Impractical decisions

The Tribhuvan University is facing difficulty when it comes to taking key decisions. For instance, the students of Janakpur Engineering College have been protesting against the TU decision regarding its affiliation policies, due to which the college is locked up since many days. Similar problems are seen in different departments of the country’s pioneer educational institution. Recently, the government decided to give teaching licence to those teachers who are graduates or who have completed one year Bachelors in Education (B Ed). But the Department of Education has now taken a decision not to take in teachers with mathematics background for entry into one year B Ed course and instead admits graduates in science. There is no rationale behind this decision. If this is so then how can those teachers who are two years graduate in science with no specialisation still get to teach mathematics? These are all decisions made on an ad hoc basis. We are now talking about education system of Europe and America. But I am sure such system like ours does not prevail there. I request the authorities concerned to think over their decision.

Komal Dulal, Maitidevi

Euro 2004

I am a regular reader of The Himalayan Times. I like your newspaper very much because of its wide news coverage. I request you also to publish Euro 2004 football fixtures and as per Nepali Standard Time in your sports page keeping in mind the interest of your sports readers.

Shreeram Aryal, via e-mail

Counseling

I wonder what is happening to “Heart 2 Heart” column. We miss Ruchira Koirala’s writings. My friends and I were so used to seeking advice from the writer. She offered us some very sensible and practical advice. Please get her back in action.

Komal Kaul, via e-mail

Testing times

The appointment of the new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has to be taken as a step towards the solution of the present problem. If the political parties really wish to overcome the hurdles, then they have to take into regard the people’s consent. Even now the movement continues, which can be viewed as the political parties’ misleading game for power. The declaration by the King that the sovereignty of the nation is vested on the people has guaranteed democratic rights of the people. Deuba has been appointed keeping in view the failure of the five agitating parties to put forth the name of a consensus candidate before the King. So a way has been opened and the King has corrected his October 4 move by re-appointing Deuba as the Prime Minister.

Slogans and violence alone will not prove the honesty of the parties, rather they have to show their responsibility by pulling the country out of the present crisis. Whereas the Maoist insurgency has brought unprecedented misery to the country, the parties are still not united. Global politics shows us that wherever there were political problems, the political parties have come forward without hesitating to make sacrifices. Learning from, for example, Sonia Gandhi, our leaders have to at least be flexible in their demands and stand united for national consensus. Individual ego must be put aside and leaders have to show that nothing is greater than the welfare of the country. Otherwise, this chaos will lead to devastation. The time to lay the road map is here and leaders have to use it through democratic activities to conduct polls.

Binaya Gautam, Kathmandu