Namrata Sharma

Every year, as Navaratri nears people in Nepal, no matter which religion they follow, start preparing for the Dashain festival. The nine days of Navaratri focusses on worshipping the Shakti or power of Goddess Durga, which is a manifestation of the victory of good over evil.

Religious connotation
In Nepal, the Navaratri celebration ends after the relatives visit their elders to get their blessings and when the elders put tika on their foreheads and jamara on their heads for long life and wellbeing. The Dashain festival itself has a religious connotation but it will not be an exaggeration to state that it also gives an opportunity for family members to meet at least once a year and take stock of what is going on in their lives. Many a times, Dashain is also the opportunity to patch up any bad feelings among family members. This is also a time for most of the Nepali homes to prepare goodies to offer when people visit them.
As families are slowly moving from the joint family system to nuclear ones for whatever reasons, the festivals like Dashain are opportunities for people to come together and enjoy and share each other’s good and bad moments during the year. It is also a moment for migrant Nepali workers and students to return to their parents who eagerly wait for their arrivals. Many elderly couples, especially in Kathmandu, have children who have migrated mainly to the Western countries. Dashain usually brings back the children to their parents for at least a few days. This brings back smiles to the elderlies at home.
However, this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scenario has completely changed. Instead of preparing goodies for the family gatherings, most children are advising their parents and elders not to tell their junior family members to visit them for the Dashain tika. The elderlies have started doing just that, but with a heavy heart. So instead of preparing for the celebrations, families are coming to terms with the risks of the coronavirus and have developed a mindset of limiting gatherings to a minimum and stay safe within their immediate families.
As of writing this article, the total infected cases in Nepal is 111,802, recovered cases are 77,277 and deaths due to COVID 19 are 645. Among these cases, the maximum rate of increase is in the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu has a total of 35,594 cases, Lalitpur 4,926 and Bhaktapur 3,552. Although the whole country is generally at risk, the Kathmandu Valley has become a hotbed for the spread of the virus.
The government is bringing out notices and spreading word of caution but the coronavirus cases have increased. All the hospitals in Kathmandu are encouraged to become COVID-19 hospitals. However, due to a lack of facilities, many hospitals are actually referring their patients to stay at home quarantine or isolation rather than getting treated in the hospitals. Thus, the concept of ‘Housepitals’ is now gaining ground in the Kathmandu Valley. People who have plenty of space for home quarantine do not have any problem, but what about those who are living in cramped quarters? They are now taking refuse at hotels where one needs to pay for the services. There are hospitals that cater to their patients who are quarantined in their own homes or in hotels. Needless to say, these services are expensive and very few Nepali people can afford them. During quarantined periods in ‘Housepitals’ who can guarantee that all family members get equal treatment?
The Purusottam Month has pushed Dashain celebration by a month, which has never happened before in my lifetime. This is an indication that the Gods and nature are postponing large religious gatherings that is associated with Dashain, Tihar, Chath and other seasonal celebrations. Now it is for the people who celebrate these festivals to take the cue from nature and celebrate festivals within their own households and avoid gatherings so that next year the celebrations can be done in the usual manner.
It is useful to remember that after the last lockdown was lifted, a surge of economic activities and travel within the country increased rapidly. Dashain shopping commenced too! The rise of the cases and deaths indicates that these activities have actually demonstrated that gatherings do result in increase in coronavirus cases. With a lack of medical facilities and resources to cope with this pandemic, it is now very important to make sure that each of us does not get infected and also that we do not infect others.
It can be seen that people find it very difficult to maintain social distancing for a long time and that the careless attitude towards it has risked them and their contacts with coronavirus infections. This could also be due to the loneliness, and anxiety many could be facing because of this unpleasant situation.

Situation analysis
I agree that lockdown imposes a lot of restrictions on one and, especially those who are daily wage earners. In the past, the government imposed lockdown several times in several places to curb the rise of the coronavirus cases. Although it might not have succeeded in doing so, now is the time to be critical in analysing the situation and imposing at least a partial lockdown to stop people from gathering but allowing the daily wage earners to go about their business by taking safety measures.
In this Navaratri festival, let us all get Shakti to avoid gatherings and brace ourselves for spiritualism and enjoyment within the immediate family circle with social distancing and wearing of masks, but without visiting homes.

(Namrata Sharma is a senior journalist and women rights activist and can be reached at namrata1964@yahoo.com Twitter handle: NamrataSharmaP)