SAARC Diary: Concern Expressed Over Pandemic Situation in India
NEW DELHI, Apr 24: A number of SAARC countries including Pakistan and some other neighbours have expressed concern over the rapid surge in the Coronavirus cases in India and expressed solidarity with the country in the hour of crisis.
In a tweet, the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed battling this global challenge facing humanity together. “I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together”.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, had previously expressed his support in a series of tweet messages. “We express our support to the people of India in the wake of the current wave of #COVID19 infections that has hit our region hard. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the affected families in #India”.
“Covid-19 is yet another reminder that humanitarian issues require responses beyond political consideration. Pakistan continues to work with SAARC countries to foster cooperation to tackle the pandemic,” he said.
Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, expressed concern about the growing number of covid-19 cases in Pakistan, saying that if the pattern persists, Pakistan will be forced to impose a lockdown, which goes against Imran Khan’s basic tenet. In a tweet message he stated, “Prime Minister Imran Khan has always opposed the lockdown because the poor and traders are greatly affected by the complete lockdown. But people’s lives are more important to us, so if the situation does not improve in a week, we will have to make tough decisions and think of a complete lockdown”.
He wished India also in a tweet stating, ‘Our prayers are with the citizens of India in this difficult time. May God have mercy on us all and may this difficult time end soon. Amen”.
Tahir Qadri, Afghanistan’s envoy, expressed his concern, saying that India had previously extended a helping hand globally and is now bearing the brunt of the pandemic. In a tweet message he stated, “in this difficult hour of #COVID19 catastrophe, we stand in solidarity with our Indian friends who are combatting the brunt of this pandemic & who earlier extended their helping hands globally with critical drugs & vaccine diplomacy. May you all get over this phase soon!”
Tandi Dorji, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister, expressed his concern in a tweet, saying, “Our deepest prayers and complete solidarity to the government and people of India in this most difficult period of the pandemic. Praying and hoping for quick relief and recovery.”
Singapore has also contributed by sending four oxygen cylinders to India. Singapore’s diplomatic mission in India stated in a tweet, “We stand with India in its fight against Covid-19. Through a bilateral and multi-agency effort, an @IAF_MCC transport plane picked up 4 cryogenic oxygen containers at @ChangiAirport in Singapore this morning.”
NEPAL:
Karun Bansal, First Secretary (DP&R) of the Embassy of India in Nepal, virtually inaugurated newly constructed buildings of Shree Rambha Higher Secondary School, Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School, and Shree Nava Adarsha Multiple Campus, built with India’s financial assistance of NRs. 98.37 Million under ‘Nepal-Bharat Development Cooperation.’
According to the Indian High Commission in Kathmandu, Shree Rambha Higher Secondary School, which was established in 1952 as a secondary school and was later upgraded to a higher secondary level school in 2002, received an NRs. 32.17 million grants to construct a three-story school building. Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School which was established in 1963 and was later upgraded to Higher Secondary School in 2008, received NRs. 41.36 million to construct two-story school building.
Shree Nava Adarsha Multiple campus, founded in 2006 and affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, offers diploma level programmes in Management and Education, as well as agricultural technical courses. A grant of NRs. 24.84 million was given to it to construct a two-story campus structure.
In Nepal, India has already completed 448 HICDPs, 41 of which are in Province-5, including 7 in Palpa District. In Province-5, nine projects funded by the GOI are in various stages of completion/implementation, including one in Palpa District. In addition to the above, the Embassy of India has donated 12 ambulances and two buses to various health posts, non-governmental organisations, and educational institutions in the Palpa District.
(Venkatesh Iyer)
