Animal Instinct

"Do you hear the crow is crowing  ? now there will be another shake." "Do you hear that dog is barking ? this is a warning call.” Like me you must have heard it many times in last couple of weeks than ever before. I am hearing it, and sure it's not easy especially; when all of us are staying under the open sky and so worried; trying to figure out, what what is going on and what will happen next. Many around me, well they were college students, were screaming with every shake under our feet. And when it's not shaking all eyes and ears were over the head and on the sound of dog to take it as a clue for next shake. They observed, because, they have heard their elders saying it, 'they know about earthquake before us'. Let's agree, they know it better than us but how much their animal senses, will help us ?

It is said that the animals do have instinct to sense the earthquake before humans. We have read that even snake come out from its hibernation and goes to safe place long before the mega shake hits the earth. Mouse, dog, birds of many kind and elephants can sense it before high tech machines would alarm us. When you were running out of your shaky and wobbly home on April 25 at around 12, how many of you saw crow crowing or dog barking ? cat or mouse leaving houses ? Where as, I see all the people around me running to find safe place to save their lives. When we stopped they were shaking like a leaf and sharing the experience that they thought today all of us die.

We all know dog bark all the time, so crow crows all the time, yet I have to come across one single person who, was saved by the dog bark or crow's crow from mega earthquake. Lets believe they know it, before us, but, that knowledge is for themselves not for us.

Let's suppose, we keep taking clues from dog or crow, then, imagine what will happen next. we will find yourself running after the crow, when we wake up in the morning or when we are in the toilet, or taking shower or about to eat our meal. it could be anything you name it. If we run after the crow where will we find ourselves safe ?  They can fly up in the sky but wherever we run, we are going to find our feets firmly fitted on the shaky earth. Another truth is, we can't run like dog all the time. What was hard to believe was well educated people around me were also taking clues from them and prepare to run. Now, the geologists from US, Australia, Canada, France  have already predicted that there will be more aftershocks or even bigger than the first jolts which may go over a  month or some extend the time limit over six month or a year. Then, why do we need to take clues from dog or crow, with every shake ?

Therefore, I now have my serious doubt to follow their senses, during the mega jot or aftershocks that might save us. As we are experiencing series of major and minor shakes after the April 25th and then may 12th mega shake, I have also paid attention towards the, sound of dog bark and crow crowing. It keep going all the time, before, during and after the shake. We can also get it like this, because they are more sensitive than us, so they might have alarmed us about the shake that is less than four magnitude hit which we normally do not feel but perhaps they do. This way, if we entirely believe their instinct and try to take the clues, then we might run after the crow or dog almost every time we hear the sound of crow or a dog.

Then the question is, how much we  should listen to dog and crow when they were not helpful to warn us at the first big shake or its intensity  ? If they really could alarm us about the next shake why thousands of people died ? Why no one could save themselves from the first shake and then second and then the third blow ? Should not their sense be saving humans, if they can sense about the earthquake long before humans ?  I am thinking when they can not communicate to us in a clear language what is the use of all that knowledge and instinct ? Now, when I hear crow crowing my mind ask me a question, is it telling us about the another shake or its usual habit of crows crowing, which we hear all the time ? Can we run after crow all the time ?

Likewise when dog barks should we be alarmed that there will be another earthquake ? I think this knowledge of dog and birds sensing the earthquake is not good to common people, especially to those who have little knowledge about earthquake. Sadly, I have seen all this, during this mega shake time and most of them were not just educated but they were the students of MBA and BBA. They were more panicked with each sound of crow or bark.

It seems we can't refute this logic that animals have better sense than us because, they sure do, but what is the use of it, if it is not going to save one life ? We can't run after the crow fearing another disaster. Crow in its fear can fly high in the sky but however scared we are we can't fly up in the sky as our feet will be firmly fitted on ground. If animal instinct could be helpful, we don't need any help from science, human expertise and high tech instruments which can warn us about the next disaster. They sure can sense it, before us but now we know it it did not come handy before the disaster  nor it could save a single life. Now, it depends on us how much we can trust their instinct and take a clue from them.

A crippling loss of dignity

The window of opportunity to provide vital relief to people in Nepal affected by the earthquakes is closing quickly, as urgent funding requirements remain unmet. To date, barely US$ 59.5 million, or 14 per cent, was received against the $423 million humanitarian appeal, launched by the United Nations and partners on 29 April. “If we don’t act quickly, the implications will be severe,” Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal said “We can only expect misery, a crippling loss of dignity and the real potential for more deaths especially in the rural and remote areas.” On May 15 I saw this post by UN, Nepal on its Facebook page

According to an international agency about 10 billion worth has been lost and now the death toll has surpassed more than 8,500. In the beginning week we watched news coming from all over the world and donation pouring in, as people have opened their hearts and given generously. at this very moment, there are people who are talking about some huge fund raise campaign in foreign lands and at the same time sharing links about the salary of charity organizations CEO being higher than the salary of James Cameron, British Prime minister.

How much raised in the name of Nepal to rebuild and reconstruct is one thing, but the truth is here people are sleeping under tents at night and many government offices are being run under tents during days. Billions of Rs is needed to rebuild and reconstruct. As 600 thousands houses needs to be rebuild and reconstruct in 13 major hit districts. Among all this there are 20 thousands schools that are waiting to be rebuild and reconstruct. More than that, people are mentally shaken due to thousands of death, devastation and on top of that hundreds of aftershocks. We have never heard of this kind of earthquake before in our life and no where on earth. This double quakes will cost us 50% of our total GDP, this means it will take long time to recover from the shake as well as from aftermaths of aftershocks.

According to the report by Agricultural bank 10 billion worth of agriculture product have been affected. Nepal is already a poor country and most of our budget has always been relied on foreign aid and loan from international banks. No doubt, we are buried deep under huge loan.

More than a dozen countries and INGO have come forward to help Nepal to rebuild and reconstruct. Locally, many organisation have been busy raising funds. In fact every newspaper have a new account to raise funds, every television channels have an account to raise funds. Still the news in Kantipur - according to which total collection locally was 225 million Rs and UN do not give us the good picture of givings. Today [May 20, 2015], I read in the editorial of Himalayan times, “The government should provide, free of cost, a number of models suiting various sizes of pockets and families in each VDC and municipalities  that the victims homes to be built on free of cost by the government.” Our government have tremendous pressure to meet the needs of earthquake victims to provide immediate roof for those who have became homeless and those who needs to be moved in temporary shelter before the rainy season starts. Everyone who became homeless will be shifted to the new home with the money raised by many other nations and given to our government to manage the immediate needs. Sure, Nepal is a poor country and  already under heavy loan; at the same time, we can not tell the quake victims to pay for the house none of them are prepared to build soon.

We saw that mega earthquake devastated the entire nations pushing it further backward, as a developing nation. At the same time people across the world are opening their hearts and wallet to give this country to make sure that we get enough at time like this. It is not just foreigners who are helping and giving us. The impact of generous giving and more such stories of generous people moved  our mass so much they came forward to join hands for each other to help. So, Nepali across the nation as well as world came forward to join hands to help each other with donation or volunteer work. At a time like this, we must realize, it's time to merge in few big groups rather than remain in small groups or in umbrella to make it better for tomorrow. Small fund collectors must join hands with those who are raising higher than them and those who are raising more than a million must join hands with those who have been raising more than 10 millions and more. Working in small individual cluster only make Nepal again the picture of poverty.

Merging every small cluster of helping hands with bigger companies is a must because, we should not forget to revise our small thinking first, before we actually take action to build physical infrastructure at this very moment. This is also the time we have to find our potential to create money. We should focus more on creative industry like, songwriting, creating music, making movies on new stories and ideas, teleserials, art, music, fashion designing. Creating new stars and new talent is also a must to keep the money rolling. New talents in this industry needs to be encouraged. This will keep rolling the creative industry as there will be need to advertise which is another creative industry, bank should be open to invest in new concept of programs or investment rather than freezing their bulk money in unproductive places like land and home loans. The truth is, love it or hate it without joining hands with government or other nations it's not possible to rebuild and reconstruct in wide sense.

There has to be new kind of food that needs to be introduced in our market made in our rural village using our own raw materials that grows in our land. New taste of pickle that perhaps Indians and Chinese would like to have with every meal. Instead of going really far, we should focus our eyes in our two big neighbors - India and China. Initiation for this should be taken from government level as well as individual businessman should also be encouraged to take the necessary steps. What if, we introduce our orange juice, dried pulp pickles or radish pickle to Indian and Chinese market ? Each country’s mere 10% consumption means, working women in our villages will be flooded with orders, sure big businessman must enter at this to handle the matter better. We should also think of exporting introducing our local specialties food or other products to other nations.

Our land grows plenty of orange and it's the hero of news in its season and Lapsi pulp, titaura or other agro products which can be made with less training and less investment that can find better and bigger market in other nation. What if, we create local market for those products. We also have to introduce products, be it perishable or durable products made in our villages and consumed in city areas. It is high time, whole nation must join hands to rise from the rubble and this should not just be rebuild and reduction of the physical property but we need to start at this very point to seek the opportunity to create job and for that we need better and bigger ideas than before . I am hoping if small fraction of donation money should be used in this line, Nepali people should not have to go through a loss of crippling dignity in future.

Silver Lining

We still have not fully recovered from the damage caused by civil war which ended ten years ago. And then there is this mega earthquake to push us further backward as a poor nation. The recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake shattered the nation in one shake, worse we face another two big hit in less than three weeks. The damage is much bigger than the 10 year people's war that started in 2052. In early phase of earthquake media was full of blame game for government for not acting fast to provide relief materials to the needy and quake victims. As more and more news unfolded from international news channels, we were shocked that the earthquake was much  more serious in its nature than our government could have handled.

It was obvious that it took time for our media to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. The quake was much bigger than to indulge in blame game for government, at least immediately. It was not the conscientious act from any civil person of the society, to entice mass in situation like massive jolt we face that normally happens once in 80 years. Mobilization of 1,30,000 - army, APF and police for rescue team and 30,000 civil service staff for distribution of relief material sure was not sufficient at all, to reach all the 13 major hit districts; where as, this quake has shaken the entire nation in many ways.

As the news of 7.8 magnitude of earthquake broke and made the international headlines, people from all corner of the world started pouring help in all kinds. As a result rescue team, relief materials and help in cash started coming in Nepal.There were so many flights flying to Kathmandu, with relief materials that it got piled up in airport, blocking the air traffics for more relief materials to enter in. It also hampered the regular commercial flights.

When the relief material was blocking the airport traffic, most of our news camera was focusing on people who were saying they have not seen any relief materials yet. The social media was filled with angry comments for inefficient governments for its dilly dally work on distribution of relief materials and tents when the disaster was big enough to shake the entire nation.

However, the hard truth is, this was the time when 80 million people - as estimated by UN - have affected by this shake directly and indirectly. How many places government alone could mobilise its limited resources and relief material ? There are dozens of INGOs who has been working on ground level as there were almost three dozens countries which were sending relief materials. Any amount of help seemed too small and insufficient compared to the loss this country has gone through. International agencies have estimated that this earthquake - April 25th - damaged more than 10 billion worth of infrastructure.

Like many, my eyes were glued to television sets and pages of newspapers. Many times, those news made me really wonder why our cameras were focusing only on those people who were saying they were yet to get relief material. Where as many INGOs, were on duty from the day one and why their good work was not reported ? Why they were keeping their good humanitarian work from our media people ?

Seeing the sorry state of quake victims many youth bought water and instant noodles and went on to distribute it in the near by areas. Many of them posted it on their social networking site. Some resented the publicity stunt but for good; those small giving is slowing started snowballing overnight and more youth came forward to help each other with less money but more determination to take the responsibility in their in hand and heart.

Slowly, media started reporting about the good hearted people who came forward to help Nepal. Media also reported about the the government side of the story and why they were not able to act fast. That helped us understand that it was the kind of big disaster even our government was not prepared to handle. When people learned about it they realized - my presumptions as they changed the tone in later days -  that they were too fast on criticizing government for its inefficiencies. Politicians admitted in front of camera they were not prepared for such massive hit and damage. Now, the news channels started giving us more good report than criticizing or blaming government for such powerful natural calamities. They shifted their news to people who came forward to help each other. It could be because the international news agencies and people have started pouring their hearts out to give cash and kind, rather than waste time blaming anyone for such unexpected natural disaster. Truth be told, the armies were on the rescue work almost immediately and they sure are part of the government.

More news came, news of good samaritans from the world. UN announced 15 million instantly. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted on his wall, it has raised 15 million in just over a week of earthquake. His company donated 2 million dollar. British activist Joanna Lumley teamed up with 13 UK agencies to raise fund  using a Television channel. This team raised close to 3 billion Rs in just a day. US government announced 11 million. However, the government is saying, they really have not received the pledged money yet.

More donation poured in from Nepali living across the world. Now, the situation have become so much so that, every news channel and dailies starting coming forward with their own bank account to collect fund for relief work. Then more Nepali came forward spontaneously to help each other. NRN, Mr Upendra Mahoto announced 15 corod for earthquake victim 3 corod for relief material and 12 corod for reconstruction of nation.. Then Shesh Ghale, and Binod Chaudhary came come with plan to build home for those who have became homeless.Then as if by force unseen to the human eyes, NRN ex president Jibanath Lamichane went to Nuwakot with relief materials. Our artist and youth came forward in their own way and suddenly the news camera slowed [not entirely] focusing on those who were waiting for relief materials and tents even after 2 week of quake.

Bibeksheel Nepali, a political organisation’s office pasted a notice on its office gate that read 'this is not Government relief work'. But, they too collected substantial number of relief materials and distributed it to the victims. They were supported by many Nepali here locally and internationally. Like wise Help Nepal a local charity organisation was also raising funds and distributing relief materials to many part of the nation.

In the midst of all this, we also saw the news of quake victims from Khokana. Some 35 people were staying under a tents, cooking and taking care of each others. All of them were living under a tent. They were feed by their friends and neighbour. Then there was news from Budhanilkantha youth who were using bamboos from nearby forest to make temporary shelter without waiting for government aid  to come and help them.

At a time critical time like this, Nepal got a chance to see the side of Nepali across the nation as well as from around the world, which have rarely been seen before this. This tells us the famous saying that there has to be some evil forces [among us], so that we can see the good things happening around us. There is no doubt that seeing and hearing good and bad news at the same time, thousands of Nepali came forward and took spontaneous step to help each other. It seemed  people who came forward to help suffering nation really eased our hyper reactive nature of media who love to hate politicians and blame government for everything. Good hearted peoples good work was enough to wake up government and think seriously about the nation.