Criminal Acts By The Political Leadership

1. Reports are more than 30 planes with thousands of tons of relief supplies from scores of different foreign governments were not allowed to land because they apparently had not followed due procedure. Due procedure was to come through the respective Nepali embassies. Are you out of your mind? Have you heard of visa on arrival? These were tons that could have been air dropped into the remote hill districts. 
2. Talk about air dropping. China offered six or eight helicopters. Nepal refused. Don't tell me these skilled ones are trying to play China off of India! 
3. Bamdev is reported to have taken offense that Modi has been so prompt and effective in acts of relief for the Nepal earthquake victims. Bamdev gives hurt feelings in response! Disbelief does not even begin to describe. 

The Nepali politicians have been failing the Nepali people every step of the way. But these acts border on criminality. There are lives at stake. Tens of thousands could die still, if they are not dead already. Hundreds of thousands could get displaced, if not now, then as soon as the monsoon hits. 

In this time of tragedy my attempt was to not talk politics for a few weeks perhaps. But I don't think that is an option. 

My Article In Foreign Policy

An Earthquake Exposes Nepal’s Political Rot

Modi Shoud Airdrop Tents, Food, Water, Medicine

The Indian Prime Minister was the first to respond. He was ahead of his Nepali counterparts. But there is a bottleneck. He can take relief supplies to Kathmandu, then what? The slow tragedy unfolding in the remote hills can only be imagined. The next leg of the Modi relief operation has got to be the Indian army air dropping supplies in the affected remote hill villages. There might be 500 such villages. I think that is manageable.

Tents, food, water, basic medicine. Helicopters could fly low, drop, and fly away. Most of those villages don't have places even for helicopter landing.