Make truce complete:

This refers to government spokesman and Information and Communications Minister Tanka Dhakal’s recent remarks over the government’s refusal to reciproacate the Maoist ceasefire. The unwise statement has widely been taken as unfortunate. The question is not about who declared the war first; but everyone knows who the warring sides are. When the sovereignty of the entire nation is at stake, it can no longer be a personal matter for any VIP. It is no time for making half-cooked remarks but for striving to bring peace back to the country. The need of the hour is to respond to the Maoists’ truce and create a conducive environment for talks. One may well judge that this negative response is a ploy to prolong the government’s life. The nature of the Maoists’ truce also raises some concern. The rebels don’t seem to have given up violence completely, as abductions may also be regarded as a form of violence. At a time when the truce has been welcomed at home and abroad, they need to stick to their word completely.

Hemanta K Thakur, via e-mail

Irresponsible:

Nepal is passing through the most difficult phase in its history. Under such circumstances, everyone should be careful about what they speak and do. But those who are in power are making irresponsible comments and are busy making speeches just for the sake of speaking. The actions and words of our leaders do not match. What one should not forget is that by merely holding a high post one cannot forget his responsibility towards the state and its people. The people come first but the leaders seem to be trying to make fools of them. How the country has come to this pass is a matter of discussion. One should analyse this fact and try to find out the root cause of the problem. Every measure should be taken not to repeat the past mistakes. One should not forget that authority comes with responsibility and with responsibility comes accountability. But to our dismay, rules and regulations are only meant for the common people and have nothing to do with those in power. This may be the reason why we are still where we were 50 years ago.

Akesh Jaiswal, Birgunj, via e-mail

Outrageous:

This refers to Korean tourist Ban Whi Min’s letter published in THT on Oct. 5. Ban shed light on our real problem. He claims that we Nepalis lack patriotism and love for each other. He has visited some tourist places and came to the conclusion that we don’t love our nation. It is disappointing that he has judged us wrongly. I suggest he read some history books on Nepal to learn the meaning of love, religious harmony and patriotism. Does he know that Nepal and Thailand are the only two nations in the continent of Asia which have never been colonised? Obviously, Korea is dominated by US troops. Korean students no longer want them in their soil. There are often reports of US troops killing innocent civilians and sexually abusing females over there. Patriotism and love are invisible qualities without which we cannot exist. Has Ban ever thought of going back to Korea and demonstrating against US troops?

Krishna Thapa, Kathmandu