The lockdown introduced by the Government from March 24 throughout the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19 brought with it several challenges including increasing discord between citizens and police enforcing the lockdown, stranded migrant workers, and often vigilantism from locals in different places. While the people seemed to comply with the lockdown restrictions for the first few days, people got increasingly frustrated as they ran out of the patience and resources. This led to the large exodus of the migrant workers from the capital city—some completed the entire journey by walk while the others hopped into the trucks mid-way. Some local governments and the leaders entered the scene late to help the students, migrant workers, and others reach their local levels but only at the central government’s back. Similarly, the immigrants stranded at India’s border had to wait for weeks before the government finally let them in. The pleas of many stranded Nepalese abroad remain unaddressed as they watch the other foreign government pick up their citizens into their respective countries. The lack of promptness to rescue the stranded people left many Nepalese citizens who need urgent support in limbo.
Many internal migrants, now, have returned to their villages after losing their jobs in the capital and other cities. With no social security in place, the only avenue for the next meal is the relief package from the local government for most of the returnee and the local daily wage earners. However, the arbitrary nature of relief distribution in the absence of reliable data on the economically vulnerable group has left many into doubting whether the people who most need the relief are the ones getting it. The perceived partiality in relief distribution caused people to protest even at the times of lockdown. Some people have gone as far as to assault the local representatives and to vandalize the office of the local level, venting their frustrations over the poor quality of relief material and irregularities in procurement and distribution of the same. The incidents of this nature relating to relief distribution were widespread across the country. NepalMonitor has recorded 63 incidents of latent protests or violence relating to the relief distribution during the lockdown until May 31. This problem stems from the lack of reliable data on the number of poor and vulnerable people. In light of these incidents, it seems necessary for the local level and non-governmental organizations to focus on data-driven projects to drive evidence-based response in the future.
Besides relief-related violence and contestations, there have been several other violent incidents while imposing the lockdown or maintaining quarantine. Police have assaulted the citizens for breaking the lockdown—some cases being merciless one-sided assaults, while others turning into a clash. It is not only the police force that has been the first aggressor, but the citizens in many cases have initiated the attack against the police or armed police personnel. For example, the team of ward chairperson of Gujara Municipality-4, Rautahat, on May 29, resorted to attacking and pelting stones at the police team that came to resolve the dispute of quarantine management. From Jhapa to Kailai, the Armed Police Force (APF) guarding the southern border with India has been the target of agitated people across the border. The narrative that the law-enforcing agents are only to blame for the discord has to change. On top of that, we need to pay respect, where it is due, to the personnel working in the frontline against covid-19, be that a policeman or a health professional.
In some places, the locals have created a hurdle in setting up the quarantine, fearing the spread of the virus in their locality. For instance, on May 29, some teachers and the locals of Jajarkot tore down the building of Shree Krishna Primary School at Bheri Municipality-6, Jajarkot showing their dissatisfaction over the decision to turn the nearby school into a quarantine venue to house those returning from India. In other cases, there have been incidents of discrimination against the quarantine attendees. The ward chairperson of Bhanu Municipality-2, Tanahu expelled the man, who came from Kathmandu, at the midnight of May 20, claiming that he might be infected with the coronavirus. There also has been the incident of discrimination against the Dalits in the quarantine, an example being in Isma, Gulmi.
These are just the representative examples of hurdles of setting up quarantine, enforcing lockdown, and properly managing quarantines. Now that the government prepares to bring thousands of Nepalese abroad into the country, the number of people in isolation and quarantine is likely going to increase. As such, the government and the local levels need prudent planning and swift and impartial execution. Most of all, the situation warrants logical cooperation from all of us in this fight against the global pandemic.
Statistics are based on the NepalMonitor.org, which is the flagship violence monitoring project of COCAP which has a comprehensive record of
violent incidents, political incidents, and non-violent contestations since 2015. The organization is also currently monitoring the violent and latent
incidents surrounding lockdown implementation, quarantine implementation, government relief distribution, and the incidents of discrimination
and prejudices during Covid-19 pandemic.
Opinions expressed are that of the author and not that of the organization.
