Incarcerate suppressors

The seven-party alliance (SPA) has itself to blame for the recent rise in criminal activities in the country. They are extremely naive to believe that the king’s henchmen are sitting there doing nothing to reassert themselves. Anyway if the punishment for killing and wounding so many people is so light, then why not try and stage a comeback. The likes of Tulsi Giri, Sharad Chandra Shah, Sachit Shumsher Rana and Bharat Keshari Simha are roaming scot-free in the Valley.

The SPA must respect the people’s will. Those who tried to suppress the Jana Andolan must be punished appropriately. Waiting for the investigation commission’s report will only provide time to these elements to reactivate themselves. These people along with the suspended security officials must be jailed at once. Only then it will create fear in the minds of the royalists that they cannot get away by disturbing law and order. If the SPA does not act fast, post-1990 situation will revisit us and we will find most of the suppressers of the movement of 2006 back in their jobs. A weak government is the last thing that Nepal needs right now.

Rajesh Koirala, via e-mail

Revise it

The news titled “It may soon be curtains for Bikram Sambat” (THT, June 1) was quite surprising. It is ridiculous of the activists to demand the abolition of Bikram Sambat calendar just because they consider it a “leftover of the feudalistic society.” The country is in a transitional phase and there are big challenges before the government to keep all

sections of society happy. But reconstruction does not mean that that we should dump everything from the past. Bikram Sambat calendar has been in use since a long time and it is hardly an issue.

It is wrong to claim that the BS calendar is biased towards the Brahmins, and even if it is, changes could be brought in instead of scrapping it altogether. It could be made more

inclusive by adding or editing certain parts. If the problem is with the king’s name in it, then that too can be changed.

Anupam Bhusal, Kathmandu

Take cue

The people have achieved their goal and firmly put the power in the hands of the democratically elected body. The king is stripped of all the political powers and is now only a figurehead. By uprooting monarchy only a few greedy politicians will benefit.

There has been no demonstration after the king retracted. It seems apparent that the majority of the Nepalis would prefer to have a constitutional monarch.

It is rather time for the people and politicians to concentrate on rebuilding Nepal. Most of the developed countries of the world are constitutional monarchies, and we can learn from them.

G Lars, via e-mail

Be prepared

The government should not disregard the threat Kathmandu Valley faces due to a potential earthquake. Public awareness programmes must be launched immediately. Schools,private and public companies and media houses are places to hold such programmes.

Preparedness can save at least 30 per cent from causalities in case an earthquake of a huge magnitude hits the country.

Shradha Mukhiya, Oslo