[Editor’s note]

Nepal has seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases upon March; the number remains high yet today. Pradip Pariyar, Executive Chairperson of Samata Foundation, states that government response to the second wave was lacking in several ways to effectively combat against the situation. The passage of undemocratic bills during the pandemic is reflective of government attempts to exploit democracy. Corruption is prevalent in the society as suggested by the survey data used in this article. Furthermore, dire economic conditions have exacerbated the situation via higher unemployment rates and bankruptcy. On top of that, a shortage in medical resources available to rectify the situation remains a key challenge. To this end, the author reinforces the importance of apt governance measures, economic compensation to the heavily affected and marginalized groups, and stronger medical infrastructure in combating national crises as such.

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

Introduction

South Asia has turned into the epicenter of the second wave of COVID-19 as most countries in the region, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have been badly infected by the coronavirus. The situation is getting more flared up as each day passes. Of late, the situation in Nepal is gradually becoming alarming as two out of five people are being tested positive. [1]

Nepal hardly witnessed any impact during the second wave of COVID-19 until the first week of March this year. The number of new cases was merely 89 with one death on March 8. Ever since then, the situation has rapidly been turning to the worse. With a population of nearly 30 million, infections caused by this pandemic soared up to over 9,000 each day. Calculations show that the total infections were probably closer to 120,000 by the end of May, and there were more than 700 COVID-19 related deaths nationwide. [2]

The political situation of Nepal took a dramatic turn with the drastic developments in alliances and interest groups. Utilizing various articles from the constitution, the House of Representatives was dissolved for the second time in 4 months while the opposition alliance knocked on the door of the Supreme Court. The verdict is due very soon. The availability of vaccines is uncertain amid the efforts of the Prime Minister to buy popularity and voter sympathy.

Though commitments were made by various countries like the USA and China, the quantity of the vaccines still falls short to vaccinate the vast majority until the election dates.

Shrinking Civic Space and Democratic Condition

The government reinforcement of the 'One Door Policy' in April 2019 is still in place. This policy requires interested individuals and NGOs/ INGOs to channel their supplies through the government. [3] As the decisions are still enacted, donors have to undergo bureaucratic hurdles and legal formalities that delay aid delivery. (Foundation 2020). ■

[1] Hari Bansh Jha, “Second Wave of COVID-19 Getting out of Control in Nepal,” ORF, accessed June 20, 2021, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/second-wave-of-covid-19-getting-out-of-control-in-nepal/.

[2] Kaustubh Dhital, “Nepal Covid-19 Impact Worse than Official Figures,” Nepali Times, May 30, 2021, https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-impact-worse-than-official-figures/.

[3] “Govt Adopts One-Door Policy for Relief Distribution,” The Kathmandu Post (The Kathmandu Post), accessed June 20, 2021, https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2017/08/15/govt-adopts-one-door-policy-for-relief-distribution.

■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 conflictsensitive 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 social offended country people have invigorated his dream fuelled by the unholy dogma of casteism. He dreams of just Nepal; a cohesive society where an individual‟s potential, competence, edification and hard slo define a person rather than his/her status.

• Typeset by Junghye Suh, Research Associate
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