INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, June 20
Hundreds of people joined a youth-led apolitical and ‘leader-less& protest here in the capital today once again
expressing their dissatisfaction against governmentinability to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youths pretend to lay dead on the street
during a symbolic protest against the incompetence displayed by the government in dealing with coronavirus crisis, in Kathmandu, on
Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT
Around 200 youths gathered today at Sahid Gate area
The protestors tried to symbolically show suffering of people due to the government-imposed lockdown, which has paralysed all kind of
economic activities.
Daily wager earners and the impoverished people have been hit hard by the lockdown imposed since March 24.
The
protestors have demanded increase in polymerase chain reaction tests while scraping rapid diagnostic tests.
They have also urged the
government to effectively conduct contact tracing
Namita Pokheral, 26, an agitator told THT over phone, &We are getting news about women being raped at quarantine facilities and Dalits being
Quarantine facilities across countries have started turning into the virus hotspots
The government should handle the situation more effectively rather than making light comments on the situation triggered by the
pandemic.&
Protestors also largely criticised the prime ministerrecent remark on the COV- ID-19 crisis that the COV- ID-19 can be defeated
by taking turmeric powder, garlic and other household herbs with hot water.
Participants of todayprotest impersonated the dead as they laid
down on the footpath near Shahid Gate; some painted their faces with redink while some others smeared turmeric powder on their faces
An agitator said they impersonated the dead in a bid to show the government how people were dying due to the COVID-19.
Youths have been
spontaneously joining sporadic protests that are being seen in and around various places of Kathmandu valley and some city areas across the
country since the first protest of June 9.
These youths, who got connected with each other through some social activists on social media and
hashtag campaigns, have been demanding transparency in expenditure of government in its battle against the virus and effective handling of
the virus.
They said the government lacked urgency, transparency and accountability concerning COVID-19 management.
A version of this
article appears in e-paper on June 21, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
The post Youths take to street against poor handling of COVID-19 yet
again appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
