PARIS: Paris St Germain have been awarded their seventh Ligue 1 title in eight years after the season was ended amid the COVID-19 crisis, the French League (LFP) said on Thursday.
PSG had a comfortable 12-point lead over second-placed Olympique de Marseille when the season was suspended with 10 games left as part of French government’s measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus last month.
With some clubs having played 27 games and others 28, the LFP drew the standings according to a performance index – the number of points per game weighed by head-to-head record.
PSG therefore ended the season on 2.52 points with OM on 2 and third-placed Stade Rennais on 1.79.
Owned by Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), who have splashed more than one billion euros ($1.09 billion) in transfers since 2011, PSG have scored 75 goals and were never in danger against weaker opposition.
They are still on course in the Champions League, having qualified for the quarter-finals last month.
According to the standings, Marseille qualify for next season’s Champions League group stage with Rennes going through a qualification playoff.
Seventh-placed Olympique Lyonnais, who were hoping to finish the season with playoffs, said they would possibly appeal against the LFP’s decision to end the season.
“Olympique Lyonnais reserves the right to appeal against this decision and claim for damages,” OL said in a statement.
The LFP also crowned Lorient as Ligue 2 champions in a conference call after the standings were frozen after all teams had played 28 matches.
“We have decided there would be two promotions and two relegations”, Didier Quillot, the chief executive of the French League, told a news conference. It means Amiens and Toulouse will be relegated and Lorient and Lens will be promoted.
Lorient had 54 points after losing four of their last five games with Lens on 53, leaving third-placed AC Ajaccio (52) and fourth-placed Troyes (51) in Ligue 2.
“There might be appeals but our decisions are solid,” Quillot added.
“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French government to stop the league. Health, as the government has always said, must be a priority for all of us,” PSG president Nasser al Khelaifi, who dedicated the title to the caregivers involved in fighting COVID-19, said in a statement.
“I would like to thank the players, the coach, the sporting and medical staff as well as all the employees of the club for their great work. This trophy rewards their daily commitment,” he added.
The new season will start on Aug. 22-23 at the latest, probably behind closed doors as popular events are banned until September in France.
“If then playing without spectators is allowed, we will try to play the Cup finals (League Cup and French Cup) in early August,” said Quillot.
PSG are to play against St Etienne in the Cup final and Olympique Lyonnais in the League Cup final.
The finals’ results could affect who joins fourth-placed Lille in the Europa League, although UEFA regulations state that leagues must say who is qualified by May 25 at the latest.
The LFP’s announcement ended weeks of speculations and rows between club presidents.
“French football did not emerge greater from this crisis,” LFP president Nathalie Boy de la Tour said.
Three persons were injured from a beating meted out by Armed Police Force personnel in West Nawalparasi.
The injured are Purnabasi Kahar, 70, and Aklesh Gaud, 14, and Munna Gaud, 16, of Bhagatpurawan village, Palhinandan Rural Municipality.
While the septuagenarian and the 14-year-old have their arm fractured and injuries on different parts of their body from the beating, Munna has also received injuries. They are being treated at Parasi-based Prithvichandra Hospital.
Meanwhile, police clarified they had to act in self defence after they were attacked while trying to stop a liquor smuggling bid.
“It was about 9:00pm and a few people were trying to smuggle booze to India on a motorbike; when we tried to stop, they tried to attack us and we had to baton-charge them,” said APF 23 Battalion headquarters Chief SP Bharat Khaniya.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
With the entire world and Nepal too grappling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed thousands of lives and severely hit the global economy, National Planning Commission — the apex planning body of the country — has said that the budget for next fiscal year 2020-21 will primarily focus on health, education, production and infrastructure development.
Ram Kumar Phuyal, a member of the commission, said they are preparing the budget with major emphasis on enhancing the healthcare system as the pandemic revealed that the country has a lot to do on this front. “Hence, the budget will focus on issues that surfaced during this lockdown and will try to address them,” he stated.
“Besides the healthcare system, the upcoming budget will also prioritise education system, mass production and distribution system, and infrastructure development where a majority of the workers are engaged,” said Phuyal.
Speaking during the virtual programme organised by the Labour and Employment Journalist Group today, Phuyal said that NPC is preparing sector-wise employment plan for labourers affected by COVID-19.
“The government has estimated that around 1.5 million to two million migrant workers will return home once the travel bans are lifted as the global economy has slowed down due to the impact of the coronavirus and there will be massive lay-offs,” he informed, adding, “So, we are targeting to introduce new programmes for those people and generate employment for around 500,000 workers annually.”
“Currently, we are holding discussions on how to manage and provide jobs to the returnee migrants and the domestic labour force in the coming year,” Phuyal mentioned. “In the first phase, the government will work on increasing domestic economic activities in a massive scale.”
Chandra Prasad Dhakal, vice president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said due to the coronavirus small and medium enterprises and tourism-related businesses are all shut down. “So, the government must introduce programmes to address these sectors to make the country’s economy vibrant,” he added.
“The coronavirus will also directly hit foreign direct investment, donor funds and capital formation to run economic activities.
So, we have suggested the government to address these areas too,” said Dhakal.
“The inflow of remittance will also decrease and unemployment rate will surge, so it is the right time to transform the economy into a self-sustaining one with due emphasis on agriculture,” he said.
Moreover, Puskar Acharya, president of Joint Trade Union Coordination Centre, said the government must draft a labour-friendly budget and immediately respond to problems being faced by the workers. “Almost 76 per cent of the labourers are currently working in the informal sector and most of them are involved in the private sector.”
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
Sub-standard rice was given to people staying at Trishakti Quarantine in Bajura.
A teacher, who is also staying in the same quarantine, said low quality date expired rice had been distributed at the quarantine for the last 12 days.
Dinesh Joshi, another person in the quarantine, said two to three persons had vomited after consuming meals. He said the rice had turned black while cooking. Joshi added they had received the rice when they came to the quarantine.
“We did not check the date on the same day that we received the rice. The date was checked when some friends vomited after eating meals,” he said. He informed that the date on the sack was corrected with a marker.
Chairperson of Ward No 9, Budhiganga Municipality, Bharat Thapa said the rice was sub-standard. He said they had not checked the date when they bought the rice from Sunil Baniya. He added new rice was brought after exchanging the distributed stock. Thapa said Baniya had bought the rice from Man Bahadur Dhami of Betalmandau.
Mayor Dipak Bikram Sha said the rice was outdated. He said action would be taken against black- marketers.
Chief District Officer Ganga Prasad Neupane said he was unaware about the incident. No quarantine has been inspected in Bajura. There are 239 suspects staying in 18 quarantines, which lack proper management.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
For children died when an explosive device, which supposedly remained there since the armed conflict that ended in 2006, went off in Triveni rural municipality of Rolpa district of western Nepal on Thursday evening.
Rolpa of Province 5 is one of the worst conflict-hit districts of the country.
DSP Nawa Raj Pokharel at the Provincial Police Office says different police teams have been mobilised for investigation after the incident.
According to preliminary reports, the children who were returning after grazing cattle had played with the abandoned explosive, resulting into the tragedy, informs the rural municipality chair Shanta Kumar Oli.
The victims have been identified as Nokhiram Dangi (14), Bimala Khatri (11), Bijaya Khatri (5) and Gaurav Nepali (14).
WASHINGTON: IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday lauded Japan’s plans to spend about 20% of its gross domestic product to respond to the economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and help the world’s poorest countries, urging others to do their part.
Japan, the world’s third largest economy behind the United States and China, was the largest contributor to IMF financial resources and the largest contributor to the fund’s concessional lending facilities, Georgieva said in a statement.
“While it has the clear intention to support the Japanese economy, Japan will also underpin the stability of the global economy through contributions to the International Monetary Fund’s resources for the provision of debt relief and concessional financing to low-income countries,” she said.
The IMF this month forecast the global economy will contract by 3% due to the pandemic, in what would be the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
IMF and World Bank officials have repeatedly warned that the world’s poorest countries will be particularly hard hit by the pandemic because they lack the resources and infrastructure to respond to the resulting health and economic challenges.
“It is therefore crucial that the membership work together to support our poorest and most vulnerable members in this difficult period,” Georgieva said in the statement.
She said Japan had provided close to 9 billion in Special Drawing Rights, the IMF’s currency, to date to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, which amounted to 23% of all PRGT loans, and over SDR 900 million in subsidy grant resources.
“I urge other member countries to contribute to both the (Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust) and PRGT. By working together, we can overcome the global challenge facing us and help restore growth and prosperity,” she said.
Funded by grants from members, the CCRT has already provided grants to 29 countries to cover their debt service payments to the IMF for an initial six-month period, according to the IMF. Members can also provide grants and loans to the PRGT, which supports low-income countries.
Washington has been noticeably absent from the relief drive.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this month told the IMF’s steering committee that Washington was exploring contributions to both facilities, but gave no details on the amount or timing of such a contribution.
Also contributing to the CCRT are Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore and China, while Japan, France, Britain, Canada and Australia have all pledged contributions to the PRGT.
Japan this month said it aimed to double its contribution to the PRGT from the current SDR 3.6 billion, saying it would make the first SDR 1.8 billion available immediately, with the rest to follow as other member countries upped their contributions.
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is apparently losing his popularity inside and outside the party, has once again criticised mass media and social media users, claiming they made efforts to push the country towards instability.
Oli’s statement comes around a week after his government issued two controversial ordinances that forcefully kicked off a new round of political debate in the country. Whereas the media and social media users had warned that the ordinances would lead the country towards a crisis, Oli had justified their rationale at first. However, he was forced to withdraw them after four days owing to pressures inside his party.
In his video address on the occasion of International Labour Day (May Day) on Friday, Oli says, “Today, some media of Nepal and social media (users) are engaged in disseminating news and other discussions that push the country towards instability, against stability, permanence, and development. On the one hand, the entire citizenry, along with the world, is fighting against the coronavirus pandemic; but on the other, there are efforts of instability taking advantage of this situation. It is sad.”
The prime minister says he, his government and his party will not tolerate such efforts and foil them.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has offered to make party leader Bamdev Gautam the new prime minister, but the question is whether Gautam, who is not even a lawmaker, can become the next PM.
According to constitutional experts Bhimarjun Acharya and Pankaj Kumar Karna, Gautam cannot become a candidate for the prime minister, as he is not a member of the House of Representatives. “As per constitutional provisions, only the House of Representatives member can become the PM,” Acharya said.
Acharya said Gautam could become eligible for the post of PM if an HoR constituency was vacated so that he would contest and win the by-election, but there was no certainty that he would win a by-election. “If by-election is held, it will not happen soon. It may happen only after six months or even a year,” he said.
Advocate Karna pointed out that Gautam was repeatedly rebuffed by the prime minister in the past when he wanted to become a lawmaker.
Gautam lost parliamentary election from his home constituency of Bardiya in the last general election, but after the election he tried to become a member of the HoR first and when his bid for the same did not succeed, he tried to become a member of the National Assembly.
A few weeks ago, Gautam had told party leaders that he would become an NA member only if the constitution was amended to allow an NA member to become the prime minister. Oli refused to accept his condition. Gautam then decided to accept the offer of becoming an NA member without any condition, but again the PM refused to recommend him for NA member. Prior to this, Gautam had made Ramvir Manandhar vacate his Kathmandu Constituency No 7 seat so that he could contest by-election from there, but the Oli faction vehemently opposed him following which Gautam backed out.
Karna said if the PM held a by-election to make Gautam the new prime minister, that could make the PM and his party unpopular, mainly because the people wanted the government to focus on economic recovery programme, including the government’s programme to create employment and provide incentives to the agriculture sector.
“If the government sets aside these pressing issues and focuses its efforts on settling the ruling party’s internal feud, then that can be suicidal for the ruling party,” Karna added. He said the chance of amending the constitution was slim as two opposition parties — the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal and the Nepali Congress, whose support was necessary to amend the statute, were less likely to amend the constitution just to fulfil Gautam’s personal political ambition.
“Even other leaders of the ruling NCP are not in favour of amending the constitution at this stage,” Karna added. As the ruling NCP lacks two-thirds majority in the Parliament, it would need support of opposition parties to amend the constitution. The NCP has 174 members in the 275-member HoR, the Lower House of the Parliament.
Twenty-three days after the arrest of Sulav Agrawal, Nepal’s Honorary Consul for Kyrgyzstan, on the charge of black-marketing infrared thermometers amidst the COVID -19 pandemic, Kathmandu District Court today released him on bail.
But, as soon as he paid the demanded bail amount of Rs 2.55 million to the court and walked out, police re-arrested him outside the court.
Metropolitan Police Range, Teku, arrested Agrawal and later submitted him to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson for MPR Teku, said they had arrested Agrawal after finding it necessary to investigate the illegal money he might have earned through black-marketing of similar equipment during the lockdown. Bogati said, “We are even preparing to present Agrawal to the revenue tribunal after DoLI investigates him.
Agrawal, also a prominent businessman representing Shanker Group of Companies, was arrested on April 7, on the charge of selling infrared thermometer at up to three fold higher price than the market price.
Police had claimed they arrested Agrawal red-handed as he was negotiating the price of the much demanded thermometers with police posing as businessmen.
Agrawal was taken into custody from Bal Mandir premises in Naxal, where he had reached in a diplomatic number plate vehicle (209-HCC -1) provided by the Government of Nepal.
Agrawal was demanding Rs 15,000 for each thermal gun though its market price was Rs 3,500, according to police. Agrawal and the disguised police personnel had agreed to buy and sell 67 thermal guns.
Although the issue of black-marketing falls under the jurisdiction of District Administration Office, Agrawal’s adjudication process is being held at the District Court. This is because police have demanded imprisonment of more than one year, over which the DAO does not hold jurisdiction.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
People leave Kathmandu for their home during the lockdown, in April 2020.
The first cases of Covid-19 were reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019. Four months later, over 3 million people across the world are infected with the virus causing more than nearly 210,000 deaths.
Although the virus spreads indiscriminately, certain groups are disproportionately impacted. These include those already marginalised by structural barriers and gender inequalities before the pandemic: older persons, women (including pregnant women) and girls, persons living with disabilities, caregivers, and migrant and informal sector workers.
This differential impact is due to epidemiological or socioeconomic factors, or a combination of the two. Older people and people with underlying health conditions may have weakened immune systems, putting them at a higher risk of severe complications. Lack of access to necessary medication and health care can endanger people with an ongoing illness or pregnant women. Many of the 690 million persons living with a disability in the Asia-Pacific region already have more health care needs than others. Low-quality or inaccessible health-care services, particularly in situations of partial or complete lockdown, can increase their vulnerability.
Women are more likely to have limited access to economic and social services compounding their vulnerability to the disease like other disasters. They are also more likely to carry out unpaid work of varied sectors. The pandemic is highly likely to negatively impact their livelihoods and dramatically increase their unpaid care work.
Around 65 per cent of working women in the Asia-Pacific region are in the informal employment sector and rely on daily work to survive. Further, women constitute over two-thirds of workers in the health and social sectors globally, placing them on the frontlines of the pandemic response, but with a persistent gender pay gap and fewer leadership positions than their male counterparts.
In addition, Asia-Pacific is home to over 60 per cent of the global urban population. Many of the region’s cities are highly congested, leading to a higher likelihood of infection because of the difficulties of physical distancing. The region accounts for around 65 per cent of the global slum population, which typically have limited access to facilities including healthcare.
Throughout the region, countries are taking measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and mitigate the socio-economic impact. While doing so, efforts must be made to ensure that such measures do not have unintended negative consequences on highly marginalised groups. Existing social constructs – such as discrimination, abuse, and inequality – are further exacerbated in times of crises, requiring targeted measures to protect those most at risk.
As a non-industrially developed country, Nepal is going to face social and economic damages that need a lot of time to recover. Before we face food scarcity, the government should slow down the lockdown in close areas, where any outsider entry or activity must be restricted. A swift, simultaneous, and sequenced implementation of special policies on health and social protection, finance, agriculture, industry, and trade should be ensured to make citizens’ lives smooth.
In this crisis, one simple truth has become absolutely clear: we – all of us – depend on each other. Narrow self-interest will not help us; certainly, the solidarity will. We need to stand together – as a society and as a global community. Viruses do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of nationality or income. They attack humanity. International cooperation is essential in effectively managing this pandemic and its economic fallout to save the societies globally.
A hospital in Biratnagar turned away an expecting mother awaiting surgery upon learning that she was from Udayapur, a place that has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot lately.
Saraswoti Rauniyar of Gaighat, Udayapur was admitted to Nobel Medical College of Biratnagar for delivery on Tuesday and was supposed to undergo surgery the next day.
Following the necessary preparations, doctors had taken her to the operation theatre the following morning at about 7:00am. But after doctors in the theatre saw Udayapur mentioned as her address, they refused to operate on her and referred her to Koshi Hospital instead.
The referral ticket has also mentioned it that she has been referred because of her address.
“Taken into the operation theatre, she was turned away to another hospital by doctors after they saw Udayapur as our address,” said Saraswoti’s husband Prakash Gupta. “She was operated at Koshi Hospital yesterday and gave birth to a son.” According to the husband, they had their first child at Nobel Hospital and decided to approach the same hospital this time as well.
Dr Jeevan Dhamala and his team had conducted the operation on the woman at Koshi Hospital yesterday. “She was referred here from Nobel Hospital. We conducted an operation on her, and both the mother and baby are normal,” said Dr Dhamala.
Doctors at Koshi Hospital said they were surprised at the incident of a patient being turned away from the operation theatre without a genuine reason.
“Is it that any patient from Udayapur won’t get treatment at any private hospital?” asked a doctor, adding it was inhumane to refer someone from the operation theatre.
Meanwhile, Nobel Medical College, however, claimed that it had to refer the patient elsewhere after she was seen with a temperature. “We conduct all tests in the operation theatre before we carry out an operation. As she was then seen with fever, we referred her to Koshi Hospital,” said NMC public contact officer Narayan Dahal.
The claim, however, was contradicted by Koshi Hospital.
“She didn’t have any fever when she approached us, and we wouldn’t have operated on her in the first place if she had a temperature,” said Dr Dhamala. “In fact, even the referral ticket didn’t have any mention of a fever or something and categorically mentioned that she was referred because of her address,” he added.
It is important to note that a few days ago, another private hospital here — Birat Nursing Home — had also refused to admit a patient whose address was Udayapur.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
Province 2, Bara, Baragadhi, Ward 1 - #Governance, Police said one person has been arrested in possession of illegal weapon from Bara district, on Thursday. A police team deployed from Area Police Office, Baragadi, apprehended 35-year-old Manoj Raye Netu from Sipura of Baragadi Rural Municipality-3, today. Police intercepted the suspect in suspicion while walking around and recovered a muzzleloader hidden under his waist. According to SP Gautam Mishra and Spokesperson of the DPO, the suspect was presented before the district court today itself and remanded into custody for seven days. Meanwhile, further investigation into the case is underway, police said.
Province 1, Jhapa, Kankai, Ward 7 - #GBV, #Children’sRights, A teenager has been arrested on the charge of raping a five-year-old girl on Wednesday. Police nabbed a 16-year-old boy of Kankai Municipality-7 on the charge of rape. Acting on information that the boy allegedly raped the girl, a police team deployed from Area Police Office, Surunga made the arrest. Police said that a further investigation was underway.
Joint Human Rights Situation Monitoring committees have been formed in all 77 districts of the country to carry out monitoring of human rights situation during the adverse situation created by COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee comprises representatives from the National Human Rights Commission, Nepal Bar Association, Federation of Nepali Journalists and NGO Federation of Nepal.
Issuing a press release today, the rights body said high level, central level and provincial level committees had been formed.
According to the NHRC, the committees were monitoring the overall rights situation with special focus on the actions taken by the government to combat COVID-19, arrangement of medical treatment for COVID-19 and regular patients, consumer rights, freedom of expression, access to the judicial administration and citizens’ duties, among others.
The NHRC said the committee had already started functioning and would submit its report to the government along with suggestions. The rights bodies have repeatedly called upon the government to ensure that human right is at the centre of their emergency response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Even as cases of COVID-19 are increasing at an alarming rate, the government has yet to take effective measures aligned with human rights standards to safeguard people, particularly the vulnerable and marginalised, read the release.
Meanwhile, the NHRC has called on the government to ensure protection of the rights of jailbirds, students and migrant workers. It had conducted monitoring of the human rights situation of detainees and prisoners in detention centres and the prisons in Kathmandu and Lalitpur earlier this week.
The monitoring team led by NHRC member Sudip Pathak found prisons and detention centres not implementing mandatory social distancing due to lack of adequate space.
The Sundhara-based Central jail is crammed with 3,164 detainees and prisoners against its capacity of 1,250. However, there was access to sanitation facility, health check-up, sanitiser, water supply and other measures against the spread of COVID-19.
“Though no case of COVID-19 has been detected in prisons so far, they are highly vulnerable to infection in all 72 prisons across the country due to their dilapidated infrastructure and poor sanitation,” the NHRC said.
It warned many Nepali migrants were facing problem of livelihood as they had been rendered jobless due to COVID-19 and were prone to the pandemic.
“Nepali trainees and students in various countries, including Bangladesh and Qatar, have been stranded and are facing difficulties. The NHRC has received complaints through telephone, email and information disseminated by mass media. Thus, we draw the attention of the government, especially the ministries of foreign affairs, health and population, and labour, employment and social security to resolve these problems in a human rights-friendly manner,” it said.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s offer to make Madhav Kumar Nepal the third co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and Bamdev Gautam the new prime minister has created ripples in the party, but it is not yet clear whether the PM, who made the offer in a bid to end the bonhomie between Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, will succeed.
The Dahal and Nepal factions have been pressuring the PM to quit at least one post — party co-chair or the prime minister. Oli had told the party Secretariat meeting that he would tender his resignation from the post of prime minister after the threat of coronavirus pandemic subsided, paving the way for ‘Gautam to become the new PM’.
Standing Committee member Raghuji Pant, who is close to Nepal, told THT that Nepal was not keen on Oli’s offer to make him the third chair, as its sole motive was to expose and weaken him. “I am for upholding the rule of law within the party and I am not for fulfilling my political ambitions through unfair means,” Pant quoted Nepal as saying.
Pant said Gautam had told the PM yesterday that he should resign as PM and let the party decide who should be the new prime minister. Pant said the PM’s offer was only a bid to weaken the Dahal and Nepal factions that had sought his resignation from either the post of party co-chair or the prime minister. Oli’s decision to bring two controversial ordinances recently has riled NCP leaders. Oli has fallen into minority in the party’s Secretariat, Standing Committee and Central Committee after Nepal, Gautam and Jhalanath Khanal sided with Dahal. Party leaders said Oli didn’t have majority even in the parliamentary party.
Another Standing Committee member Mani Thapa, who is close to Dahal, told THT that Oli’s offer to Gautam might help him avert the political crisis that threatened to dislodge him from power. The proposal to make Gautam the PM was first floated by Dahal so it would be difficult for Dahal to oppose it now or else Gautam could switch sides, Thapa argued.
Standing Committee member Mukunda Neupane, who is close to Madhav Kumar Nepal, said Oli’s assurance to make Gautam the new PM was not credible, as the chapter had already closed. He said Oli had no power to make anybody the party’s third chairperson and only the party’s Central Committee had that power.
Another Standing Committee member Ganesh Shah said none of the arguments of the factions led by Oli, Dahal or Nepal held water.
“At a time when we are dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, the party should not change its prime minister. Nor should the PM offer anyone party’s chair,” he said, adding the number of chairs would go against the spirit of unity between former CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist Centre. “If the party leaders decide to go for third co-chair, then that could give rise to demand for more co-chairpersons in the party,” Shah added. Gautam could not be contacted for comments.
Oli is likely to face tough questions from NCP leaders on May 2 when the party’s Secretariat meets.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
The Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested journalist Deepak Pathak on the charge of violating some cyber laws, after he posted an ‘outspoken remark’ about some top leader of the ruling party.
Pathak was arrested from his residence at Jadibuti in Kathmandu today morning.
Senior Superintendent of Police Nabinda Aryal of the Cyber Bureau said Pathak was arrested on the basis of first information report filed against him.
“Two persons had filed a complaint about Pathak regarding his outspoken remarks about a top leader of the ruling party,” SSP Aryal said. He however did not reveal the name of the petitioners saying it might affect the investigation. We have just begun our investigation and will be able to say something on the case after a few days.
Pathak, who is also a board member of Radio Nepal, according to a police source, was close to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and had posted a damning opinion about Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Meanwhile, Kathmandu District Court has given permission for the police to investigate the case, remanding Pathak to two days in judicial custody.
Pathak has been charged under section 47 of the existing Electronic Transaction Act, for dealing with issues related to cyber crime, since the country still lacks a separate act.
The Electronic Transaction Act prohibits Nepalis from publishing or displaying content on social media that goes against public morality or decent behaviour or spreads hate or prejudice against anyone or jeopardises harmonious relations subsisting among peoples of different castes, tribes or communities.
Those found violating the act are liable to be slapped with a fine not exceeding Rs 1 lakh or with imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
A few days ago, the bureau had also arrested a former Nepal government secretary Bhim Upadhyay on the charge of cyber crime using the same clause of the act, on the basis of four of his posts on facebook and twitter. Upadhyay was later released on bail of Rs 25,000.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that he had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus and was temporarily stepping down to recover.
Mishustin, 54, suggested that First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov serve as acting prime minister in his absence.
Putin, who was listening on a televised video conference, sighed when he heard the news, wished Mishustin a speedy recovery and said he agreed with the proposed replacement.
Mishustin, who has been one of the main coordinators of Russia’s response to the new coronavirus, is the first high-ranking Russian official to publicly say they have the virus. He broke the news hours after the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Russia surged past the 100,000 mark.
“I have found out that the coronavirus tests I had done returned with a positive result,” said Mishustin, who was appointed by Putin in January. “I need to self-isolate, and follow doctors’ instructions. This is necessary for the safety of my colleagues.”
Mishustin said he would remain in contact with members of the government and Putin by phone and video conference despite his condition.
“What is happening to you can happen to anyone,” Putin replied matter-of-factly. “When you get to the hospital, call me. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
The broadcast of the meeting, which showed the men on split screens, lasted just under four minutes.
Mishustin will spend his self-isolation period at a hospital under the supervision of doctors, his spokesman Boris Belyakov said, without disclosing the exact location where the prime minister would be treated.
Belyakov added that all those who had been in contact with Mishustin would go into self-isolation and be tested for the virus.
Russia’s nationwide tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surged past the 100,000 mark earlier on Thursday after a record daily rise in new infections.
Russia this week overtook China and Iran in the number of confirmed cases arising from the global pandemic.
Russia has so far reported 1,073 coronavirus-related deaths, a figure far lower than many of the hardest-hit countries however.
Putin has warned the peak of the outbreak has yet to come, and the authorities have said there could be a new spike in cases if the population flouts lockdown measures during public holidays in early May.
The world’s largest country by territory, Russia has been on lockdown since Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March to limit the scope for the virus to spread.
Putin and the cabinet have been holding remote meetings to avoid contact.
Kathmandu, 1 May: The Federation of Nepali Journalists today submitted an 11-point memorandum to Minister of Communications and Information Technology, seeking relief package for media sector which is reeling under severe financial crisis in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.
The umbrella organisation of journalists has drawn the government’s attention towards the need to fulfil the 11-point charter of demands at a time when media fraternity is facing myriad challenges like never before, reports the Himalayan Times daily.
Kathmandu, 1 May : As the number of lockdown violators rise in Siraha district, the Nepal Army personnel have taken the responsibility of enforcing it to ensure safety of the countrymen from contagion of corona virus.
The national army personnel are in the streets of Siraha Bazaar, the district headquarters and many other rural areas educating the locals the risk being faced worldwide and requesting them to remain indoors. “Security forces deployed from the Shergan Battalion based at Choharwa are doing commendable work to enforce lockdown, ” a local is quoted as saying in media.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists today submitted an 11-point memorandum to Minister of Communications and Information Technology, seeking relief package for media sector which is reeling under severe financial crisis in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.
The umbrella organisation of journalists has drawn the government’s attention towards the need to fulfil the 11-point charter of demands at a time when media fraternity is facing myriad challenges like never before.
FNJ urged the government to allocate necessary budget to all media outlets for dissemination of information, education and communication materials to raise awareness about novel coronavirus.
It also demanded that the government grant full exemption to media outlets on royalty and renewal fee, taxes and electricity, telephone and internet tariffs, concession in purchase of newsprint and other press materials, in addition to announcement of relief package.
“Some media houses have been resorting to lay-offs, paycuts, non-payment or delayed payment of salary due to economic downturn caused by COVID-19 crisis. We urge the government to take necessary initiatives to resolve the crisis,” reads the memorandum.
FNJ also demanded action on the part of the government to strictly enforce the existing Working Journalists Act-1993 and Rules-2007 and guarantee facilities provisioned therein.
Other demands put forth by FNJ include immediate formation of Advertisement Board and implementation of proportional distribution of advertisements, recognition of media as an industry, implementation of clean feed policy and guarantee of press freedom.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
With the country still locked down and businesses shut for more than a month, the government has introduced the second phase of stimulus relief package targeting the public and also businesses hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The stimulus package which was approved by the Cabinet meeting on Sunday and was released today has basically focused on providing relief to workers in both the formal and informal sectors, relaxation on tax payment period and availability of loan facility for businesses.
The government has decided to deploy informal sector workers who have been unemployed due to the ongoing crisis in public works that are carried out by the local, provincial and federal governments. Such workers will either be paid in cash on a daily basis or provided with food. The local governments will fix the wage for such workers. Meanwhile, unemployed workers who refuse to work in the designated areas will be paid 25 per cent of the relief or wage that a worker who decides to work gets.
According to the government, necessary resources for providing jobs to unemployed workers in the informal sector will be mobilised through the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, development projects under local governments and the COVID-19 Relief Fund of the government.
For workers in the formal sector, the government has directed firms to immediately issue 50 per cent of workers’ salary till Baisakh and gradually pay the remaining 50 per cent salary after their businesses resume. In case firms face liquidity problem in doing so, the government has asked Nepal Rastra Bank to ensure that such firms get loans from banks and financial institutions at subsidised rates. Moreover, the government has also asked the central bank to manage loans from its refinancing facility for firms facing liquidity issues.
The government has also asked businesses in the tourism sector that have been shut to pay 50 per cent of the workers’ salary till Baisakh. It has assured firms facing difficulty in paying workers the remaining 50 per cent salary subsidised loan facility through BFIs or through refinancing fund of NRB.
For bigger business houses facing difficulties in paying workers, the government has said subsidised loan facility will be provided to them on collateral basis. In a bid to ensure refinancing facility for businesses hit by the pandemic, the government has also directed NRB to raise the size of its refinancing fund to Rs 100 billion. The central bank had raised the size of the fund by Rs 10 billion to Rs 60 billion immediately after the lockdown was imposed.
The government has also directed NRB to further reduce the interest rate on refinancing loans and ensure working capital loans required for the operation of small and medium scale enterprises at subsidised rates.
The government has also asked the central bank to extend the period for repayment of loans from businesses.
While the government has continued its earlier decision to offer 25 per cent rebate on electricity tariff to customers who consume up to 150 units, it has also announced 15 per cent rebate on electricity tariff for those consuming up to 250 units a month throughout the lockdown period. The government has also asked Nepal Electricity Authority to provide necessary subsidy on demand charge and electricity tariff to industries that have remained shut during the lockdown.
In addition, the government has also deferred tax payment period of all taxes — income tax, excise duty and value added tax — for the public and businesses for the months of Falgun and Chaitra till June 7.
The government has also deferred the payment of electricity, water and telephone bills for the months of Falgun and Jestha till Ashad (mid-July). The government has also decided to give 25 per cent subsidy on transportation cost to farmers to transport their produce to nearby markets. The government has also decided to monitor through local levels the implementation of its previous decision that asked landlords to exempt rent for tenants for the month of Chaitra.
On the health front, the government has assured special treatment to all medical workers and other related staff working on the frontline to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country and treat patients infected with the virus. Biswo Poudel, an economist, said relief measures announced to support businesses and the public seemed positive and timely and urged the government to effectively implement them.
“However, businesses are not just facing problem regarding payment, but also disturbance in supply chain and unavailability of raw materials. The government has failed to address these issues,” he said, adding that the government should also come up with concrete plans on ways to allow businesses to gradually resume operations.
Highlights
Unemployed in the informal sector to be deployed in public works
Subsidised loan facilityfor businesses facing liquidity problem
Size of refinancing fund to be expanded to Rs 100 billion
Clearance period for all taxes deferred to June 7
Deferred payment of electricity, water and telephone bill for the months of Falgun and Jestha till Ashad (mid-July)
25 per cent subsidy on transportation cost to farmers
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
Kathmandu, 1 May: Nepal Communist Party (NCP)’s senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, discarding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s offer for becoming the third chairman of the party, has demanded resignation of Oli from the posts of the PM and party chairman.
Nepal, on 30 April, had held a meeting with PM Oli at Baluatar. At the meeting, Nepal had said that first of all Oli should tender resignation from both the posts, then later, the party will decide on who will become the PM and the chairman.
PM Oli, however, has taken stance that he is not going to tender resignation amidst corona virus pandemic in the country.
The front among party’s co-chairman Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda, Nepal, JN Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, on the other hand, is trying their best to end the entire Oli group’s political future.
Oli is the elected PM, whereas, the present NCP structures are not the elected bodies, rather the bodies are constituted through the nominated members. Thus, Oli faction is not compelled to obey the party decision, those in the Oli’s group are predicting.
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the social, economic and political integrity of the world. Though the global community is doing its best to understand the virus and seek the best way to mitigate its effect, the infection continues to rise, claiming a significant toll of human lives. By April 27, there has already been above 3 million cases and above 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19. While WHO was consistently warning against the pandemic potential since the beginning of the epidemic in Wuhan, China, many countries did not fully capitalise on the warnings and failed to prepare for the disaster.
In Nepal, there have been 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 16 have recovered, and no death has been recorded so far. In the initial phase, Nepal failed to capture the significance of this global problem as not much was done to prevent it. But with the increase in the number of cases, Nepal is trying its best to combat COVID-19 through different measures, which began with international travel restrictions, ban on public gatherings, border closure and finally a long country-wide closure.
Lockdown, as a draconian measure, has been practised that spares the straining of the health system, although at the high cost of economic consequences. Intensifying quarantine facilities and proactive screening via testing and tracing, followed by isolation and case management, have been some of the cornerstones for flattening the epidemic curve. How effectively these measures have been implemented needs further evaluation to ensure proper mitigation approaches.
Unfortunately, these measures have not been implemented homogenously across the country and have been correlated with the uneven distribution of the epidemiology of COVID-19. The focus on social distancing has been an effective strategy to control the rate of infection from an economic and social point of view, but confinement measures are not sustainable in the long run. In fact, a sustained economic slump will create negative health consequences, from deaths of despair to pressures on public-health budgets, which might create more non–COVID-19- related deaths than confinement would save from this disease.
There is also a challenge in extending testing and other public health and medical interventions, too. Timely action, testing, tracing, tracking, treating and togetherness have been seen as the most effective strategies to combat the disease. However, the health system of the country is struggling to first screen a large number of community cases proactively, second diagnose the suspected cases at the health centres, and third provide care to the patients.
Lack of adequate diagnostics at the hospitals, coupled with limited facilities to confirm COVID-19 cripples early detection and treatment. Detecting and managing the cases in the peripheral parts of the country are far-fetched. The hospitals in Nepal are largely unprepared due to lack of resources (availability of ICU facilities, isolation wards and human resources) for the management of an expected wave of infections due to COVID-19 in the imminent future. More crucially, health workers, including doctors, in Nepal are poorly prepared due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Strict social distancing measures, i.e., lockdowns, have been practised to reduce the overall transmission in the country so that the health facility can cope with the fewer number of patients. It is expected to offer a window period for the health system to prepare and arrange the logistics and streamline the healthcare system. This build-up will obviously offer security for possible future waves of the disease. Meanwhile, in line with these efforts, proactive diagnostic capacity needs to be scaled up to detect the virus and scrutinise the immune people.
Test, Test and Test have been applauded as the best strategy to address COVID-19. Learning from the SARS epidemic of 2003, South Korea took proactive measures to test hundreds of thousands of people for infection and track the potential carriers. Similarly, learning from South Korea, Germany has increased its testing facilities by conducting huge numbers of tests.
rRT-PCR is the best feature to anticipate or rule out the likelihood of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Technologically, it’s hard to run this test in a low care setting because it also demands sophisticated technology and hands-on skills to deal right from sample collection, sample processing and conducting the test adhering to the strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Though WHO provided guidance for laboratory testing among suspected human cases for COVID-19 on March 2, how well the procedure is being followed remains questionable.
The country is trying to establish the tests in a better way to make the best possible prediction. Our fundamental challenge here is how to adopt the best quality test to realise our strategy. The currently used rapid diagnostic kits are of two types: one based on detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral protein in respiratory samples, such as in the sputum and throat swabs, and second is the detection of human antibodies generated in response to the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the blood or serum.
Studies suggest that the antibodies are produced only in the second week after the onset of symptoms in majority of cases. The strength of the antibodies produced depends on several factors, such as age, severity of infection, use of certain medications and presence or absence of comorbidities, which suppress immune systems. Due to this reason, through this method, the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection is only possible in the recovery phase when the patient’s immune system starts to fight against the infection, and by this period the infection could have already spread among the population. In addition to this, it should also be noted that these serological tests just measure the level of antibodies, and there is no evidence to suggest that serological tests will reveal if the individual is immune or protected from reinfection.
Another rapid diagnostic test available is the detection of the presence of viral proteins or antigens in respiratory samples. For this test to function, the antigen should be present in sufficient concentrations so it could bind with the specific antibodies fixed to a paper strip. There are several factors which influence credibility of these tests, such as duration of the onset of illness, concentration of viral antigen in the specimen, the precise formulation of reagent in the test kits and the quality of specimen collection and processing. Due to these reasons and limited information available regarding the test, WHO does not currently recommend using this antigen-based RDT for patient care. However, there is great stress for its use in research to understand its performance and potential diagnostic utility.
The global nature of this pandemic and the fact that countries are at different pandemic levels suggest that the pandemic crisis could be long. In addition, social tensions linked to severe prolonged confinement, which negatively affects people quite differently, financially as well as non-financially, may get out of hand. With all the confusion and crisis going around due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is certain to provoke social stigma and discriminatory behaviours against people of certain ethnic backgrounds as well as anyone perceived to have been in contact with the virus.
The presence of stigma can contribute to more spread of infection as it can undermine social cohesion and prompt possible social isolation of groups, making it difficult to control the outbreaks. Stigma can drive people to hide their illness for fear of discrimination, which can come as a barrier for seeking health care immediately and limit the adoption of healthy behaviours, worsening the situation. So the whole society needs restructuring and remodeling to best cater to the demands created by the nasty virus. How the world will cope and move forward in this extraordinary situation determines our existence and sustainability. It is a critical time to think about the communication strategies to be adopted to support and enable communities to take effective action to combat the disease as well as avoid fueling fear and stigma.
If we look at the global scenario, currently most of the countries are practising certain social-distancing measures, either in the name of complete lockdown, physical distancing or home quarantine. Disruption in mobility, disturbed socialisation alongside confusion, rising fear, uncertainty and economic constraints have brought frustration and panic among the global population. This has been seen in different forms of anti-lockdown protests, rallies and actions, violating the government’s measures against COVID-19.
To control such civil unrest and prevent the risk of outbreaks, there is a need to create an environment, in which the disease and its impact can be discussed and addressed openly, honestly and effectively. Due to the increasing cases of infection and deaths, it has triggered disruption to social and mental wellbeing of global citizens. The confusion and uncertainty are fueling misinformation, stigma and discrimination, which are negatively impacting the prevention strategies adopted by different nations. There is a need for proper communication strategies and community engagement alongside the togetherness of all concerned entities fighting against this wicked virus globally. Citizen ownership will be essential to ensure that solidarity prevails over discrimination.
The infection cannot be controlled or contained only by scientific communities, healthcare workforce and/or political strategies. There is a need for community engagement alongside the togetherness of all concerned entities fighting against this wicked virus. The most important step for Nepal now is to immediately start proactive community testing. The more tests we do, the more we know about the cases to be isolated, which can help us to prevent community transmission. For the general public, cooperation with regard to the government measures is absolutely vital. It is important to strictly adhere to the social distancing strategy in addition to helping the community to identify the suspected cases, and endorsing testing and self-quarantine for anyone with symptoms to combat the wicked virus.
Prof Marahatta is an epidemiologist and public health expert
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump likes to talk about the most, the best, the thing that nobody has ever seen.
Now he is trying to make a virtue of a lower number, arguing that the efforts of his administration have warded off a far greater death toll than otherwise would have been seen.
But the reported US death toll on Wednesday crept past 60,000, a figure that Trump in recent weeks had suggested might be the total death count. He had cited the estimate as a sign of relative success after the White House previously warned the US could suffer 100,000 to 240,000 deaths.
Trump also has repeatedly used the outer band of any estimate — the potential that 2.2 million Americans could have died had there been no interventions — to try to make his case most powerfully.
The US death toll from COVID-19 is certain to keep growing from here.
And, like the unemployment rate, the numbers also will be revised — and likely upward, due to underreporting. The focus on death tallies also overlooks other important markers such as immunity levels and infection rates.
“All these pieces of data are like a giant jigsaw puzzle that you’re putting together,” said Dr. Howard Markel, director of the University of Michigan’s Center for the History of Medicine. “The death toll is just one of them.”
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said it’s simplistic for Trump or other public officials to focus on the death toll since it’s incomplete. Cases not initially classified as COVID-19 could be added at a later date.
“The problem is you look at the number on your television screen and the number looks real,” she said. “What you don’t have is that that number should have an asterisk next to it.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, on March 29 revealed models projecting the deaths of 100,00-240,000 Americans, assuming social distancing efforts were ongoing. At the same time, she said epidemiology models initially had predicted a worst-case scenario of 1.5 million to 2.2 million US deaths without mitigation efforts such as social distancing, hand washing and staying home as much as possible.
Soon after, Trump began speculating that the 100,000 figure was an outer limit,. Later, he leaned more toward a 60,000 projection.
“The minimum number was 100,000 lives, and I think we’ll be substantially under that number,” he said April 10. “Hard to believe that if you had 60,000 — you could never be happy, but that’s a lot fewer than we were originally told and thinking.”
Trump tempers his comments by saying even one death is too many, but he’s also appeared relieved at the notion of a toll of 60,000. That’s more in a matter of months than the 58,220 US military deaths during the Vietnam War but far below the 675,000 deaths from the 1918 flu pandemic that Trump often cites.
Trump has used the 2.2. million death estimate to suggest he saved millions of lives through leadership that he and other administration officials say was “decisive.” His actions have been challenged by state, local and public health officials who have complained about shortages of testing supplies and safety gear for doctors and nurses.
Trump often cites restricting travel from China, where the virus originated, and from Europe, where it took hold before exploding in the US, as among his most important first steps.
“We did the right thing, because if we didn’t do it, you would have had a million people, a million and a half people, maybe 2 million people dead,” the president said on April 20.
“Now, we’re going toward 50-, I’m hearing, or 60,000 people,” he continued. “One is too many. I always say it. One is too many. But we’re going toward 50- or 60,000 people.”
Trump offered a revised estimate Monday when asked if he deserved a second term with a death toll akin to the American lives lost in Vietnam.
“Yeah, we’ve lost a lot of people,” he said in the Rose Garden. “But if you look at what original projections were — 2.2 million — we’re probably heading to 60,000, 70,000. It’s far too many. One person is too many for this.”
Calvin Jillson, a presidential scholar at Southern Methodist University, contrasted Trump’s public talk of death counts to the reluctance of administration and military officials to discuss Vietnam War body counts.
Jillson said Trump doesn’t realize the numbers are always “going to turn negative at some point” and that the way he talks about the death count suggests a lack of empathy.
“It highlights how infrequently he will actually talk about these numbers as people, as loved ones, as fellow Americans, as people no longer with us,” Jillson said. “That is natural to a politician whose stock in trade is to feel the audience and to empathize with them.”
The White House had resisted any public announcement about a potential death toll until Birx and other experts unveiled their own model of the anticipated cost to the nation — both with and without social distancing measures.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began posting projections on the number of anticipated US deaths from the coronavirus from seven different research teams.
The teams use different types of data and make different assumptions, including about the effects of social distancing, use of face coverings and other measures. The most recent summary showed modelers predicted a cumulative US death toll of 50,000 to 100,000 by mid-May.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield declined to predict the death toll during an Associated Press interview Tuesday.
“I use models to try to predict the impact of different interventions. That’s really the important thing,” Redfield sa
The secretariat meeting of the Nepal Communist Party, in Kathmandu, on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.
Kathmandu, April 30
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, apparently in his bid to delay the Nepal Communist Party’s unfavourable decision of making him resign from the premiership, has floated the name of the party’s vice-president Bamdev Gautam as the next prime minister.
He also proposed that the party induct former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal as another chairperson of the party which already has two chairpersons: himself and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Oli’s proposals come after Dahal and Nepal allied with each other to put pressure on Oli. As both of the leaders spoke against him during the secretariat meeting held last evening, Oli defended he should leave neither chairmanship or the premiership, claiming he was doing good jobs in both the roles.
Even if the party wants to change the prime minister, no any old face–Dahal, Nepal or Jhala Nath Khanal–should repeat, but Gautam should get a chance, he advised, adding the party could elect Bamdev Gautam into the National Assembly or the House of Representatives for this.
However, many including Gautam himself suspect that Oli’s proposal was not honest as efforts to make Gautam, who hold the parliamentary elections in 2017, have repeatedly failed. There is not the possibility of him being elected the House of Representatives member anywhere whereas the party does not have consensus about letting the National Assembly member become the PM.
Frontline doctors and health professionals are at high risk of contracting coronavirus but the sense of responsibility towards society and determination to serve fellow humans is what helps doctors and health workers overcome this fear.
Superintendent of Koshi Hospital Dr Sangeeta Mishra says like many other doctors and health professionals she is also worried that she could contract the virus at any time. When she goes back home from work, she maintains distance from her 12-year-old son fearing that he could contract the virus from her.
She has a separate room with separate entrance. She eats alone. She listens to bhajans every morning to forget her woes.
“I am not able to share my feelings with my husband as I need to remain in quarantine.”
We go though a stressful situation throughout the day. As the number of infected people is increasing, our stress level is also going up,” Dr Mishra said.
“I received various scholarships to complete my medical studies and I think this is the right time to pay back to the nation,” she added. She said there were other doctors and frontline health professionals who were also going through a similar phase.
“Twenty-five per cent doctors and health professionals, who are treating COVID-19 patients at Koshi Hospital, are doing their jobs fearlessly right from the beginning, but 75 per cent were a little scared in the beginning. Now they too have overcome their fear,” she said.
Koshi Hospital is the only hospital where 31 COVID-19 patients, the largest number so far, are undergoing treatment and the condition of all the patients is normal. “Koshi Hospital is the only hospital that never closed other health services during the lockdown, though some doctors and health professionals had opposed the decision initially,” she added.
“Our emergency wards were overwhelmed when we closed the OPD. Semi-emergency patients also started visiting emergency wards and that also increased the risk of COVID-19 infection. When a patient walks for two hours to reach the hospital during the lockdown, it is evident that s/ he is in need of medical aid,” she said and added that all the patients who visited government hospitals were the poor and therefore she decided to run all departments of the hospital during the lockdown.
Dr Mishra said her hospital was well-placed to provide service to around 70 people but if the number of cases increase, other options should be considered. As of today, 490 samples have already been tested at Koshi Hospital with polymerase chain reaction method.
“We have been working 15 to 16 hours a day since the surge in COVID-19 cases. We all are stressed and worried, but still standing in the frontline of this battle against the virus undeterred,” she added. Dr Mishra said the biggest problem was limited human resources. “Since we have to work with less human resources, it is more important to boost the morale of health workers,” she added.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 30, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
KATHMANDU: Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has passed away at the age of 67. His brother Randhir Kapoor confirmed the news to Hindustan Times.
After a two-year-long battle with cancer, Kapoor breathed his last at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. His wife and actor Neetu Kapoor was by his side.
Randhir was quoted in Hindustan Times as saying that his brother was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday morning after his health deteriorated.
Many celebrities from Bollywood took to Twitter and other social media forums to express their shock and condolences on the demise of the third generation star from the legendary Kapoor family.
T 3517 – He's GONE .. ! Rishi Kapoor .. gone .. just passed away ..
I am destroyed !
Kapoor who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 had been receiving treatment in New York, USA.
Bollywood fraternity has suffered two losses in two days with Rishi Kapoor’s demise on Thursday, which was preceded by actor Irrfan Khan’s passing away on Wednesday.
He is survived by wife Neetu Kapoor and children Riddhima Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor.
I thought I would be strong enough in a week to ride my mountain bike again to Shantidham snugly tucked away amidst lush woods in the verdant hills of Kavresthali.
The little mishap I had in the last ride prevented me, however, from riding for almost two weeks. Some 50 yards before the holy site, a dog suddenly attacked, and I took a nasty fall. My left elbow and my bruised knee hurt severely from the knock. I made it to the holy site, though.
My long experience has taught me not to attempt far-off remote places alone, and by no account, after dark, a rule of thumb every biker—a beginner or old hand—should follow. I broke the rule that day.
Flashback
On a ride to Kavresthali hills, I was sipping tea at a teashop at Sangla when I overheard a woman talking animatedly to the owner lady, about having seen the holy temple of Badrinath in Shantidham. I could not believe my ears. I had only known the Badrinath Dham located in Uttarakhand, India. “It is just four kilometres away from here,” she said. I could not wait to hop onto my saddle. Although a little late in the afternoon, I rode off, consumed with the thought of seeing the temple for myself.
Some half-hour later, at the arch sign: “Way to Shantidham.” The lady I met had asked me to take a better road one-half kilometre further down. But I kept on as I thought it would save time and be back home before dark. As I pedalled uphill, shortly, I had to get off my bike as the dirt track was too steep and badly washed out by past monsoon rains.
Soon I realised I was the only soul around. The track led uphill into woods with no sign of any habitation. As thick shrubs and the woods started, it suddenly occurred chances of wild animals from the Shivpuri National Park straying into them at dusk were not unlikely.
Sightings of both leopards, and at times black bears, were often reported in fringe areas of the park, including Kavresthali hills. Had it been daytime, not much to worry, but after dark, it was a different story.
In two minds
Shadows lengthened, signalling an approach of dusk. I began to waver, torn between two minds. One told me, to back out, the other kept goading me—no guts, no glory—I should not give up. The dense woods got quieter as I dragged my bike uphill. Birds seemed to end their flurry to slowly turn-in, winding up their dusk chorus.
My restless mind started seeing things in darkened shrubs that looked menacing. The debate between my inner voices continued. Before long, darkness fell, and I switched on my lights. Except for my heavy breathing, and the bike’s dragging sound, the total hush felt spooky. I kept going, weary and edgy, though.
Soon, trees and underbrush seemed to play tricks on my eyes as the beam of light fell upon them. What was that? Did I hear a rustling in the nearby shrub? Perhaps, a leopard lurking in the undergrowth? My imagination ran riot.
Even the faint sound of a stream in the stillness felt too loud. Then a hoot of an owl tore through the silence. I froze. I was near panic when, suddenly, I saw an illumination some 50 yards ahead, on the darkened hill. Phew, hope at last!
Off to Shantidham
I had my old partner, Shayeet, accompany me the second ride to Shantidham. We chose the dirt road I had backtracked on my earlier trip. My elbow and knee still hurt a little despite the fortnight rest.
It barely took us half-hour from our residence at Milan Tole, Tokha Road, to Manmaiju heights. We then took a downhill that led to open fields with stubbles from cut paddy.
As we crossed a sullied stream, a strong stench filled our nostrils from pig and poultry farms spread out along the track. “Ugh, what disgusting smell,” cried out Shayeet.
Thati Chowk
A little later, we met a paved road that headed north. Shortly, we were at Thati Chowk, Pipalbot, Kavresthali. A huge pipal tree (Ficus religiosa) bounded by a Shiva temple stood in the middle of the road. A bit further, we stopped for tea at Sangam Chowk. Tea stalls and shops flanked the street.
After a refreshing cup of buffalo-milk-tea (my favourite) and a breather, we hit a dirt track. The country road ran across farmland with roadside houses. As lush-rolling hills rose in north, terraced fields gradually descended to the sprawling city core.
Every time I rode that route, the wayside seemed to roll up more houses, while trees and foliage receded. The countryside looked all set to make rapid inroads into urban sprawl. It was, though, gratifying to the eyes and the mind to see what little tilled land and lush foliage the countryside still held.
Ten minutes later, the dirt road headed down a slope to a copse of trees and met a fork. The left had an arch-gate that read: Shantidham Entrance, Welcome. The right went to Bihani Chowk. Next followed a gruelling incline.
Gurukul
We stopped by a temple called Shimleswor Mahadev to recover our breath and sip water from our bottle. Next to the shrine, we saw students from a Sanskrit academy, engaged in some game. They seemed curious to share some knowledge about their Gurukul (seminary) with us. Shayeet even had them grouped up for a photograph.
To our great displeasure, the climb did not let up for what seemed a lifetime. We but kept on stoically, both riding and walking our bikes. “Uncle, this uphill must be the toughest we have done together,” 19-year old Shayeet remarked. As I reflected on that, I patted myself on the back and smiled because I was 67 and still going strong.
The road left behind houses and shops and entered the woods. Suddenly, the place appeared familiar as I spotted the fork. Then it flashed on my mind the road that went down I had come last time.
Shortly, I noticed the house where the dog attacked me on my previous ride, and I crashed. I told Shayeet to be on guard as it might rush at us. To our great relief, there was no sign of the dog. Ten minutes later, we made it to Shantidham.
Shantidham
I had looked upon the internet the photographs of Badrinath Temple, located in Uttarakhand, India before we started. The temple was indeed a commendable work at replicating the authentic edifice from India.
As I looked closely, I noticed the temple building at Shantidham had red-tiled roof, whereas the picture on the internet showed Badrinath Temple from India with a gilded roof. Other disparities on the façade appeared insignificant.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Image: Neilsatyam
Shantidham, however, included additional structures like the tall column that held on top idols of different deities. An annex provided living quarters for priests and the Swamiji, the founder of the holy establishment.
I noticed a raised pulpit in the forecourt for religious recitations from the Swamiji. The striking feature, as the name Shantidham suggested, was the tranquil surroundings bounded by tall mix trees including pine, and shrub jungle. As lush wooded hills rose in the northwest, the elevation afforded a view of distant mountains and the Kathmandu Valley.
An inscription on the column in the forecourt read, “Inaugurated in 2074 BS by the President, Mrs Bidya Devi Bhandari.” One of the pillars of the annex building caught my attention. It held a display-board that included names of financial donors to the establishment; some amounts crossed six figures.
Shortly, Shayeet and I entered the temple building to pay our homage. The main gate opened to a courtyard with verandahs on three sides. A red-tile three-tier pagoda-style tall minaret stood in the middle. Idols of Jaya-Vijaya, the dwarpalakas (gatekeepers) to Lord Vishnu, flanked the doorway.
The main chamber housed a black granite idol of Lord Vishnu, festooned with ornate gold necklaces. I noticed one of them included a pendant shaped into an ‘Om’ symbol. An automated dholak (drum) used during the arati ritual sat at one corner.
As an intricate silver shade hung over the idol of Lord Vishnu, a gilded halo surrounded the bust. Lord Vishnu donned a jewelled crown holding a Sudarshan Chakra (a spinning disc used by the god as weapons) with the index finger of his right hand and a conch by his left.
Going by Hindu theology, Gods Rama and Krishna are considered the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is also said to be part of the Hindu Trimurti (a triad of three gods), or the sacred ‘Hindu Trinity’ as Brahma, the Creator; Shiva, the Destroyer; and Vishnu, the Preserver. Photography inside the chamber was not allowed.
Swamiji
As I missed out on my last visit meeting the principal founder of Shantidham, Swamiji, Shri Chaturbhujacharya Chundamani Maharaji, I could not wait to see him. I hastened to ask the priest, Kumar Acharya, to arrange an audience with Swamiji. Kumarji not only informed me the Swami was available but also obliged by arranging the meeting.
We did not have to wait long. In less than 10 minutes, a bearded man dressed in a saffron dhoti, a kameez, and a shawl, wrapped around his shoulder, looking in his early 30s, with long flowing locks and a big sandalwood tika on his forehead, appeared; that was Swamiji.
In response to my Namaste, he smiled back with folded hands and motioned us to the raised dais built for pravachans or preachings from Swamiji, and seated himself before a small desk. Before I could put a question, Swamiji broke into a chant and recited a Sanskrit shloka (verse). I waited patiently.
To my question what inspired him to set upon the formidable task of building the holy temple of Badrinath in Shantidham, the Swamiji appeared very composed: “During my stay in India, I came across many Nepali pilgrims travelling to Chardham, namely: Rameswaram, Jagannath Puri, Dwarka, and the Badrinath. Most of them included elderly people.”
“For them,” Swamiji continued, “Travelling hundreds of miles in India was extremely demanding. First, it involved a lot of expenses, not everyone could afford it; and secondly, travelling long distances by buses and trains in India for the Nepalis was arduous and hectic. A lot of people fell ill, especially the elderly.”
After a little pause, Swamiji added, “So, it just struck me if the Nepali devotees could pay their homage to those four holy places right here in Nepal, it would save them all the hassle, time and money.”
“With the blessings and divine favour of God and the support of the devotees, we have at this stage completed the first project, the Badrinath Temple. The future will have the rest of three dhams, too,” concluded Swamiji reciting a shloka.
Later, Swamiji shared with me his early days at Varanasi, India, where he studied Sanskrit and completed his Vidyavaridhi (PhD). He also taught at different Sanskrit colleges in India. He travelled extensively to a great many holy places in India before venturing out on this mission single-mindedly.
As Swamiji left the rostrum, I could not help admire his staunch dedication to embark upon the ambitious task for the cause of the Nepali devotees. He sounded confident and determined.
In hindsight
As we left, it crossed my mind, maybe, I had not have made the second visit to Shantidham if I had backed off that day, or perhaps I mused amusingly, become a perfect dinner for the leopard lurking behind the shrubs. I kept wondering our way back home what drove me to it against my better judgment.
How to go?
First, go to Balaju Bypass (Machha Pokhari) and head for Nepaltar. At Nepaltar, after crossing a bridge close to an army barrack, take a left turn and head for Jarankhu. The road goes along the Sheshmati River (Mahadev Khola). After Jarankhu, go towards Sangam Chowk. After half a kilometre from Sangam Chowk towards Bihani Chowk, you will see an arch-gate to your left with a sign that reads Shantidham. Just follow the road. The distance to the Dham is three kilometres from Sangam Chowk.
Kathmandu, 1 May: Nepal Communist Party (NCP)’s senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, discarding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s offer for becoming the third chairman of the party, has demanded resignation of Oli from the posts of the PM and party chairman.
