#nepalweeping
I was praying in the Durbar Square. I was among the many tourists who visited the famous Heritage Site to offer their prayers from various countries around the
world. I bent my head in obeisance to Him.
Just then, I felt the ground tremble. A distant rumbling was heard. Before I
could gather my wits about me, I saw the walls next to me fall like a pack of
cards. The next thing I knew everyone made a run for the door. I was among the unlucky ones who were trapped in the
debris. Several hours of ordeal later, I was saved by a foreign rescue team.
Nepal was hit
recently by what seismologists call ‘The Great Himalayan Quake’.
Many seisomologists had been anticipating a huge earthquake in the region,
thanks to plate tectonics.
The mountain country
was hit on 25 April with an earthquake of 7.8 on
the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was 34 km near the city
of Lamjung in Nepal. The hypocenter was 15
km (or 9.3 miles) beneath the surface.
Facts apart, the
earthquake led to many people losing their lives. Many were injured severely.
Thousands and thousands of people lost their lives. Many others were
maimed. Even as you read this article, rescue workers are toiling hard to
save many lives. They are pulling out bodies and sending them to
hospitals - or as in a few unfortunate cases: to the crematorium. Occasionally
we hear these wonder stories. A 101 year old pulled out from
rubble and as recently, a baby boy only a few months old.
 |
| Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal |
India Inc. was the first to react to the earthquake thanks to the
efficient Modi Government. Operation Maitri by India helped
pull out many bodies and saved several many.
The physiological
damage due to the quake is incredible. Nepal would now take years,
perhaps decades to stand on its feet again. It is overwhelming when you see others
reach out to you in times of crisis.
But sadly, no one can
compensate the emotional loss you felt. No one can bring your
loved ones alive. No amount of compensation can ever be considered ‘enough’.
Many lost their sole
breadwinners and would be begging on the streets tomorrow. They lost
their small makeshift shops by the road. Their only
means of livelihood are lost. They have big question marks on their
future. They do not know what to do. They lost their means to earn two
rotis a day.
Many people were
stranded. They do not know their loved ones are alive or not.
Some wait in
their home countries, hands joined in prayer for their
father, brother, mother or sister to return. Many foreign nationals lost
their lives. They had come to see Nepal. They will be seeing Heaven now.
They will never be able to return back. Many families even stopped seeing News Channels as it
only added salt to their wounds.
Many children were
orphaned. They have no one to take care of them.
So even when Nepal is
rehabilated, which will take years; it will have a long mission ahead of
it. It will have to take care of all those who lost their loved ones. Or their
means of livelihood. Perhaps their houses.
Many of the heritage
sites in Kathmandu crumpled to dust. Although for some it
doesn’t mean anything, Nepal will have a tough job ahead of it. It will have to
rebuild all its sites of interest. Also it will have to garner foreign
exchange. It already has a very fragile economy. The earthquake has only added
to its long list of problems.
Truly, the list of
problems encountered by the Nepalese due to the Earthquake is immense. We
should do our best to help them in all ways we can.
