Not learning from the past :

The ruling parties are repeating the mistakes they made in 1996 by not heeding the genuine demands of some Left-leaning parties. Even King Gyanendra in 2006 offered too little too late. Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, if he has had a peek into the Rayamajhi Commission report, would know that the Nepal Police needs radical reforms. And yet, he allowed the police to rain their batons and bullets on protesters in the Terai. As both Sitaula and Prime Minister Koirala are equally responsible it, they should step down.

Dilip Gurung, Pokhara

Corruption :

Despite public outcry over rampant corruption in the public sector, the government is indifferent. If it wants to be serious about the problem, it should take the radical step of equating corruption with crime against the state by incorporating a suitable provision in the constitution. The CIAA has only caught small fish, not big ones. The Special Court, too, needs to come harder on the corrupt, most of whom have got away. Even high-ranking people in authority are widely suspected of corruption, but nothing happens to them. Though the media has exposed many corrupt people, it needs to do more. Without checking corruption, no country can move ahead and nor can the general standard of living go up.

Ramesh B Shrestha, Lalitpur

Unfair :

There was a nationwide demand for action against people who tried to suppress the Jana Andolan II. But what about those guilty of the killing of 27 people in the Terai protests?

Arpan Shakya, via e-mail

Why wait?

It seems the government chooses to ignore peaceful protests, however justified they may be. Only violence jolts it out of its torpor as the protests in the Terai have proved. I wonder if the

government is waiting for the people to resort to violence before it decides to deal with the shortages of basic commodities and services like drinking water, cooking gas, petro-products and prolonged load-shedding hours.

Shishir Nepali, via e-mail

Power cut:

The 21-hour load-shedding schedule per week has seriously affected students like me. Though SLC and college exams are nearing, the hours of load-shedding are being extended. Are there no ways to reduce the period of outage?

Pukar Mulmi, via e-mail

Help them:

Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded along the East-West Highway owing to the unrest in the Terai. The government should take necessary steps to clear the highway of all obstacles and allow vehicular traffic to resume.

Baibhav Kharel, via e-mail

True leader:

I disagree with the opinion poll result as reported in your report “Public as decider: Prachanda tops the charts” (THT, Feb. 6). We should not forget that it is not empty rhetoric that makes one a true leader, but the ability to lead the country to peace and prosperity. Shishir Thapa, via e-mail