Hindu festival cancelled because of a diarrhoea outbreak that kills hundreds
(August 10, 2009) Nepali Hindus in western and mid-western regions were unable to
celebrate the great annual Hindu festival of Rakshya Bandhan (Holy Thread) because
of a diarrhoea outbreak which claimed hundreds of lives in the affected areas. Official
sources put the death toll at 240, but several NGOs claim that at least 500 people
died, and the crisis is not over yet. Dr Bal Krishna Subedi, director at Department
of Health, said the districts of Jajarkot and Rukum are the most affected. The government
has set up 89 health camps staffed with almost 300 medical personnel to cope with
the crisis. According to Dr Suddha Sharma, “the government has contained the epidemic
in other districts to a large extent”. Yet, too many people have died so far and what
people need is medicines and also food to survive. In fact the outbreak was caused
and made worse by widespread food shortages, which led people to eat infected and
unhygienic food. According to tradition, at Rakshya Bandhan a Hindu priest ties holy
threads around the right wrist of unmarried men and women and around the left wrist
of married women. Wearing such threads the faithful recite prayers together calling
for divine help against evil. Locals believe that the ritual favours a long life.