Just when people were starting to get back to their normal lives, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday seems to have reignited the sense of panic that followed the April 25 Great Earthquake. Big earthquakes are indeed dangerous, particularly in countries like Nepal where building codes are openly flouted. And most people are keenly aware of the fact that their homes, built with an eye on costs, aren't safe. So a little panic is justifiable; it is, after all, better to be safe than sorry, especially when the lives of your loved ones are on the line. So we would like to urge all our readers who live in the 14 most affected districts to try, as far as possible, to stay safe. If your homes have big cracks, please stay away. Also, at least for the next few days, it would also be advisable for those who live in upper stories of big apartments to shift. But if you are living in sturdy buildings that don't have big cracks, or have already arranged for makeshift tents, there is no need to panic.As we write this we are also aware that for thousands of people in earthquake hotspots like Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk there simply is no luxury of choosing what to eat and where to stay. There have been reports of landslides in these districts following Tuesday's earthquake, which only adds to their vulnerability. Reportedly, some rescue workers have also been killed Tuesday. Hats-off to these brave souls; and hats-off to the eight million Nepalis who have been affected. After such a catastrophe, many had predicted outright anarchy: there would be rampant thefts and lootings, we were told, as people became selfish and forgot their civic duties. But except for sporadic incidents, civic order has largely been maintained. In fact, people have gone out of their way to help others. Our much-maligned 'self-obsessed' youngsters have, with their schools and colleges closed, been busy collecting relief material and visiting affected regions to distribute them.
Even in makeshift tents that cropped up everywhere in Kathmandu valley after the April 25 earthquake, people were willing to adjust complete strangers; the sick, the elderly and the children got extra attention. This is our unique strength. In recent times so many things seem to divide us: class, caste, cast, region, gender, and any number of other man-made divisions. So the coming together of the whole country in this crisis has been nothing short of remarkable. We will need to keep up this spirit of solidarity in these testing times. We would also like urge the operators of vital businesses—medical shops, petrol stations, small grocery shops—to keep providing their services if it is reasonably safe to do so. And please, do not try to take advantage of the already panicky people by artificially increasing prices of daily commodities and medicines. It's not just unethical, but in the long run, also a terrible business strategy. This is not a crisis that the government or the donors or anyone else will be able to tide over on their own. Each one of us will need to contribute, in whatever way we can. Moments of crisis, it is said, offer the true test of national character. Let us show the whole world we Nepalis are second to none when it comes to our civic duties.
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