By Our Reporter
“Enough is Enough” campaigners have started their fast-unto-death at Basantapur after they saw that the government was not serious about implementing the 12-point agreement signed earlier with the Ministry of Health and Population.
Their main demand has been the effective handling of the COVID-19 crisis by increasing PCR tests.
The government had agreed to address key demands of the agitating youths such as scrapping of the rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19, community testing of the affected and releasing people from quarantine facilities only after confirming that they had not contracted the virus by conducting PCR tests.
The government authorities had also committed to drafting policy for effective handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Earlier, they had ended their relay hunger strike after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited them and assured of meeting their demands, which culminated in signing an agreement with the Ministry of Health and Population.
The agitating youths, however, said the government was not serious about addressing their demands. A few days ago, dozens of youths expressing solidarity with the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement had staged a protest outside the prime minister’s official residence at Baluwatar, reminding the government about the agreement.
The campaigners argued that the government was turning a deaf ear to our plea.
Earlier, activists Iih, 26, and Pukar Bam, 30, had ended their hunger strike on the 12th day on July 7 after the MoHP signed a 12-point-agreement with them.
They said that the government has reduced PCR tests and has started releasing people from quarantine facilities just for not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 which worsened the matter.
The youths said the government’s act of releasing quarantined people without symptoms was very dangerous as a majority of the COVID-19 patients could be asymptomatic.
Enough is Enough’ is an apolitical campaign launched on July 9.
The movement drew the attention of more youths through social media with the launching of protests nationwide.
People’s Review Print Edition
Login to add a comment