April 13, 2020, Kathmandu
Our nation is under a three-week lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. Nepalis have been disregarding the lockdown imposed by the Government and are walking on the streets.
When the question is asked, “Why are Nepalis doing this?”
Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, a psychologist, said it is out of curiosity. This is the first time Nepal has ever set a nationwide lockdown. They want to see how empty the highways look or that there are no people in the otherwise busy streets.
He also pointed out that people tend to feel smart by violating the rules and regulations. The same thing is happening with Nepalis, and the Government imposed lockdown.
According to Budhathoki, “Most of the people boast about how they went out, and the police did not punish them or that the disease didn’t infect them.”
People still have orthodox thinking that nothing wrong will happen to them. They step out of their houses without worrying about their health or the deadly disease that might infect them.
However, there are some instances when people have some compulsions and emergencies. Thus, we cannot fault them who step out amidst the lockdown.