Politicians and actors

This concerns the news report “Politics takes a bow to tradition” (THT, Oct 15). Going through

the report, I was left in no doubt that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is trying to court Girija Prasad Koirala to make the Nepali Congress join the coalition government. Prachanda seems to have succeeded to a degree, as Koirala promised to extend his full cooperation to the Maoist-led government at the end of the annual Nepali Congress tea party.

The bonhomie of the two leaders was strange to witness, coming as it did on the heels of Koirala’s warning that the Maoist government would not last long if it tried to impose its diktat and continue its quest to turn Nepal into a people’s republic.

Politics is indeed a bizarre game and it seems modern politicians have to be good actors as well. Nepalis can only hope that all the commitments made by the top leaders of the big parties to Nepali people prior to CA polls were made sincerely and were not only aimed at garnering votes.

Narad Sharma, Chabahil

US aid

Your Oct. 14 editorial “Aid and strings” underscores the complexity of the international donor

community’s decision-making process. Unfortunately, it diminishes the long and productive foreign assistance partnership between the United States and Nepal which began over five decades ago, in 1951. The United States was the first nation to enter into a bilateral donor relationship with the Government of Nepal and since then, the people of the United States have provided over $1 billion in assistance to the people of Nepal, primarily through the United States Agency for International Development.

This assistance from the American people currently averages $65 million per year and

includes programmes to assist Nepal in reaching its Millennium Development goals. USAID’s programmes include support for maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, family planning, economic growth, education, democracy and governance, biodiversity, disaster response and mitigation, and peace. We are proud of and value our relationship with the people and Government of Nepal and look forward to continuing our very productive partnership.

Beth Paige, USAID/Nepal Mission Director

Open border

The open border between Nepal and India is responsible for a large number of crimes in both the countries. The government should increase surveillance in border areas to check the illegal movement of banned goods and wrong kind of people. The sooner it is done, the better

for the two old friends.

Krishna Sharma, Pokhara-17

Bad omen

This refers to the news report “UML cadre shot dead” (THT, Oct15).

The spate of violence in Tarai poses a serious threat to the country’s fragile peace process. Even though the government has invited armed outfits for talks, the latter seem to believe in the Maoist adage that power flows from the barrel of the gun. Unless those perpetuating violence in Tarai change their mindset, a logical end to the peace process will not be easy.

Sailu Basnet, via e-mail