The rot inherent to the republic

In a culture of piety and fealty, a political manipulator can get away with anything.

Torrential rains in the last week of September caused devastation in many parts of the country. The death toll of the calamity crossed 200 , thousands have been homeless, and the damage it has inflicted upon the national economy is still to be fully assessed. When disasters strike Nepal, the presence of the government in rescue and relief operations is usually symbolic: An earthmoving equipment here, an army unit there, or a team of bewildered police personnel at some places trying to cope with emergencies that they are neither trained nor equipped to handle.