FREIBURGER ZEITGEISTLITERATURE (Satis Shroff)

Commentary: Nepal After the Seismic Shock (Satis Shroff)   The birds are flying in panic in the sky over the Durbar Square and Basantapur, Asan Tole like in a scenario from an Alfred Hitchcock film. The temples on which they formerly roosted have been pulverised and what has remained are gigantic conical heaps. The famous Nautale Durbar temple in the Basantapur Square has been destroyed and the white neo-classical Rana palace from where the former kings and royalty of Nepal used to greet the folk is also partially damaged. The Dhara tower, about which we Nepalese used to read about and the exploits of Junga Bahadur Rana, has also been demolished. Over 4000 people have died, 6,500 injured, and the death toll is expected to be more under the piles of earth, wood and bricks. A strong earthquake lasting almost 2 minutes hit Kathmandu this morning, 7.9 on the Richter scale, according to USGS. The epicentre lies 80 km north-west of Kathmandu, with a range of 15 km.

Nepal After the Seismic Shock (Satis Shroff) The birds are flying in panic in the sky over the Durbar Square and Basantapur, Asan Tole like in a scenario from an Alfred Hitchcock film. The temples on which they formerly roosted have been pulverised and what has remained are gigantic conical heaps. The famous Nautale Durbar temple in the Basantapur Square has been destroyed and the white neo-classical Rana palace from where the former kings and royalty of Nepal used to greet the folk is also partially damaged. The Dhara tower, about which we Nepalese used to read about and the exploits of Junga Bahadur Rana, has also been demolished. Over 4000 people have died, 6,500 injured, and the death toll is expected to be more under the piles of earth, wood and bricks. A strong earthquake lasting almost 2 minutes hit Kathmandu this morning, 7.9 on the Richter scale, according to USGS. The epicentre lies 80 km north-west of Kathmandu, with a range of 15 km. The

O Catmandu! (Satis Shroff) O Catmandu! All I see is rubble, People buried by bricks, Waste fragments of stone. Wooden struts from ancient temples, Loose stones, Tumbled houses. The cries, shouts and helplessness, In Nepali and Newari tongues. Mothers looking for their children, Young Nepalese mourning the dead, People in motion, Searching incessantly, Like ants on heaps of rubble, That were once unesco heritage sites. The pagoda skyline has vanished. O Catmandu! The convulsions of the earth's surface, Has in the past demanded its toll Of human lives, As far back as 1934. When the Indian subcontinent Approaches the Eurasian landmass, Seismic shocks are inevitable. The movement of tectonic plates Causes damage not only without, In Catmandu, Pokhara, Khumbu Icefalls, But also within the denizens of Nepal. Social, psychological, Economical pain results. O Catmandu!