Covid report from India and Nepal

 

 Late last week the Global Network sent an email to our mailing list in India and Nepal inquiring about the severity of the Covid situation and asking for information that we could pass on. Below are some early responses from both countries.

 

• The COVID situation in India is at its worst. Every other person is getting affected. Just last night one of our colleague passed away due to COVID and even my son got affected, just battling with the situation. Take care all of you and be safe.

         Thanks
        Aruna Kammila

 

• Thank you so much for your kind concern regarding the impact of Covid19 in Nepal and India. As you know, Nepal has open border with India and any adverse development of the infection in India will have direct bearing on Nepal too.  Many Indian citizens opt to go abroad using Nepal as the departure destination by air. Moreover, the governments in both countries resemble in their character while dealing with public affairs, especially in regard to common or working class people. So they do not give priority to the cause of common people when it directly affects the health condition of these people. It is for these reasons that a very pathetic situation has emerged in both countries. In  Nepal, we are under strict curfew imposed on the people and situation is dire and threatening from all accounts. We are just at the mercy of fate in case if we are forced by the virus to approach the hospitals as they are overwhelmed. The rate of death due to Covid is higher in Nepal in terms of our population which is far less than that of India. I myself am an example of Covid positive but survived anyhow. Only today, over two dozen people died of Covid, and the number of Covid people is on surge in thousands. However,  I would like you not get worried as the efforts are on rise to bring the situation under control. We hope to get triumph over the pandemic with our collective efforts and your best wishes.

         Regards and thanks,
         Dr. Shreedhar Gautam

 

 

 

• Thank you and thank the Global Network for these kind hearts of love and reminiscence to the people of East! It's my pleasure to see the US bureaucracy under the Joe Biden regime for imparting essential aid and supports in India for the pandemic of Covid - 19. The situation of the Covid - 19 patients in Nepal are surging at high speed to the cause of the open border relations between the two neighboring countries - India and Nepal. Even today the cases have reached up to five thousand seven hundred and six in 24 hours in Nepal.

         With best and warm regards, 

          Prabhu Ray Yadav 

          Nepal

 

• It is to inform you that we have large Nepali Migrant workers in India and in New Delhi also. We seek help from you as per your last email. Kindly tell us how you could help Nepali community here in New Delhi. Looking forward to hearing from you.

          Warmest Regards
          Gurubar Singh Thapa

 

• Thanks for your concern. As an Indian politician from the major opposition party, the INC (Indian National Congress), who follows some of your email, I would suggest that you follow the social media outputs of the Indian National Congress Party, starting with @INCIndia on Twitter. Our interim party President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, has also been interviewed by two leading dailies (Indian Express and Hindu), and has made specific suggestions. Our former PM., Dr. Manmohan Singh, had written a letter with specific suggestions to the govt., that would be worth reading as well, and is available online. Our party has set up control rooms/helpline numbers across the nation, the IYC (Indian Youth Congress) is doing some amount of social service in Delhi, and the states in which the INC is in power has chief ministers who have been responding well to the crisis. Happy to be of further help, I'm currently in Gurugram, Haryana, National Capital Region, India. 
  

          Shruti Devi

 

• Thanks Bruce for your care and response of Nepal and Nepali people. There is a lock-down twenty districts of Nepal. Nepal has nothing any own resources regarding Tika, injections or medicines. If any kinds of support available, that will be highly appreciated.
  

With best regard
Satya Narayan Shah
Nepal

~ For more information you can read:   ‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’: Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe

 

~ If you'd like to make a donation, one of our Global Network board members has suggested the following:  Regarding helping India, I have made a contribution to a good organization in India that helps women on the front-lines of the covid crisis there and is related to peace & nonviolence. A Canadian woman is the connection. Go here