Editor’s note

While all, if not most, countries have experienced severe repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries have taken it harder than others. Nepal is no exception. Pradip Pariyar, Executive Chairperson of Samata Foundation, states that Nepal’s management of COVID-19 could have been enhanced if proper policies were implemented and safety protocols were monitored. The author claims that Nepal increasingly appears to be governed based on exclusion and intolerance, given the disproportionate provision of COVID-19 relief materials and other discriminatory measures. Additionally, low-income groups such as construction workers, daily waged factory workers, small shop owners, and street vendors have been hit harder than others. Dissatisfaction and loss of faith in the government prevail among the Nepali people who have been socio-economically impacted by inadequate government response. Not to mention, the author adds that insufficient research laboratories and medical personnel have exacerbated the containment of pandemic-related issues. With no concrete measures yet to fight against the national emergency, Pradip Pariyar posits that the government should prohibit mass gatherings, enforce safety protocols, and compensate vulnerable communities and frontline medical personnel.

※ The following are excerpts from the article. For the full text, please check the attached file at the top of this page.

Introduction[1]

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected countries all around the world. Some countries like China, New Zealand, and Denmark have persevered well through the pandemic whereas many big countries including the USA, UK, India, and Brazil are continuing to struggle to overcome it. In countries like North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal the government has taken stringent steps to battle the pandemic, and the public has fully supported the measures taken by the state. From the cases of countries like the USA and the UK, it is evident that government effort cannot mitigate the effects of the pandemic; the role of public support is equally imperative.

During the peak state of the pandemic, when neighboring giants like China and India were developing vaccines for mass inoculation, Nepal was dealing with an internal feud among politicians. The first case in Nepal, confirmed only on January 23, 2020, was a 31-year-old student who had returned to Kathmandu from Wuhan on the 9th of January. As of January 21, 2021, the total infected cases amounted to 268,310, and the fatality from the virus was recorded to be 1,975 people. This number could have been largely controlled if proper policies were implemented and safety protocols were monitored. The Nepal government started losing its credibility as it failed to implement measures effectively, compensate victims, and got involved in power politics and corruption. Nepal has faced many issues on governance that have led to the current vulnerable state of Nepal that is unable to control the pandemic. ■

• Pradip Pariyar is Executive Chairperson of Samata Foundation. Mr. Pradip Pariyar is an alumnus of American University and Tribhuvan University. He specializes in youth empowerment, peace building and capacity building of media professionals. As the elected president of the Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON), he worked closely with government of Nepal to initiate a youth-responsive budget. He was a member of the government task force that developed Youth Vision 2025: a 10-year national youth development policy. He has trained thousands of youths globally on leadership, peace building, and conflict-sensitive journalism. He founded the Nepal Youth Forum to focus on policy advocacy, awareness, and youth empowerment. In 2011, Mr. Pariyar was selected as a youth fellow by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He received ‘Asia’s 21 Young Leaders Award’ in 2018 by Asia Society. Mr. Pariyar also serves as the chairperson of the Nepal Policy Center, a youth-led think tank. In 2015, he received the Youth Leadership Award from the Nepali Government’s Ministry of Youth and Sports for his decade-long contribution to youth leadership development across Nepal. Traveling throughout the length and breadth of Nepal, Mr. Pariyar witnessed diverse cultures and had encounters with his socially offended country people have invigorated his dream fuelled by the unholy dogma of casteism. He dreams of a just Nepal; a cohesive society where an individual’s potential, competence, edification and hard slog define a person rather than his/her status.
   

• Typeset by Jinkyung Baek, Director of the Research Department
  For inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 209) I j.baek@eai.or.kr