Shrestha and Khanal citing “orders complaint citing the Electronic from higher up” even when Yadav Transactions Act against Janata the National Concern and Coordination Committee directs the government to partially ease Covid-19 restrictions. himself approached them. A police Samjbadi Party leaders Baburam spokesperson, however said that the Bhattarai, Hisila Yami and BINOD GHIMIRE amid the concerns that the govern- son of the committee. As the economy has been crippled complaint was not registered in Bishwadeep Pandey for spreading KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 ment’s actions to deal with the Covid- The National Concern and due to the lockdown, the committee Kathmandu as the alleged incident rumours about the alleged kidnapping 19 crisis and its consequences were far Coordination Committee’s meeting on will suggest the government to go took place in Dhanusa district. of Surendra Yadav. Several parliamentary committees from enough. The government’s deci- Sunday asked the government to ease beyond the traditional preparations to Yadav’s alleged abduction was one However, the attorney’s office also that could not convene after the gov- sion to authorise the Nepal Army to the lockdown restrictions in the areas focus on the revival of sectors hit hard of the events triggered by Prime refused to register their complaint ernment imposed a ban on gatherings purchase medical items under govern- where infection rates are low. The by the present crisis. Minister KP Sharma Oli’s decision to and asked for a week to study it. with more than 25 people are gradual- ment-to-government deals has also committee said it was necessary to The constitution states that the ly returning to their business. received criticism. resume economic activities adhering government must present its budget Various committees that have On Sunday, the Public Accounts to proper precautions as daily wage on Jestha 15 (May 29 this year). already convened are looking at issues Committee directed the Ministry of earners have been hit hard by the However, the government is yet to con- ranging from alleged irregularities in Health and Population to provide doc- lockdown which has been extended for vene the budget session of Parliament. the procurement of medical equip- uments related to a contract officials the fifth time. Meanwhile, the Legislation ment to fight coronavirus to allowing signed with Omni Business Corporate Dil Kumari Rawal , chairperson of Management Committee and projects of national pride to resume International to procure equipment the committee, said her committee Delegated Management and construction work . and protective gear needed to fight has asked the government to allow Government Assurance Committee of “The parliamentary committees are Covid-19. The government was forced national pride projects to resume con- the National Assembly held their gradually returning to work,” Gopal to scrap the deal after reports surfaced struction. “But proper precautions meetings on Tuesday. The legislation Nath Yogi, acting general secretary at that the items supplied were substand- should be taken,” she told the Post. management committee formed a task the parliament secretariat, told the ard and their prices had been inflated. The secretariat said the Finance force comprising senior advocate Post. Committee members are meet- “The (health) ministry has been Committee, which held an informal Khim Lal Devkota and officials from ing by maintaining proper physical asked to provide details in a week and virtual meeting two weeks ago, is set the secretariat to suggest amendments distance, he said. we will broaden our ambit of investi- to convene this week. The committee to the Infectious Disease Act as it was POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA Lawmakers had been pressing the gation after studying those docu- will discuss the priorities of the too old to address pandemics such as Leaders of Janata Samajbadi Party arrive in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, to register a case secretariat to convene the committees ments,” said Bharat Shah, chairper- national budget for the new fiscal year. Covid-19. at the District Government Attorney Office on Tuesday. Health Ministry issues Measles outbreaks reported in five districts including safety protocol for officials Kathmandu and Lalitpur in last one month and drivers dealing with Doctors warns continuous disruption in routine immunisation could put lives of thousands of children at risk. ARJUN POUDEL In Khokana, Lalitpur, at least 18 tor of the erstwhile Children Health es than from the Covid-19.” KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 cases have been confirmed by the Division, warns if the immunisation The Ministry of Health and import of goods Immunization Section of the services are not resumed immediately, Population suspended measles-rubella Measles outbreaks have been reported Department of Health Services. there could be another public health vaccination drive for an indefinite in several districts including in Before this, measles outbreaks were emergency in the country. period after the lockdown. The recent PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA visions, I am organising a meeting Kathmandu and Lalitpur amid the reported in Jhapa, Sarlahi and “The rise in the number of measles outbreaks have forced the ministry to KATHMANDU, APRIL 28 with people from Birgunj Dry Port ongoing coronavirus lockdown. Dhading. outbreaks shows that the immunity reconsider its decision. and Integrated Check Post and the Since the government enforced a Health officials said they had not level of children has declined. This is “We are aware of the risk of a possi- The government has issued safety customs agents on Wednesday,” nationwide lockdown on March 24 to witnessed so many outbreaks take not a good sign. Not only the measles, ble health crisis. We have already guidelines for people who are involved Niraula said. contain the spread of Covid-19, mea- place in a short span of time in recent children are at high risk of whooping asked the health facilities across the in clearing the goods from the point of According to the new guidelines, sles breakouts have occurred in sever- years. coughs, diphtheria, polio and other country to resume the regular immu- entry from border to customs clear- the health desk must report to their al parts of the country with at least With the entire country under lock- vaccine preventable diseases,” he told nisation programmes after reports ance as the government has allowed concerned authorities if the persons two confirmed fatalities in Dhading down, routine immunisation pro- the Post. about measles outbreaks,” Dr Jhalak continuity of essential supplies from in charge of delivery trucks are found district. grammes have been affected in several Out of over 650,000 children in need Sharma, chief of the Immunization other countries. to be sick and send them to the desig- The latest cases have been reported districts. Health officials say Rubella of measles-rubella vaccines every Section of the Department of Health As per the recently issued guide- nated hospital. in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. virus, which causes measles and is far year, 120,000 (about 20 percent) miss Services, told the Post. lines, the government officials Health desk workers should also In Kageshwori Municipality-6, more contagious than the novel coro- their inoculation schedule. “More outbreaks could occur if involved in clearing the goods need to ensure that people delivering goods Kathmandu, at least six children navirus or SARS-CoV-2, is rearing its Upreti says the chances of the dead- children continuously miss the rou- take a number of measures including into the country are wearing face between the ages of six months and 14 head as the country is observing stay- ly viral disease spreading are higher tine immunisation due to the obstruc- ensuring that the person involved in masks and that they clean their hands years were diagnosed with the highly at-home orders to prevent the spread even if one child misses his/her tion caused by the coronavirus pan- the delivery of goods is not infected with soap or sanitisers before they are contagious disease in the past one of coronavirus. immunisation. demic.” with the novel coronavirus. allowed to pass. week, Dr Biplav Adhikari, chief of Many health facilities have discon- “The coverage of measles-rubella According to Sharma, people of Decontamination of trucks carrying After passing the health desk, the Mulpani Primary Health Care Centre, tinued their regular immunisation vaccine is already low in our country all age groups are vulnerable to the goods, use of gloves, masks and other relevant customs office needs to over- said. programmes while parents too and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic disease and underage children, preg- safety equipment and observing social see the process of decontaminating “Five of these cases were confirmed have stopped seeking inoculation ser- has dealt a severe blow to our endeav- nant women, elderly people and distance are other measures outlined the goods carrying vehicle in coordi- by laboratory test and the other cases vices for their children during the our to contain the contagious dis- those with compromised immune in the guidelines. nation with the local administration were confirmed based on clinical lockdown. ease,” Upreti said. “More people and systems—HIV infected people—are The guidelines have been sent to and concerned local government. The symptoms,” Adhkari told the Post. Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, former direc- children can die from the other diseas- highly vulnerable to contagious dis- various customs, quarantine and local administration or government ease like measles and other preventa- other offices in major border points also needs to issue a decontamination ble diseases. from where cross-border movement of certificate to the truck. Measles and rubella are contagious goods take place. Only after the disinfection process viral diseases, which are transmitted “We received the guidelines from completes, the goods can go to the through droplets from the nose, mouth the Customs Department a couple of quarantine office for clearance. or throat of infected persons. days ago,” said Dhundi Naraula, chief Niraula said that they had already Early symptoms, which usually customs officer at Birgunj Customs. adopted the process of driver’s seat appear 10-12 days after infection Although the department had and his immediate surrounding inside include high fever, runny nose, blood- issued similar health guidelines for the truck and the wheels of the truck. shot eyes and white tiny spots inside the customs offices across the country, Birgunj Customs has been clearing the mouth. Several days later, a rash Naraula said that there are some new around 20 trucks carrying essential develops on the face, upper neck and provisions in the new guidelines they goods daily. other parts of the body. have received. The latest guidelines also instruct Measles was once endemic in Nepal For example, there is a provision the concerned customs office to safely with an average 90,000 cases reported where drivers and their assistants of separate medical goods, food and per- annually from 1994 to 2004. vehicles carrying goods have to fill up ishable items before decontaminating The government launched a routine self-declaration forms claiming that the vehicle. measles vaccination programme in they are Covid-19 free and they have Personnel involved in this process the country in the late 1980s. not come in contact with any person should compulsorily wear suits cover- Although Nepal had committed to suffering from Covid-19-like symp- ing their whole body, protective gog- eliminating measles by 2019, the dead- toms in the past three weeks. gles, surgical mask and gloves. line was extended to 2023 due to fre- In self-declaration form, they also “We have ensured the availability quent occurrences of the disease. To need to promise that they are ready to of all necessary materials for the safe- achieve measles-eliminated status, the face legal action if the declaration ty of our staff,” said Shishir Ghimire, number of cases should be lower than turns out to be untrue. information officer at the Department POST PHOTO: HARIHAR SINGH RATHOUR five in a million people or no cases “In order to implement the new pro- of Customs. A health worker examines a baby in Dhading, one of the several districts that have reported measles outbreaks in recent weeks. throughout a year.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL Everybody wants to be an autocrat House of correction The politicisation of The federal government needs to work in crime is a relatively coordination with other subgovernments. common affair in clientelism. What is happening in Thankot, the gateway to capital is tragic. It is cold and people are stranded. There are families CK LAL with small kids too. But the federal government seems nonchalant. SOUTH SIDE It has been more than a month since the lockdown. Yet there is no certainty as to for how long this is going to con- tinue. The government, on its part, keeps on extending the lockdown week after week without a clear plan as to how it The lockdown has already begun to push is going to move forward, say once the lockdown is lifted, or the poor of the country into penury. Fear what consists of loosening the lockdown and so on. of famine and malnutrition looms large in Madhesh, which is saddled with high- Quite naturally, many are longing to go back to their home- er population density, lower political towns but are stuck in Kathmandu due to the ongoing lock- awareness and an abysmal system of down. And those stuck outside the Valley want to come back. social support due to decades of discrim- ination and neglect. But the decision of Kathmandu District Administration The sheer boredom of staying at home Office to prohibit the residents of Kathmandu Valley from is the major problem of the bourgeoisie returning home after they had travelled all the way from in the Kathmandu Valley. They have the Biratnagar has unmasked yet another lack of coordination means to have everything they need— organic vegetables and fruits, fresh fish between the city authorities and the federal government. and lean meat, cottage cheese and alco- There is a need for coordination between different tiers of holic drinks—delivered at home in sani- government more than ever. We are witnessing a pandemic tised packets. It’s possible for the well-connected to get a pass for one’s and the last thing any government should be doing during off-roader—distribution of relief is the such a crisis is refuse to coordinate and ultimately make most convenient excuse—and go for a SHUTTERSTOCK people suffer. pleasure drive on empty streets. gender-neutral for it has mostly been Oli’s dictate to sing the national anthem political crutch to be used in emergen- Beyond a point, however, hedonism men that attained greatness through at the appointed hour was relatively cies. Madhesis have been politically side- The countrywide tally of those testing positive for Covid- loses its appeal if one’s riches, reach and their appalling deeds. harmless. lined. Janajatis have been silenced into 19 is at 54 as this paper went to press. Most cases are from influence can’t be flaunted. Supremo KP Despite the rants of a section of submission. outside the Kathmandu Valley. But last week, three men, Oli has given this select group exactly Authoritarian impulses ‘Modiots’ in Nepal, the ‘Oli-garchy’ in Itis but natural that for a successful who had tested positive for the coronavirus—one Indian what it has been craving: an opportunity The most powerful ruler in the world is Kathmandu has been able to manage ethnonational leader of the hegemonic to display its collective conscience. The undoubtedly President Xi Jinping. Xi Islamophobia in the wake of the pan- community to desire that he be elevated aged 24 and two others aged 60 and 72 years—were from political charade being staged at controls the ruling ideology, presides demic far better than its Indian counter- from the chair of ‘Oli-garchy’ to the Biratnagar. Perhaps, the officials were trying to be extra Baluwatar is proving to be an excellent over premier institutions, controls all part. Even when Mohan Madhukar throne of what can perhaps be called cautious. But in trying to do so, they have failed humanity. divertissement to soothe the psyche of instruments of the state and has no term Bhagwat, the Sarsanghchalak of the ‘Oliocracy’, a neologism coined for the the comfortable class experiencing limit. He doesn’t have the need to pre- Hindutva outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Nepali version of elected autocracy. Lack of proper planning and coordination has been a con- ennui. tend being powerful. But even he had to Sangh, has explicitly ordained that an stant feature of the government. This weakness has been Everything that Oli has been doing refrain from telling the whole truth entire community could not be blamed Meek challengers more exposed ever since it announced a lockdown in its since the Gorkha earthquake is consist- about the novel coronavirus outbreak to for the acts of a few—he probably had to When a controversial constitution, and ent with his desire to be an ethnonation- maintain his invincible image. do so to salvage India’s image abroad— not just some amendments in existing efforts to spread the contain of the coronavirus. Here at al chieftain of what can be called ABCD The position of the second most pow- the clamour of blaming Muslims in laws, was fast-tracked through the legis- home, there is still confusion as to when people can go out (Aryan, Bahun, Chhetri and Dashnami) erful person on the planet is less unam- Indian media and intelligentsia contin- lative parliament in 2015 discarding due during a lockdown. People will need to go out to buy essen- Nepalis. He needs to centralise power, biguous. President Donald Trump’s ues unabated. process, no ABCD leader thought it nec- tial goods, or pay a visit to the hospital. But there have been remove constitutional restraints upon claim that he wielded ‘total authority’ Much of the credit for countering essary to raise the issue of prioritising his authority and keep the possible was rejected out of hand in no time. incipient Islamophobia in Nepal goes to relief to earthquake survivors instead. reports about people being detained for doing so. The tim- opposition in confusion to do what he Unlike hybrid regimes, power is often Chief Minister of Province 1 Sher Dhan Now they are hoping that Supremo Oli ings keep on changing and at times, the police often choose has been elected to do: maintain status defused, even in flawed democracies. Rai and Chief Minister of Province 2 resign on moral grounds. Irony too needs to detain people based on their whim. Many are still strand- quo, counter aspirations of the margin- However, that doesn’t deter ambitious Mohammad Lalbabu Raut who empow- to put a facemask to protect itself from alised population and ensure political individuals from acting as if they were ered their frontline fighters to manage the ethnonational virus. ed, mostly daily wage earners for whom it has already stability. kings. the outbreak and politically faced The politicisation of crime is a rela- become difficult to survive in this expensive city where they It may appear counterintuitive, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi Hindutva forces on their own. tively common affair in clientelism have no one to call their own. They yearn to go back home some form of autocracy in flawed democ- imposed the biggest lockdown on the Dr Sangita Mishra, the youthful medi- where politicos exercise their power to racies or hybrid regimes is the price a globe with all of four hours advance cal superintendent of Koshi Hospital is protect the guilty for private benefit. and so the provincial governments have started to make country has to pay if it wants to attain notice, precipitating one of the largest helping the largest number of Covid-19 Criminalisation of politics occurs when arrangements after people started going out of Kathmandu greatness. Trying to better one’s condi- reverse migrations, involving at least 40 patients in Nepal recuperate. She has a nexus between criminals, politicians, in droves, barefoot and with a heavy heart that had lost all tion is a continuous process where one million people according to the World rightfully earned wide acclaim for pro- bureaucrats, businesses and intellectu- hopes from the federal government. learns to learn from mistakes and yearns Bank, in human history. Efficacy viding the Quran to some of her charges als begins to dominate governance. not to repeat them. Greatness, on of power, as Modi discovered in the in the hospital. Part of the praise will Criminalisation of society is a concept Examples from around the world have proved that lock- the other hand, has no place for false wake of midnight demonetisation, is naturally accrue to the head of govern- that came into currency to describe the down has served as an effective measure in the fight against starts and requires nothing less than tested in its abuse. The herd follows its ment too, especially in the Ummah mark- politics of post-USSR Russia. Covid-19. But unlike in our case, most countries have proper ruthlessness. shepherd irrespective of the cost of ing a peaceful Ramadan in the middle of Weaponisation of ethnonationalism is Historian Lord Acton is (1834-1902) compliance. a pandemic. its chief characteristic. Sleeper cells in monitoring mechanisms and rules laid out. The federal widely quoted as saying ‘power corrupts, Trump prescribed the ingestion and Over the last two years of his second social media serve its interests at home government too needs to learn a thing or two from other and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. injection of disinfectant to fight the term in office, Supremo Oli has been and abroad. What has been called ‘liars countries and opt for cooperation with the provincial and However, the second sentence of the novel coronavirus. Modi called upon his exceedingly successful in doing what he for hire’ in the intelligentsia propagate same epigram is even more telling: flock for a nine minute blackout at 9:00 had set out to do. He has bolstered his its virtues. Unless the PEON decides to local governments rather than behaving in a conceited, ‘Great men are almost always bad men’. PM. In comparison with leaders that international image. The main opposi- dump him, Supremo Oli has little need to inhumane manner. There is little need to make the category practice majoritarian authoritarianism, tion party has been reduced to being his fear his political challengers.

Reimagining India’s bilateralism

The mild propagation of from the RCEP negotiations and several imbro- glios leading to punitive retaliations vis-à-vis sub-regionalism is now a the neighbouring countries. Another distractingly assertive argument by realistic springboard to move detractors has been India’s poor follow up and a plethora of unfulfilled promises. A huge away from failing strategies. range of projects, programmes and pledges that figure in the bilateral agreements signed with high-decibel fanfare remains incomplete; MAHENDRA P LAMA in some cases, they are a non-starter. This has cost India institutional credibility. Here, the hard-earned goodwill becomes a victim of vin- dictive propaganda in the neighbourhood and for long reels under the vicious discourse of reneging fed by other rival constituents. So, the mild propagation of sub-regionalism by India is now a realistic springboard to climb India has been essentially an avowed practi- up the ladders from orthodox bilateralism to a tioner of bilateralism in its foreign policy new regionalism-based regime of engagement. operations vis-à-vis its immediate neighbour- The message is clear from the India-led BBIN hood. Bilateral negotiations and practices have initiative on Motor Vehicle Agreement and been its natural forte. The peculiarity of bor- Cross Border Power Trading arrangements. In der construction and dispersion is one of the both cases, India will be the crucial transit key attributes in this one-to-one diplomacy. point and an entrepot—a role unthinkable in India has a common border with all the neigh- the bilateralism vocabulary. bouring countries. However, except for the India has played a crucial role in the forma- Afghanistan-Pakistan border, no country in tion of the SAARC, Indian Ocean Association South Asia has a common border with other for Regional Cooperation (IOARC) and countries. This has been deftly used by India BIMSTEC. However, even after decades of to practice varieties of bilateralism including existence most of these regional groupings ‘beneficial bilateralism’, ‘unilateralism’, have failed to make any dent into regionalism ‘non-reciprocal gestures’, ‘defensive positional- SHUTTERSTOCK based development, cooperation and integra- ism’ and ‘hostile bilateralism’. However, there are strong limits to bilateral- Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Maldives in 2015 where only a country that tion. From the very inception, the law of A distinct advantage of bilateralism is the ism, as situations in South Asia have steadily Programme, Greater Mekong Sub-region and would invest at least $1 billion and undertake diminishing returns remarkably pervaded unlimited depth and scale of engagement, moved from absolute to relative bilateralism even in the Regional Comprehensive Economic 70 percent land reclamation from the Indian these organisations. India, being a pivot, has regime based involvement, institutional inter- and cooperative to competitive bilateralism Partnership (RCEP). The idea is to enter the Ocean would get ownership. In the Maldives, been invariably blamed for this halting pro- locking, the multiplicity of stake-holding and mainly because of changing aspirations and game of realpolitik like a needle and come out where land is the scarcest factor of production, gress and sometimes even for undermining the also leadership driven. The pitfalls and misun- emerging complexities in the domestic constit- with an acquired shape of an elephant. This this policy move thwarted participation of all process of regionalism. derstanding are localised within the two coun- uencies of neighbours. Besides the emergence fits accurately with a saying in Nepali, ‘siyo the traditional investors including India. In contrast to this shallow regionalism, tries, conflicts and tensions are managed bilat- of new sets of decision-making elites, the con- bhaera pasnu ani hatti bhaera niskanu’. The The Chinese never announce the mutation there are examples galore about how dominant erally and the scope for realisation, repentance spicuous diminution and absence of Indian outcome must be to lead the process and gener- process and hesitate to declare achievements. nations, such as the UK, Germany and France and amendments remain within the purview constituencies in these countries and sharp ate a situation of a leadership-followership A final announcement is invariably a in the European Union, Malaysia and of two systems. erosion in institutional memories have model like the Samurais of the Tokugawa peri- non-reversible act like the 116 metres high Singapore in ASEAN, China in CAREC, the US India’s colonial legacy, geographical size, the adversely affected India’s strategy. This is sol- od in Japan. Till it reaches this position, it Zangmu dam in Brahmaputra river built in in the North American Free Trade Agreement scale of economic matrices, prolific natural idly aggravated by the entry of a relatively new shows no hesitation with any types of adjust- 2014 and 343 km modern asphalt highway from and South Africa in the Southern African resource endowments, rich social capital, huge extra-regional force like China and its potent ments and accommodation including with Shigatse in Tibet to the northern Mt Everest Development Community, have all steered institutional infrastructure, technological lead wherewithal. This demands a fresh orientation multilateral institutions, regional bullies, base camp. these institutions into robust and deeper and military might have provided it with in thinking, constant monitoring, huge political dispensations and also anti-China Whereas in the case of India, the expres- regionalism. The choice is clear for India unparallel manoeuvrability. On the other resource pouring and a newer variety of insti- regimes. sions of hesitation, reservations and condem- now—either to launch a time-bound targeted hand, the very national character, personality tutions. The essentiality of innovative diplo- China quietly penetrates and confabulates in nations are blatant. This is broadly attributed venture to revive and consolidate existing factor and progressive political thinking have macy, technologically-driven instruments of a well-prioritised order with the appropriate to its proven vehemence against the colonial regional organisations or continue to be tar- earned it a high degree of influence. Despite negotiations and actions, and a new set of cores of politics, bureaucracy, army, business, rulers, long-standing leadership of the third gets of lost political credence and eroded insti- the complex interplay of global powers like the binomial distribution of successes and trials civil society and ideological bastions. At the world and the non-aligned nations, imbibed tutional credibility. USA, USSR, the UK in the past and now Japan are so very ingrained in this level playing field. heart of it, the real act lies in manipulating democratic ethos, strong-headed bureaucracy, and China in the South Asia region, India has Unlike India, for China bilateralism is aimed and changing the key macro policies in such a diverse federal structures and institutions and Lama served as an Indian representative been a dominant factor in determining the at deeper involvement in the regionalism and way that it favours only China in all possible compulsive domestic constituents. It is very in the Independent Expert Group, 1997 orientation and contents of politico-economic sub-regionalism process as displayed in the permutations and combinations. A classic clearly shown in its reservation to be a part of and South Asia Forum 2010, set by the courses and discourses in its neighbourhood. Association of Southeast Asian Nations, example is legislation by the Majlis of the the BCIM, at least transitional withdrawal SAARC Summits.

C M Y K 05 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 NATIONAL Nepalis stranded in India continue to Jhapa local unit stops brave Mahakali River to return home using rapid diagnostic tests More than 30 people tried to cross the boundary river this weekend. due to faulty results The local unit has decided to contact trace and expedite MANOJ BADU DARCHULA, APRIL 28 coronavirus testing among the local population through Reports of Nepali citizens stranded in the Polymerase Chain Reaction method. India crossing the Mahakali River to return home started surfacing when ARJUN RAJBANSHI with him for laboratory tests. the nationwide lockdown to contain BIRTAMOD, APRIL 28 “The swabs were collected for PCR the spread of coronavirus was first tests. We will not be conducting rapid announced on March 23. A local unit in Jhapa has decided to diagnostic tests now onwards,” he A Cabinet meeting on March 29 discontinue the use of rapid diagnos- added. decided to allow all Nepalis stranded tic test kits, citing unreliability in on the Nepal-India border to enter the their results. Bahradashi Rural country for one time on the condition Municipality took the decision after 848 people have that they remain in quarantine for 14 the coronavirus test of a 50-year-old days. But that hasn’t stopped people man from Ward No. 4 done through undergone rapid from trying to cross the mighty river the Polymerase Chain Reaction meth- to return home. od came positive, contradicting two diagnostic tests in A month into the lockdown, rapid diagnostic tests done earlier. migrants from various districts of The Health Ministry on Sunday con- the district so far. Sudurpaschim and Karnali province firmed the positive case of Covid-19 in in India for work, continue to jump the man. into the river hoping to see the faces “An all party meeting held on Similarly, Damak Municipality has of their loved ones. Monday has decided to conduct coro- also prioritised testing through the On Friday, three people crossed the navirus tests through the Polymerase Polymerase Chain Reaction method Mahakali river and entered Mahakali Chain Reaction method only” said and has expedited contact tracing. Municipality. Two of them crossed the Khadga Prasad Rajbanshi, the chair- The municipality intensified testing river on a rubber tube while the other man of the local body. after the Health Ministry on Friday swam across. The local unit has also decided to confirmed Covid-19 in a 62-year-old On Saturday, 34 people entered contact trace and expedite testing man from Damak Ward No. 3. The Nepal from Ghatibagad area of Byas POST PHOTO: MANOJ BADU among the local population following ward has been under lockdown since. Rural Municipality. They took their The Nepal-India border remains sealed for more than a month now to control the possible spread of Covid-19. reports of the positive case in the According to Jiban Chaulagain, the chances as the nearest security post is rural municipality. A joint health focal person at the District Health located in Dumling, about four hours whether to keep them in quarantine in crossing the river. ed yet,” said Yadunath Paudel, chief team from the District Health Office Office in Jhapa, as of Monday, the dis- walk away. Darchula or send them to the respec- The district administration said it district officer of Darchula. and the local body on Tuesday collect- trict has collected the swabs of 163 Inspector Surendra Prasad Joshi, tive districts,” said Joshi. requested federal authorities in The Nepal-India border remains ed swabs of 62 people who reportedly people from all 15 local bodies to be information officer at the District The Darchula district administra- Nepal and India to rescue stranded sealed for more than a month now to came in contact with the Covid-19 tested through the Polymerase Chain Police Office, said that of the 34 peo- tion claims to have upped border secu- workers on the other side of the control the possible spread of Covid- infected man. Reaction method. Of the total swab ple, 29 are permanent residents of rity in the district as migrant workers border, but in vain. 19. When India announced a complete According to Samim Miya, chair- samples, two came positive, 106 came Bajhang district, three are from continue crossing the river. The “We requested the federal govern- lockdown on March 23, Nepali migrant man of Ward No. 4, health personnel negative while the results for 55 are Jajarkot and two are from Darchula. Armed Police Force has set up nine ment as well as the Indian authorities workers tried to go home en masse. collected the throat swabs of the man’s awaited, said Chaulagain. According Police have kept them at a quaran- temporary posts on the banks of the to rescue Nepali workers from But they were stranded as Nepal family members, neighbours, rela- to him, 848 people have undergone tine facility. “Discussions are on Mahakali to prevent people from Dharchula. But they have not respond- enforced its lockdown a day later. tives and others who came in contact rapid diagnostic tests in the district. In Province 5, sexual Local units intensify fight against Covid-19 As tourists

ANISH TIWARI Surman Shrestha, a resident of Lisankhupakhar, Jugal, Sunkoshi and harassment and domestic SINDHUPALCHOK, APRIL 28 Indrawati, said the villagers are now Bhotekoshi Rural Municipalities have stay home, more at ease with the situation after also intensified coronavirus aware- People’s representatives in the people’s representatives reached ness campaigns. Jugal Rural abuse cases are getting severe Sindhupalchok have started door-to- out to them with health workers and Municipality has started collecting homestays ... door health checkup campaigns to medicines. “Although the campaign is data on newcomers and kept an ambu- mitigate the risk of spread of the focussed on those who returned to the lance on standby. Hom Narayan >> Continued from page 1 A large number of sexual harassment cases in the novel coronavirus in the district. villages recently, patients of minor Shrestha, chairperson of Jugal Rural But homestay operators fear that Workers from various health posts, illnesses and chronic diseases who Municipality, said they have been dis- even when the lockdown is lifted, busi- province still go unreported, said police. teachers and volunteers have also have been taking medicine regularly tributing soaps and face masks to ness might take a while to pick up. joined the campaign. are also receiving medical attention,” every household. “The whole idea of homestay is to SANJU PAUDEL Pokharel said. Those who came to the district after he said. “We are happy with how Panchpokhari Thangpal Rural share a home with locals to get to RUPANDEHI, APRIL 28 Sociologist Balbahadur Pandey said the municipalities decided to “rescue” the local government is handling this Municipality has also kept health know their culture. But the pandemic that when people can’t get out of their people stranded in various cities were situation.” workers on high alert to provide treat- has pushed the idea of not sharing On March 25, a 14-year-old girl from homes during the lockdown, they are sent home after preliminary screen- Like Indrawati, Barhabise and ment to needy people. “An ambulance anything with others. In the future, I Kanchan Rural Municipality was more prone to getting negative ing only. This move had garnered crit- Chautara Sangachokgadhi has been kept on stand-by, PPEs have am afraid that tourists will opt for allegedly raped by two men who are thoughts. icisms and concerns from the locals; Municipalities have also started dis- been sent to each of the health posts, hostels instead of homestays,” said currently in police custody. On April “People tend to commit crimes some even questioned the people’s rep- tributing medicine to those in need the health posts have been upgraded, Magar. 11, a 15-year-old from Gaidahawa when they can’t handle the thoughts resentatives’ move to send the return- and raising awareness about coronavi- and a 50-bed isolation bed has been While homestay operators agree Rural Municipality was raped by her germinating in their minds,” he said, ees home instead of keeping them in rus. Nimphunjo Sherpa, mayor of built in the rural municipality to fight that lockdown was necessary to con- own father. In the latter case, the fam- adding that internet pornography is quarantine. Barhabise Municipality, said they against coronavirus,” said Tashi trol the spread of Covid-19 in the coun- ily members tried to stop the victim also responsible for sexual offences. More than 1,000 individuals have have started to actively reach out to Lama Hyalmo, chairman of try, they also hope that the govern- from filing a police case. But three “Crises like wars and earthquakes entered Sindhupalchok in the last the villagers to provide health care. Panchpokhari Thangpal Rural ment will come up with some form of days later, the incident was publicised tend to see an increase in the number week. According to the District “Health workers have been deployed Municipality. financial support to keep the homestay and the police arrested the alleged of domestic abuse cases.” Administration Office, 418 individuals in various villages to identify chronic Chief District Officer Umesh industry afloat. perpetrator who was on the run. Reema BC, a women’s rights activ- returned to the district from India, patients, pregnant and postpartum Kumar Dhakal said the campaigns “We understand the role we have to In Province 5, despite the nation- ist, said she is surprised that violence Iraq, Dubai and other Gulf countries. women. We have also kept an ambu- have proven effective due to the play in public health. Personally, I wide lockdown imposed by the gov- against women has become worse dur- Since the last two days, the people’s lance on standby in case of emergen- involvement of people’s representa- don’t want to reopen the ernment to control the spread of ing the lockdown. representatives, accompanied by cy,” said Sherpa. tives, as locals put a lot of faith in the homestay service since we are close Covid-19, incidents of rape have not “We have found the nature of the health workers, have been visiting Panchpokhari Thangpal, local representatives. to Dharan and cases of Covid-19 stopped. In the eight districts of abuses is more severe in lockdown individual households to check on have been reported in the Province 5, 20 women have been raped than in normal times,” she said, add- recent returnees and their family “hospital there. However, if we don’t in the 26 days that the country has ing that she receives multiple phone members. get any support from the government, been under lockdown. calls a day from women seeking help. Banshalal Tamang, chairman of our industry will not survive,” said “Incidents of rape in the province “Since there’s little contact with peo- Indrawati Rural Municipality, said, Magar. have not stopped during the lock- ple outside homes, perpetrators tend “We have prepared work plans to fight Before the homestay industry was down,” DSP Nawaraj Pokharel of the to think that the crime would go unno- the Covid-19 infection. We are ready to introduced in Namje village, Magar provincial police said. Rupandehi has ticed,” she said. provide medicine and treatment if said that around 70 percent of house- reported the most number of rapes, DSP Pokharel said that a large num- needed.” According to Tamang, local holds were financially struggling to with six cases in the past 26 days. Six ber of sexual harassment cases in the officials have started awareness cam- make ends meet. rape cases were reported in province still go unreported in the paigns on social distancing, managing Most young people would either go Kapilvastu; three in Banke, two in district. “When people from one’s own essential medicine and measuring to India for work or were engaged in Rolpa and Gulmi each; and one case family commit a crime, women, espe- body temperature. agriculture. But with the homestay, each in Bardiya, Pyuthan and cially underage girls, don’t report In Indrawati, 24 individuals who many individuals like Magar were Nawalparasi. Between mid-February them,” he said, adding that not report- returned to the district from abroad able to make good money while stay- and mid-March, the province recorded ing a crime only emboldens the perpe- since the lockdown, have completed ing home. 35 incidents of rape. trator. their 14-day quarantine and gone “Being a host has not only provided “The lockdown has led to a slight According to Pokharel, apart from home. “We are also following up on me with financial security but it has decrease in the number of rape cases cases of sexual harassment, 11 women their health conditions. They have also given me an identity,” she said. “I reported, but when nobody is out of have reported domestic abuse cases been instructed to stay in self-quaran- am proud of my culture because of home, we’ve found that it’s the vic- during the lockdown, while 30 people tine for a few more days even though POST PHOTO: ANISH TIWARI which I am self-employed. But as tims’ own family members and rela- have committed suicide during this there are no visible symptoms of People’s representatives in Sindhupalchok have started door-to-door campaigns to mitigate lucrative as the tourism sector is, it is tives who are perpetrating the crime,” period, according to Pokharel. infection in them,” said Tamang. the risk of the spread of novel coronavirus in the district. also just as vulnerable.” Unity of Madhesi parties could be hamstrung by a lack of coherence among ...

>> Continued from page 1 has attempted to alienate and discred- but he too lacks broad public support. “Yes, the two parties managed to regarding Mahato’s role. between some leaders, and a lack of The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum it the Madhes since the constitution When it comes to the Janata Party, save themselves by announcing the Mahato, according to leaders, has concrete ideology may be obstacles to was the latest avatar of a number of drafting process in 2015. the patriarch Mahantha Thakur was a merger,” Lal told the Post. “If there is proposed that Thakur be the patron of cementing their ties. parties that Yadav has led over the “Oli had brought the ordinance long-time Congress leader, and by that any further damage, they decided to the new party with a four-member But political analysts say how the years with the suffix ‘Forum’, a con- with an ulterior motive and these par- token, claims to be a democrat. face it together.” praesidium of Bhattarai, Yadav, Rai leadership evolves in the days to come tinuation of a non-governmental ties gave him a befitting answer. That’s Rajendra Mahato is an active leader, The new party has yet to come up and himself. will determine the new party’s course. organisation that he once ran—the it,” he said. who is vocal and has a large vote base. with its policy and programme and “Or he will make a pitch for four For the Janata Samajbadi Party to Madhesi Janadhikar Forum. Yadav Observers also point out a lack of Mahato had surprised everyone by agenda but a leader from the former chairs—Bhattarai, Yadav, Thakur and make its name as an alternative force, had later turned it into a political coherence among the constituent par- defeating the Congress’ Bimalendra Janata Party said that all top leaders himself—if the proposal of Thakur as its leaders also need to capitalise on party. ties of the Janata Samajbadi Party as Nidhi in the 2017 elections in the lat- have their own agendas and strate- patron fails,” the leader told the Post. the political vacuum created by the Bhattarai had formed Naya Shakti its top leaders come from different ter’s constituency. gies. Two party leaders who also spoke Nepali Congress and the Nepal after the promulgation of the constitu- schools of thought. If there’s any leader who could chal- At least four leaders—Bhattarai, on condition of anonymity said that Communist Party (NCP). tion in 2015. Among the Samajbadi Party lead- lenge Yadav in the new party, it will be Thakur, Yadav and Mahato—will want Bhattarai is likely to claim leadership “This unity announcement is not The Rastriya Janata Party mean- ers, Bhattarai carries the legacy of the Mahato, say party members. to exercise executive power in the of the Parliamentary Party, a post proactive but reactive. There’s not while was formed by six Madhes- decade-long Maoist war. He is a well- Mahendra Raya Yadav also comes party, according to the leader who Mahato could also demand. much to think about and analyse based parties that were under the known face in Nepali politics but he from the UML. He had parted ways spoke on condition of anonymity. The newly formed party is still not about this reactive move,” said Lal. umbrella of the Samyukta Loktantrik lacks a strong public base. Yadav was with Thakur’s Tarai Madhes Yadav may offer Thakur the party sure how it will manage two other According to Lal, if the two parties Madhesi Morcha. They had united in a teacher before becoming a revolu- Loktantrik Party to form his own chair, but only after the general con- leaders—Anil Jha and Raj Kishore had united in a proper manner, they April 2017, on the eve of the elections. tionary communist and the champion Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party. vention, keeping the post with him- Yadav–who have not signed the party could have become an alternative Chandrakishore, a journalist and of the Madhesi cause. His burning of Insiders don’t view him as an asser- self for now. In the Samajbadi Party, merger document, saying they will force, as the main opposition Nepali commentator who closely follows the 2007 interim constitution in tive leader. Bhattarai was the chair of the federal agree to unity only if they are assured Congress is lost and the ruling Nepal Madhes politics, said that he is not too Maitighar catapulted him into nation- The two other leaders in the Janata council while Yadav led the central “respectable space”. Communist Party is a divided house. optimistic about the recent unity of al politics. Party—Raj Kishore Yadav and Anil committee. Both Jha and Raj Kishore are in “This is only the first step of the the two parties when it comes to Ashok Rai was a UML vice-chair Jha—have already expressed reserva- If Yadav keeps the party chair post favour of giving Thakur the top hon- [unity] process. The direction is good national politics. before he quit to form the Sanghiya tions about the unification. During in the new party, Bhattarai will try to orary position and forming a secretar- but it depends on how far they can go “Some political circumstances cre- Samajbadi Party-Nepal. In June 2015, earlier negotiations for unity, their retain the federal council chair. iat of all senior leaders from both together,” said Lal. “For now, we can ated by Prime Minister Oli prompted Rai decided to merge with Yadav’s major concern was losing relevance. According to insiders, the party sides, including them. only say that they have administrative them to merge,” Chandrakishore told Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal to Analyst CK Lal, who is also a col- could form a 12-member central secre- One youth leader, who also spoke on unity, which cannot ensure a political the Post. “The only good thing is that form the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum- umnist for the Post, said that he is not tariat with six members each from the condition of anonymity, said personal struggle.” they managed to surprise Oli.” Nepal. Rai represents the indigenous very excited about the recent develop- Samajbadi Party and the Janata Party. egos of some top party leaders, hierar- According to Chandrakishore, Oli community in the newly formed party, ment. This, however, will raise a question chy and protocol, past bitter relations Tika R Pradhan contributed reporting.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 | 06 MONEY

FOREX Unilever Nepal US Dollar 122.21 Volunteers delivering fresh vegetables Euro 132.98 resumes partial Pound Sterling 152.73 Japanese Yen 11.46 to people’s homes at farm price operation Chinese Yuan 17.27 SUBASH BIDARI MAKWANPUR, APRIL 28 Qatari Riyal 33.35 Locals said the social work being done by the youths had provided them much relief.

Australian Dollar 79.40 Multinational company Unilever DURGALAL KC voluntary, and sometimes give them a Nepal restarted partial operation Malaysian Ringit 28.00 DANG, APRIL 28 hard time,” he said. on Monday after being closed for over “Some people demand that we carry 30 days. Saudi Arab Riyal 32.50 A group of young volunteers have the vegetables up to the third floor, “With our stock of soap getting Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank started delivering fresh vegetables to and do not even come down to pick low, we decided to resume the homes of consumers in Ghorahi at them up. They act as if they are production amid the lockdown,” said farm price in response to complaints ordering from a store. We are not Jay Ram Dhital, president of All PRICE PER TOLA that the local chamber of commerce doing business. Asking the volunteers Nepal Industry Labour Union. BULLION was charging too much for transport. to do extra work has made them tired,” According to him, the industry is Since people are confined to their he said. operating from 9 am to 5 pm. Unilever Fine Gold Rs 77,000 homes due to the lockdown and cannot Some times the farm price increas- Nepal produces toilet soaps, detergent go out to buy fresh produce, the youths es by the time the order is processed, powder, shampoo and toothpaste. But Silver Rs 720 associated with the Ujyalo Bihani but the volunteers deliver the vegeta- currently, the company is producing Foundation have been collecting vege- bles at the listed rate even though they only soaps. SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA tables from farmers by going to their have to suffer losses, he added. The company has around 200 staff fields and delivering them to the local “Our aim is to help the helpless, and but currently, only 18 workers are residents as per their requirements. that is why youths are serving them. working at the factory. They follow GASOLINE WATCH The youths are bringing vegetables But wealthy families make extra social distancing measures recom- to the people’s doorsteps at prices demands which creates problems,” mended by the government, said the charged by the farmers without extra he said. company. According to Unilever cost. Locals said the social work being POST FILE PHOTO The youths are delivering vegeta- Nepal, the company has started pro- done by the youths had provided them The youths have developed an online form which allows consumers to place their orders by bles to 250 houses daily. Earlier, the ducing soaps in the first phase by much relief during the lockdown. entering their name, address, contact number and the required vegetables. foundation distributed relief packag- maintaining proper social distancing The volunteers have been delivering es to poor families and provided free measures. The company will start pro- cucumber for Rs20 per kg while the daily, and they drop when demand is According to Mahara, Bai Service, meals to stranded labourers. ducing other regular goods soon. “The chamber charges Rs50 per kg. less, he said. Dang Chamber of Commerce, Ghorahi After the market opens as usual, the company is not in a situation to Householders pay Rs65 per kg for bit- Girirodan Mahara, president of the sub-metropolitan-15 and some people campaign will be stopped, he said. resume all production at once,” said ter gourd while the chamber charges foundation, said youths started deliv- have pledged to help the youths. The “We do not want to create difficulties the company’s administration, add- Rs140 per kg. ering vegetables voluntarily after commitment from different organisa- for small traders who are earning a ing, “So we started by producing soap Tomato costs Rs60 per kg compared learning about the vast difference in tions and people has motivated them, living by selling vegetables,” he said. in the first phase.” to Rs25 per kg, squash Rs20 per kg farm and market prices. he said. Bhusal said it would not be possible With the government asking the compared to Rs40 per kg, and green “The lockdown has made it hard for The youths have developed an to sell vegetables at cost price regular- public to stay at home, workers are in beans cost Rs45 compared to Rs100 per low-income people to buy vegetables online form which allows consumers ly, but the youths who are serving short supply at the factory. The admin- kg when bought from the chamber. as they have become dear. When we to place their order by entering their society with good intentions can be an istration is paying Rs 350 a day to Narayan Prasad Bhusal, president went to the farmers’ fields, we found name, address, contact number and example for many. workers as a risk bonus to entice of the Dang Chamber of Commerce that the vegetables were being sold the required vegetables. Many people “At this time of the pandemic, con- workers to come back. Workers are and Industry, said that they had start- very cheap,” he said. are placing their orders by phone and sumers are getting good help from the also transported from the factory to ed reviewing the prices in coordina- The volunteers have been buying text message, he said. youth as they are delivering products their homes and are provided with tion with the farmers after receiving gasoline by taking up a collection, he “The youths launched the service in at farm price,” Bhusal said. “The protective gear while working. The complaints about the high price of said. They are using five scooters and an effort to help low-income people by farmers also have a market for their company produces around 15,000 vegetables delivered by the chamber. motorbikes and two vehicles to home delivering vegetables at cost, but some produce, but this will not be possible tonnes of toothpaste and 6,000 tonnes Prices of fresh produce fluctuate deliver vegetables, he added. of them do not understand that it is all the time,” he added. of soap annually. March global sales slump spells Boeing CEO sees Digital-ad downturn long road to recovery trouble ahead for Japan’s carmakers from virus outbreak may complicate life for REUTERS ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO, APRIL 28 WASHINGTON, APRIL 28 Google, Facebook Global vehicle sales by Japanese auto- Boeing’s CEO said on Monday that it makers dropped by 34 percent in will take years for the aircraft-build- March when the coronavirus outbreak ing business to return to levels seen spread worldwide, and are set to fall before the coronavirus pandemic, further in the months ahead as the which has slowed air travel to a trickle crisis continues. and led airlines to park 2,800 jets. Demand for cars has plummeted as “We are in an unpredictable and people have been ordered to stay fast-changing environment, and it is indoors in many countries to control difficult to estimate when the situa- the spread of the coronavirus, leaving tion will stabilize,” David Calhoun motorways deserted and deep uncer- told shareholders, “but when it does, tainty about the longer-term impact the commercial market will be small- on the global economy. er and our customers’ needs will be Analysts expect that this will put different.” consumers off buying new cars, cut- Boeing was in crisis before the pan- ting 2020 global vehicle sales by REUTERS demic. The grounding of its best-sell- around a third, compared with an 11 Newly manufactured cars await export in a port in Yokohama, Japan. ing jet, the 737 Max, after two crashes percent fall after the global financial that killed 346 people sent the compa- crisis. units, down 1.4 percent. Meanwhile leader Carlos Ghosn. ny spinning last year to its first mon- In a sign of the damage so far, Nissan sold 315,194 vehicles last Chris Richter, senior research ana- ey-losing year in two decades and bat- AP/RSS Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co, month, a 43 percent drop from a lyst at brokerage CLSA, expects that tered its reputation. A view of the Google logo at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. Honda Motor Co and Japan’s four year ago. the size of last month’s fall in global The virus outbreak has added other major carmakers reported In the year to March, its vehicle vehicle sales will continue in the next to Boeing’s troubles by causing air- ASSOCIATED PRESS lysts currently project roughly flat sales of around 1.82 million cars last sales hit a nine-year low of around year, and anticipates a 35 percent drop lines to delay or cancel plans to buy CALIFORNIA, APRIL 28 revenue for both companies. That month, down from around 2.77 million 4.8 million units as the pandemic in sales for the current financial year new jets. could prove optimistic, though, given a year earlier. piled pressure on Japan’s No. 2 ending March. The virus also caused Boeing to Demand for digital advertising is that airlines, hotels and other trav- Their combined global sales for the automaker, which had already been Plummeting sales in March suggest shut down assembly plants for several shriveling after a decade of explosive el-related businesses typically spend financial year ended March fell 7.3 struggling with falling sales and prof- much weaker-than-expected annual weeks, although it recently reopened growth amid the pandemic-fueled heavily on marketing campaigns dur- percent to 26.5 million vehicles, their itability. Most automakers are prepar- profits at Japanese automakers, which in the Seattle area and announced downturn. That could complicate ing the spring and summer. lowest in four years, calculations by ing for a big financial hit from the will announce financial results next Monday that it will resume produc- things for Google and Facebook, who With most travel frozen by the pan- Reuters based sales figures announced coronavirus, as lockdowns in the month. And it is likely to translate tion in a South Carolina plant in less for the first time may have to contend demic, Google and Facebook are likely on Tuesday by individual automaker United States and Europe have kept into annual operating losses at most than a week. with revenues that are actually to see huge sales declines unless the showed. buyers out of dealerships. Japanese automakers in 2020. Boeing is expected to apply for a shrinking. threat of COVID-19 subsides, said Toyota, Japan’s biggest automaker, But Nissan’s sales and profits had “Every automaker is going to have share of $17 billion in low-interest With consumers mostly at home Edward Jones analyst David Heger. sold 779,151 vehicles in March, down been falling even before the outbreak, to do whatever they can to preserve loans that Congress and the Trump and unemployment soaring, advertis- The good news for Google and 22.6 percent from a year ago. For the forcing it to roll back on an aggressive fixed costs to try and contain the situ- administration set aside for defense ers are slashing promotional spend- Facebook, is that digital ad spending year ended March, it sold 10,456,593 expansion plan pursued by ousted ation,” he said. companies. ing—in some cases, all the way to zero. can ramp back up as quickly as it For Google and Facebook, who declines, since it doesn’t require the together account for 70 percent of the upfront planning necessary with tra- US market for digital ads, that so far ditional media. has translated into tighter restraints That means companies might boost on spending without the layoffs, pay digital campaigns at the first sign of China discounts, cheaper iPhone to cushion cuts and furloughs that publishers recovery, said Tony DiResta, a and other industries have already Washington, DC, attorney who helps imposed. small and large companies promote Google CEO Sundar Pichai has their brands. Apple from virus blow to demand already told employees the company Google, at least, has already been will curtail its hiring for the rest of through this once as a public company. the year and is considering deep cuts In the second quarter of 2009 during REUTERS demand. The cheaper iPhone SE could in its own marketing budget through the Great Recession, its revenue SHANGHAI, APRIL 28 tempt iPhone owners to opt for a 2020, according to internal communi- growth slowed dramatically to just 3 newer device, something they might cations obtained by CNBC that Google percent, prompting it to reduce its Apple Inc’s discounts on the iPhone 11 have otherwise delayed in a weak confirmed. workforce by about 400 employees dur- in China and the release of a new low- economy, said Nicole Peng, who tracks Facebook warned last month that ing that year—the only time the com- price SE model have put the company the smartphone sector at research its business was already being pany has pared its payroll in its in a better position than rivals to firm Canalys. squeezed by the advertising down- 21-year history. weather a coronavirus-related plunge “People want to avoid uncertainty turn, although it didn’t provide Since then, Alphabet have added in global smartphone demand. in a downturn,” she said. “Having a details. In countries hard-hit by the nearly 100,000 employees in a relent- While China, which accounts for brand like Apple that can showcase pandemic, it said messaging traffic less expansion built upon Google’s roughly 15 percent of Apple’s revenue, quality and make people less worried was up 50 percent while voice and Android mobile-phone software and appears to be a rare bright spot, inves- about breakdowns or after-sales ser- video calling had doubled, but added other products it continued to develop tors will be keen to get a picture of vice can bring in buyers.” that it doesn’t make money on many during the previous downturn. global demand when the Cupertino, Early data suggests that the Chinese of those services and that ad business This recession may look quite dif- California-headquartered company smartphone market is recovering rap- had “weakened” in those regions. ferent. Google, Facebook, and the reports second-quarter results on idly in the aftermath of the virus, and So far, however, it’s not clear how overall digital market are far larger Thursday. Apple has emerged relatively badly the tech giants might be hit. than they were back then and poten- The iPhone maker has shut retail unscathed. Sales of iPhones in China Some of the early clues are expected tially less nimble. stores in the United States and Europe jumped 21 percent last month from a this week when Google’s corporate The digital industry has posted dou- following the COVID-19 outbreak, and year earlier and more than three fold parent, Alphabet, and Facebook report ble-digit annual growth for a decade China is the only major market where REUTERS from February, government data their first-quarter financial results. and was on track to hit about $125 bil- it has been able to reopen all shops. People wearing protective masks are seen in an Apple Store in Shanghai, China. showed, meaning March-quarter sales But those results will only give a hint lion in 2019 revenue, based on infor- Consumer spending is expected to in the country were likely to have of the impact, given that the pandemic mation compiled by the Interactive be muted as the pandemic has crip- not canceled.” He added that the have steadily moved to offer high-end slipped just 1 percent. didn’t start to zap the global econo- Advertising Bureau, which hasn’t pled economies and Apple, the world’s launch of the $399 iPhone SE suggest- models to challenge iPhones, stand to To be sure, a recovery in Chinese my—and ad budgets—until late released final numbers for the year. second-most valuable tech company, is ed that Apple’s supply chain was get- lose marketshare as bargain hunters demand won’t offset sales lost in the February. For 2020, Magna Research predicts better armed with the launch of its ting back on its feet after weeks of choose Apple. Earlier this month, sev- United States and Europe. And the That’s one reason analysts polled by that digital-ad sales growth will slow new price-conscious iPhone model, shutdown earlier this year. eral online retailers in China slashed company is yet to launch a smart- FactSet are still predicting a 13 per- to 4 percent, but said revenues won’t analysts said. Analysts expect Apple to report a 6 prices of the iPhone 11 by as much as phone enabled with 5G wireless tech- cent increase in Alphabet’s revenue shrink despite the tough times. “Apple is better positioned than percent drop in revenue and an 11 per- 18 percent—a tactic Apple has used in nology like those offered by Asian from the same time last year and a 16 Overall ad sales could fall by 3 per- most to experience a rapid recovery in cent fall in net income in its fiscal the past to boost demand. And while rivals, a disadvantage for Apple so far. percent revenue increase in revenue cent, according to Magna, with a flur- a post COVID world,” Evercore ana- second quarter, according to Refinitiv initial social media reaction to the But those same expensive 5G mod- for Facebook. ry of political spending this fall dur- lyst Amit Daryanani said in a research data. On the other hand, Chinese new iPhone SE was muted, analysts els may not sell well in the current The real test will come in the cur- ing the US presidential election note. “We see demand as pushed out, brands such as Oppo and Vivo who said they were seeing a pick up in climate of frugality, analysts said. rent April-June quarter, where ana- expected to ease the recession’s blow.

C M Y K 07 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 WORLD

BRIEFING China says Indian criticism of Trump reverses course on briefings coronavirus test WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s pause in holding White House coronavirus briefings only kits is ‘irresponsible’ lasted the weekend as he took centre stage in the Rose Garden REUTERS on Monday to promote what he NEW DELHI, APRIL 28 called a major expansion in testing for the virus. Trump’s advisers China has criticised India’s decision have been arguing that the sessions, to stop using Chinese testing kits for held nearly every day for more the novel coronavirus because of qual- than a month, had begun to show ity issues as unfair and irresponsible him in an unfavourable light, in the latest strain in their ties. particularly after Thursday when he The Indian Council of Medical asked his health experts whether Research, the top agency dealing with disinfectants that kill the virus on the coronavirus outbreak, said on surfaces might be used in patients Monday it planned to return the as a treatment. kits for antibody tests procured from two Chinese firms because of poor accuracy. Protester killed in unrest The Chinese embassy said it was BEIRUT: A protester was shot and deeply concerned by the Indian deci- killed during unrest in the Lebanese sion and Chinese authorities had vali- city of Tripoli overnight, security dated the equipment produced by the and medical sources said on Tuesday, two firms, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech as an economic crisis brought demon- and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. strations back onto the streets. A col- “It is unfair and irresponsible lapse in the Lebanese pound and for certain individuals to label soaring inflation and unemployment Chinese products as ‘faulty’ and look are compounding hardship in at issues with preemptive prejudice,” Lebanon, which has been in deep embassy spokeswoman Ji Rong said in financial crisis since October. A shut- a statement. down to curb the spread of the new The Chinese companies had export- coronavirus has exacerbated econom- ed equipment to several countries in ic woes. Soldiers fired into the air and Europe, Asia and Latin America with- used tear gas and rubber bullets dur- out any problem, she said. ing the unrest in Tripoli, a security China was trying to help India fight source said. The man who died was in the coronavirus with concrete action his 20s, the source said. and it made sure the quality of its AP/RSS medical exports is a priority with Haflinger mares with their foals run during this year’s first turn-out to grass at Europe’s largest Haflinger stud-farmin Meura, central Germany, on Tuesday. manufacturers, Ji said. East Libya expelled 1,400 refugees this year: UN GENEVA: Authorities in rebel-held Several Indian eastern Libya have expelled 1,400 migrants and refugees so far this states said the year, in violation of international law, the UN rights office said on Tuesday. New Zealand tames coronavirus; Chinese tests “The numbers that I have are from had produced the start of he year so 1,400 migrants and refugees and just this month conflicting results. there was the episode of 160 Sudanese France, Spain reveal lockdown exits migrants,” Jeremy Laurence, spokes- man for the Office of the UN High Wondfo Biotech said in a statement Commissioner for Human Rights, Trump admits the number of virus deaths could reach 70,000 in the US, after citing 60,000 several times this month. it stood by the quality of its equip- told a virtual briefing in Geneva. ment and it had been validated by the “Such practices violate Libya’s ASSOCIATED PRESS by Johns Hopkins University. The true Indian medical research body itself at international human rights obliga- PARIS, APRIL 28 toll of the pandemic is likely much the time of issuing an import license. tions, prohibiting refoulement higher because of limited testing, The diplomatic flap comes days and collective expulsion,” he added, France and Spain, two of the worst-hit mild cases that are missed, flaws in after China criticised an Indian deci- using a French legal term for countries in the coronavirus pandem- counting the dead and governments sion to step up scrutiny of invest- returning refugees and asylum ic, were laying out separate roadmaps that may be trying to conceal the ments from neighbouring countries, seekers to a country where they on Tuesday for lifting their lockdowns, extent of their outbreaks. seen as a move to stave off opportunis- may face persecution. (AGENCIES) while signs emerged that the virus has Italy, Spain, France and Britain tic takeovers by Chinese firms during been all but vanquished in New accounted for more than 21,000 the coronavirus outbreak. Zealand and Australia. virus-related deaths each. In Brazil, The two countries have been taking But on the other side of the globe, President Jair Bolsonaro has insisted steps to improve ties but distrust Brazil was emerging as a new hotspot Covid-19 is just a “little flu” and stemming from a disputed border and South Korea says for infections. And new doubts were claimed there is no need for the type China’s growing influence across the raised over whether Japan would be of restrictions that have slowed the region remains deep in India. able to host the already postponed infection’s spread elsewhere. India ordered more than half a mil- absent Kim may Summer Olympics next year without Brazil, Latin America’s most popu- lion Chinese kits for testing for anti- the development of a vaccine. lous country with 211 million people, bodies to the coronavirus this month The key question of when to has reported 4,600 deaths and 67,000 as a way to boost its screening, among be trying to avoid reopen schools loomed around the confirmed infections. But the true the lowest per capita in the world. world as nations seek to restart their AP/RSS numbers are believed to be vastly The antibody tests taken from blood battered economies. Surfers enjoy a sunrise surf at Sumner Beach as level four Covid-19 restrictions are eased in higher given the lack of testing and samples do not always pick up ear- coronavirus Although the coronavirus seems to Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday. the many people who haven’t sought ly-stage infections but show whether a affect children far less seriously than hospital care. person had the virus in the past, even adults, many officials, teachers and Schools will be reopened “gradually, but authorities remain vigilant over Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro if the person had no symptoms. parents are concerned about the with conditions” and subject to con- the possibility of a second wave of and at least four other major Brazilian In comparison, the standard swab health risks that school openings stant review, said the Health infections. cities have warned t hat their hospital test determines whether a person has could pose. Some point to the difficul- Ministry’s coronavirus spokesman, In the United States, which has the systems are on the verge of collapse or the virus at that moment by looking ties of ensuring that children stick infectious diseases specialist Sotiris world’s highest death toll at more than are too overwhelmed to take any more for it in secretions. to social distancing and frequent Tsiodras. No opening date has yet 56,000, President Donald Trump said patients. There are also signs that a Several Indian states said the hand washing, and to the health risks been set. Scientists agree children states should “seriously consider” growing number of Brazilian victims Chinese tests had produced conflict- for teachers. are less at risk from the virus and reopening their public schools before are dying at home. ing results. But many parents would struggle to appear to transmit it less than adults, the end of the academic year, even “We have all the conditions here for Officials in Rajasthan state said the return to work without schools being said Tsiodras. though dozens already have said it the pandemic to become much more kits were initially used for testing open, hampering efforts to counter the Hard-hit Italy, however, is keeping would be unsafe for students to return serious,” said Paulo Brandão, a virolo- patients who already had a confirmed AP world’s deep economic tailspin. schools closed until September. That until the summer or the fall. gist at the University of Sao Paulo. infection for coronavirus but some Kim Jong Un In France, President Emmanuel is putting parents in the difficult posi- “Some of you might start thinking Bolsonaro says Brazilians need to results came back negative. Macron wants schools to start reopen- tion of returning to work without about school openings, because a lot resume their lives to prevent an eco- Ji said the tests needed to be carried REUTERS ing May 11, but teachers, parents and access to their typical fallback babysit- of people are wanting to have the nomic meltdown but most state out in a professional manner to pro- SEOUL, APRIL 28 some mayors are raising alarms. The ters: grandparents, who are now con- school openings,” Trump said. “ governors have adopted restrictions duce accurate results. government says parents can decide sidered off-limits because they are the Young children have done very well in to keep people home and slow the “There are strict requirements Fear of catching the coronavirus whether to send their children back to most vulnerable to the virus. this disaster.” virus’s spread. for the storage, transportation and use could have kept North Korean leader class and is releasing more details In China, where the pandemic Trump also admitted the number of New Zealand, on the other hand, of Covid-19 antibody rapid test kits,” Kim Jong Un away from state ceremo- later Tuesday. began, schools began opening on virus deaths could reach 70,000 in the reported just three new infections she said. nies for a key holiday in mid-April, a Greece, which has managed to keep Monday, but only to seniors at middle US, after citing 60,000 several times Tuesday. Prime Minister Jacinda “Any operation which is not carried South Korean minister said on its coronavirus death toll low at 136 and high school levels preparing for this month. The number of confirmed Ardern said people had done an out by professionals in accordance Tuesday as speculation swirled over people, was also releasing more details exams. Class sizes were cut to no more infections worldwide has risen to over incredible job of breaking the chain with the product specifications Kim’s whereabouts and health. Tuesday about easing its lockdown than 30. China’s daily number of new 3 million and the confirmed death toll of virus transmission but cautioned will lead to the testing accuracy Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea but schools remained a tricky topic. cases has fallen into the single digits, has topped 211,000, according to a tally they needed to remain vigilant. variations.” has expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic mis- siles, and with no obvious successor, any change in leadership in the authoritarian country would raise concerns about instability that could Virus spreads fear through Latin America’s unruly prisons impact other North Asian countries and the United States. The speculation about Kim’s health ASSOCIATED PRESS dation and inadequate guard staffs. costs 29 pesos ($1.20) , when before it erupted after his unprecedented SANTIAGO, APRIL 28 Low budgets also create ideal condi- was 20 (80 cents)” said a prisoner in absence from ceremonies marking the tions for the virus to spread: There is Mexico, who lives in a 12 foot by 12 foot April 15 birth anniversary of his The spreading spectre of the new often little soap and water and cell (4 meters by 4 meters) cell with a grandfather and founder of the coun- coronavirus is shaking Latin blocks are crowded. dozen others. He spoke on condition try, Kim Il Sung. America’s notoriously overcrowded, So far, national officials have report- of anonymity because he was using a South Korea’s Unification Minister unruly prisons, threatening to turn ed close to 1,400 confirmed cases of banned cellphone. Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engage- them into infernos. Covid-19 among inmates and prison Human Rights Watch says condi- ment with the North, said it was The Puente Alto prison in down- staff. The worst hit has been Peru, tions are even worse in countries like plausible that Kim decided against town Santiago, Chile, had the largest with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. UN attending because of the coronavirus, of Latin America’s largest prison though the extent of testing to deter- Human Rights High Commissioner given the stringent steps his virus outbreaks so far, with more than mine the full scale of infections dif- Michelle Bachelet, the former government has taken to head off an 300 reported cases. The prison’s 1,100 fers from country to country. When president of Chile, has called sanitary outbreak. inmates are terrified. Social distanc- the Dominican Republic tested conditions in the region “deplorable” “It is true that he had never missed ing is hard to practice in jail. more than 5,500 inmates at the La and called for releases of less danger- the anniversary for Kim Il Sung’s “They are all in contact with each Victoria prison, which has been pro- ous inmates. birthday since he took power, but other,” said prison nurse Ximena ducing protective face masks for the Countries like Chile and Colombia many anniversary events including Graniffo. public, officials reported at least 239 have already released about 7,500 celebrations and a banquet had been Any efforts at reducing contact tested positive. inmates and Mexico’s Senate last cancelled because of coronavirus con- were blown away in El Salvador over Perhaps the most complete testing week approved a measure to free thou- cerns,” the unification minister told a the weekend when authorities appears to be taking place in Puerto sands, though Brazil has not yet acted. parliamentary hearing. crammed prisoners—albeit wearing Rico, where the Department of Regional security analyst Lucía “I don’t think that’s particularly masks—tightly together in prison Corrections said Friday it will test AP/RSS Dammert says releasing a few unusual given the current yards while searching their cells. all the nearly 9,000 inmates being Rioting inmates protest from the roof of the Villa Devoto prison against authorities who they thousand inmates won’t significantly (coronavirus) situation,” the minister President Nayib Bukele ordered the held across the US territory, as say are not doing enough to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside the jail in Buenos Aires. reduce the threat of contagion, howev- said, though North Korea has crackdown after more than 20 people well as 6,000 employees, including er, and some urge more sweeping said it has no confirmed cases of the were murdered in the country Friday prison guards. gram was cancelled due to the out- ble, alone—and exploited. Inmates releases. coronavirus. and intelligence suggested the orders Fear of the virus itself already has break, and more than 1,000 have been report that prices at informal and for- “Prisoners have been sentenced The South Korean minister came from imprisoned gang leaders. proven deadly. There have been 23 on hunger strikes in Argentina. mal prison stores have increased dur- to loss of liberty, not to death, and the noted that there were at least two Latin America’s prisons hold 1.5 deaths in prison riots in Colombia All over the region, the demands are ing the pandemic, and relatives can no state has to take measures at its instances since mid-January when million inmates, and the facilities are since the pandemic started. More than the same: protection against conta- longer bring them food and hygiene disposal,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Kim Jong Un had been unsighted for often quasi-ruled by prisoners them- 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in gion. With most family visits can- items from the outside. Americas director for Human nearly 20 days. selves because of corruption, intimi- Brazil after a temporary release pro- celled, inmates feel exposed, vulnera- “Right now, a bag of soap powder Rights Watch.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 | 08 CULTURE & ARTS (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 For Nepal’s Muslims, this Ramadan is like never before Unlike previous years, local Muslim communities are observing the holy month of Ramadan without communal celebrations—praying and eating at home.

ANKIT KHADGI strictly adhering to physical distancing KATHMANDU rules to control the outbreak. However, to maintain their traditions and rituals, n April 24, the hilal (cres- many Muslim communities from differ- cent moon) marked the ent parts of the world are using the inter- starting of the holy month net to stay connected to each other and of Ramadan for Muslim even to perform the rituals of Ramadan. communities across the For instance, some mosques in the United world. This year, however, Kingdom are live streaming prayers. Owith the shadow of the coronavirus pan- Similarly, many are using the video con- demic, the festival’s usual celebrations, ferencing application Zoom to create which united families and friends, will their perfect iftar experiences in the vir- not have the same charm. tual world, including sharing recipes and “We have never ever observed Ramadan playing games. like this. For us, Ramadan is a month full A festival that used to be filled with of communal affairs. But this year, it’s cheers and laughter is today being totally different,” says Asgar Ali, a observed inside closed doors, with only 50-year-old business person from Asan. immediate family members. This year, Every year on the ninth month of the Ramadan feels incomplete for many lunar Islamic calendar, the 1.8 billion Muslims. “This year’s Ramadan started Muslims across the world observe without its charm and is really different Ramadan, also known as Ramazan. They from what we used to experience before believe that in this month, the Qur’an, the the pandemic,” says Irfan. holy book of Islam, was revealed to Even iftar is not the same now, says Ali. Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of “Previously, I used to enjoy iftar because the Allah. it united my community. Now we aren’t To observe this holy month, during the inviting even our friends from our locali- entire period, Muslims fast from dawn to ty, as we have to follow the physical dis- dusk while also adhering to rules like not tancing rules,” says Ali. drinking, smoking, involving in sexual The mosques which previously used to relations as well as not engaging in phys- hold communal prayers and iftars are ical fights. POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI largely empty as well. Likewise, there is “Most of us fast during Ramadan as Ramadan has always been marked by communal gatherings, feasts and merrymaking, but this year, Muslims are having to adapt to quieter times indoors. also a worrying rise of islamophobia hap- fasting, also known as sawm, is consid- pening in the nation, with online ered as one of the five pillars of Islam,” community to hold iftar inside their However, with the ongoing coronavirus portals and even influencers people, says Ali. “While there are exceptions, premises only. crisis, the Muslim communities across including journalists, taking the narra- like pregnant women as well as those who “Ramadan’s true essence lies in cele- “For us, because of Nepal are performing tarawih, where the tive of blaming the Muslim population are ill and children who haven’t reached brating in each other’s company or in the pandemic, our one juz (section) of the Quran is recited, for the spread of coronavirus outbreak in puberty aren’t encouraged to fast, but groups,” says Mohd Irfan, 27, a social at their respective homes instead of the the country. those who do fast try to do so sincerely as activist from Nepalgunj. “But this homes have become mosques. Regardless of the external pressure, it is believed that our thawab, spiritual time we are doing only with limited “For us, because of the pandemic, our the Muslim community is observing rewards, will get multiplied if we fast in family members and also with limited our mosques.” homes have become our mosques,” says Ramadan, even if it lacks communal cele- this holy month.” food, as we are trying to reduce Kaushar Shah, a former lawmaker. “We brations, as for them the holy month is Although the first meal before sunrise, going outdoors too much. Due to this we recite our prayers inside our homes in also a time of self-discipline, spirituality, suhoor, is eaten in the presence of imme- aren’t getting enough food items order to sincerely follow the rules of introspection and appreciation for gener- diate family members, iftar, the evening such as dates, sewai and Rooh Afza, that pray five times every day as salat (praying physical distancing. Similarly in some osity and solidarity. meal is a communal affair: friends and are normally consumed during this five times daily in a set form is also one of houses, the head of the families are recit- “Diseases don’t have religion. We all family members get together to break the month.” the pillars of Islam), during the month of ing tarawih for the continuation of the need to maintain our solidarity in this day’s fast, many even have their meals at Similarly one of the specialities during Ramadan, tarawih is the additional set of special rituals performed during this difficult time and show compassion for the mosque. But due to the current pan- this month is a special prayer called prayers performed by the imam, a spirti- holy month,” says Shah. each other. In all our duas [prayers], we demic, governments across the globe, tarawih performed in the mosques. While ual person who leads the prayers at Just like Nepal, other countries like are praying for our country to be free including Nepal, have asked the Muslim the followers of Islam are expected to mosques after the final praye r. Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are also from the coronavirus,” says Shah.

Comics keep laughs coming even with clubs closed by Covid-19 With comedy clubs from California to New York dark due to social-distancing mandates, comedians are finding ways to keep bringing the laughs to the public.

JOHN ROGERS Improv at 1:40 in the morning to two peo- down and depressed right now and maybe He holds the gathering to no more than Veterans of Comedy when not visiting LOS ANGELES ple. And they were passed out drunk,” he I can inspire a little laughter in them,” five. He’s paying performers $500 an Los Angeles for frequent guest roles in recalls with a laugh. “So what’s the differ- she said after spending an hour perform- appearance and says some who don’t need sitcoms and the occasional movie. All henever she’s down, ence?” ing in front of a microphone, which she the money are donating to charity. that’s on hold now as he does his shows Tiffany Haddish says As he waits to resume things, Zany had generously doused in Lysol. “We are taking a big financial hit,” he from his living room in Missouri. she finds a good joke drove from his home in Las Vegas to Los Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada said. “I’m even thinking of going and Neither brings in any money. But Will can bring her right Angeles one recent day to do an hour at started streaming live comedy shows getting a small-business loan.” C is ok with that. Other people are hurt- back up. the Laugh Factory. shortly after California ordered all The comics are taking a big hit too. ing too, he says, and if he can give them a That’s why the As to what’s the attraction—the comics non-essential businesses closed. It was Zany has gigs at casinos and clubs across few minutes of laughter every night, it’s Wpopular star of TV, film and stand-up are being paid little to nothing—most partly a response, he said, to club regu- the country booked through the summer worth it. decided to crack wise about ways to sur- echo the words of Haddish. lars who complained they’d be left with but as to whether he’ll get to do them, he “If you love the art of comedy you just vive in the year of coronavirus in a nearly “I find whenever I’m feeling down, a nothing to do while sitting at home, and to says, “Your guess is as good as mine.” want to do it,” he says, “Not because you empty room recently while dressed in a good laugh really changes everything and comics who suddenly saw most of their Will C has been traveling the country want to get paid.” bright orange pantsuit, protective gloves makes me feel better. A lot of people are income vanish. the past six years with the troupe —Associated Press and armed with a can of Lysol. “You told me you loved me, then bring me some groceries. I’m down to my last roll of TP,” she sang as she opened her act with a raucous tune she said she’d writ- ten just the day before to sum up what weeks of self-isolation has been like. Haddish was performing at the venera- ble Los Angeles club the Laugh Factory, where she got her start as part of a kids’ comedy camp more than 20 years ago. No one was in the audience on that weekday afternoon, save four people including a guy videoing the show. But people perched in front of laptops all around the world could tune in and many were providing virtual LOLs while the cameraman chuckled in the back- ground and fellow comic Craig Robinson, dressed in protective gloves and a mask, accompanied her on piano and sometimes played straight man. With comedy clubs from California to New York dark due to social-distancing mandates, comedians are finding ways to keep bringing the laughs to the public. In New York, members of the Magnet Theater’s popular improv groups are gathering each night through the magic of Zoom to put on shows from their homes while audiences tune in through the plat- form Twitch. The theatre sells virtual tickets to its several shows a week, as do some other venues scattered around the country. But people who can’t afford a ticket to a Magnet show don’t have to pay. Or they can throw a couple bucks into the virtual “busker’s hat” afterward. A recent perfor- mance drew 250 viewers, far more than the 70 who could have squeezed into the small theatre. “So we blew right past capacity,” laughed improviser and improv teacher Elana Fishbein. The troupes can’t can’t see the audi- ence. That’s not so much a problem for a make-it-up-as-you-go-along group that’s worked together for some time, Fishbein says, but it’s taken some stand-ups a peri- od of adjustment. “It is tough to perform in your living room in front of nobody,” acknowledges comic Will C, speaking by phone from the living room of his Kansas City, Missouri, home. “All I get is my wife walking by me, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.” Veteran stand-up comic Bob Zany said he still sometimes pauses during the moments where the laughs—or some- times the hoots of derision—are sup- posed to be. It also reminds him of starting out on the stand-up circuit 40 years ago. “In the old days I’d do spots like at the

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