Dinesh Wagle on Nepali Society

[This is a bilingual post. यो पोस्ट दुइ भाषामा छ। Read a news report on the earthquake here]

The alarming (or positive, depending on your perspective) aspect is that the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Kathmandu and eastern Nepal this evening had its epicenter located 272 kilometers east of Kathmandu, as reported by the the US Geological Survey. It was situated 68 kilometers northwest of Gangtok, Sikkim, India. The intensity of the quake was incredibly frightening. Personally, it was the most terrifying seismic event I have experienced in a long time. Just imagine if Kathmandu had been the epicenter! Furthermore, consider the plight of those residing in mud-and-stone houses in the hills of eastern Nepal, which are in close proximity to the epicenter. Regrettably, two casualties have been reported in Dharan and three in Kathmandu due to the collapse of the British Embassy compound wall. Additionally, numerous individuals have sustained injuries as they attempted to evacuate buildings.

डरलाग्दो कुरा (या राम्रो किनकी त्यो हेराइमा भर पर्छ) चाहिँ के भने अघि साँझ काठमान्डू र पूर्वी नेपाल हल्लाउने ६.८ रेक्टर स्केलको भुकम्पको केन्द्रबिन्दू, अमेरिकी जि‌ओलोजिकल सर्भेका अनुसार, काठमान्डूभन्दा २७२ किलोमिटर टाढा (पूर्व) थियो । (भारतीय राज्य सिक्किमको राजधानी गान्टोकबाट ६८ किमी उत्तर पश्चिम ।) ज्यादै डरलाग्दो थियो त्यो क्षण । (व्यक्तिगतरूपमा भन्नुपर्दा त्यो भैचालो क्षण मैले लामो समययता अनुभव गरेको सबैभन्दा डरलाग्दो क्षण थियो ।) कल्पना गर्नुस् भुकम्पको केन्द्रबिन्दू काठमान्डू भएको भए ! अनि सोच्नुस ती मानिसहरका बारेमा जो केन्द्रविन्दुभन्दा नजिकै पूर्वी नेपालका डाडाहरूमा माटो र ढुङ्गाका घरमा बसेका छन् । [काठमान्डूमा बेलायती दुतावासको पर्खाल ढल्दा तीनजना र धरानमा दुइको मृत्यु भएको छ । धेरै मानिहरूले चाहिँ भैचालो जादै गर्दा या गएपछि घरहरूबाट भाग्दा आफूहरूलाई घाइते तुल्याएका छन् ।]

Although I had the opportunity to evacuate the building, I chose to stay inside, relying on an odd sense of faith that the structure would remain intact. Clinging to one of the supporting pillars, I hoped that the tremors would quickly subside, but they persisted, seemingly stretching time itself. In moments like these, when your life is in question and your thoughts turn to loved ones who are far away, even a brief tremor can feel like an eternal ordeal.

म भवनबाट कुद्न पनि सक्थे अन्य सहकर्मिहरु जस्तै तर मैले त्यसो गरिन । ममा त्यो भवन प्रति अनौठो विश्वास थियो । र म लगभग विश्वस्त थिए त्यो घर ढल्दैन भन्नेमा । त्यसैले पुरै अवधि त्यहीँ रहने निर्णय गरें मैले । त्यो भवन अडिएका थुप्रै मध्येको एउटा थाम अठ्याएर म त्यो टेबुल मुनी नै बसीरहेँ । मेरा सहकर्मीहरु चिच्याउदै घरबाट निस्किरहेका थिए । कम्पन धेरै लामो समय चल्दैन भन्ने मेरो आशा थियो यद्यपी त्यो लामै समय चलेको महसुस चाहि भएकै हो । जव तपाईं बसेको भवन हल्लिरहेको हुन्छ र तपाईं आफ्नो जीवन अनि आफूभन्दा निकै टाढा रहेकी तपाईंको जिवकी सबैभन्दा नजिककी मान्छेलाई सम्झिरहनु भएको हुन्छ, त्यो कम्पन निकै थोरै समयकालागि भएपनि त्यो जिन्दगीभर भएजस्तो लाग्छ ।

While taking cover under a table on the third floor of my six-story office building, vivid recollections of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Pakistan, and China flashed through my mind. My thoughts also gravitated towards the prominent neighborhoods of Kathmandu, particularly the Ason area. In that moment, I felt an urge to reach out to someone dear to me, attempting to make a phone call and even posting a tweet while the tremors shook me to the core.

६ तल्ले अफिस भवनको तेस्रो तल्लामा टेबुलमुनी लुकिरहदाँ मेरो दिमागमा हाइटी, पाकिस्तान र चीनमा हालैका बर्षहरूमा गएका भुकम्प र तिनले त्याएका मानवीय विपत्तिहरूका दृश्यको झल्को आयो । मैले काठमान्डूका प्रमुख बस्तीहरू-विशेषगरि असन क्षेत्र- पनि सम्झिएँ । कम्पन महसुस गरिरहदा उनलाई फोन गरौंकि जस्तो लाग्यो । एक दुइवटा ट्वीट पनि टाइप गर्ने कुरा मनमा नआएको होइन ! तर कम्पनको त्यो रोमान्चलाई मैले ट्वीट गरेर विथोल्न चाहिन ।

[Correction: I was actually on the third floor of my office, not the fourth as I mentioned in my tweet. I recently relocated my cubicle from the fourth floor to the third, but amidst the shock and aftermath of the earthquake, I completely forgot about this detail.]

[स‌ंशोधन: म अफिसको तेस्रो तल्लामा थिएँ, मैले ट्विटमा उल्लेख गरेजस्तो चौथोमा होइन । मैले मेरो क्युविकल केही अघि मात्र चौथोबाट त्यहा सारेको थिए । भुकम्प लगत्तै स्तब्धित भएको त्यो क्षण मेरो दिमागबाट त्यो तथ्य उडेछ ।]

Here are my tweets (beginning from the oldest one):
यहाँ छन् भुकम्प लगत्तैका मेरा ट्वीटहरू (सबैभन्दा पुरानो पहिला):

https://twitter.com/#!/wagle/status/115406949201354752
https://twitter.com/#!/wagle/status/115407778025177089
https://twitter.com/#!/wagle/status/115408396378832896
https://twitter.com/#!/wagle/status/115413245803757569
https://twitter.com/#!/wagle/status/115414852142505985

As people share their accounts of where they were and what they were doing during the tremor, there is one particular experience that stands out to me—the story of my colleague, Suresh Niraula, from Kantipur daily. He recounted:

धेरै मानिस, त्यस्ता अवस्थामा सधै गरेझैं भैंचालो-जाँदा-म-यहाँ-यसो-गर्दैथिएँ रुचिपूर्ण कथाहरू एकअर्कालाई भनिरहेका छन् । कान्तिपुर पत्रिकाका मेरा सहकर्मी सुरेश निरौलाको यो अनुभव मलाई सबैभन्दा रुचिपूर्ण लाग्यो-

“I was riding my motorbike to the office when suddenly the bike began shaking. I assumed it was a flat tire, so I stopped and inspected them. Surprisingly, the tires were perfectly fine. I resumed my journey, but the bike continued trembling, almost causing me to lose control. Fortunately, a bike servicing center was conveniently located nearby. I promptly took my bike there and shared my perplexing encounter. To my surprise, the young man at the center simply said, ‘It was an earthquake, didn’t you realize?’”

म बाइकमा अफिस जादै थिएँ । बाइकल हल्लिन थाल्यो । लाग्यो टायर पङ्चर भयो । बाइक रोकेँ र हेरें । दुबै पाङग्रा ठिकै थिए । अगाडी बढें । बाइक त फेरी हलिन थाल्यो र मेरो नियन्त्रण भन्दा बाहिर जान लाग्यो । धन्न बाइक सर्भिस सेन्टर नजिकै थियो । मैले बाइक त्याँ लगें । मेरो कुरा सुनेपछि फुच्चेले भन्यो- हैन भैचालो आयो नि । थाहा पाउनु भएन ?