Acute food shortages It was indeed very sad and disturbing to read the news “ Gorkha villages face Dashain food crunch” (THT, Sept. 17). More than 10,000 people of seven VDCs of Gorkha district will go without a single grain of rice during Dashain, one of the largest festivals of the Nepali people. Likewise, it is also heard that the people of the hilly areas of the western part of Nepal will also be compelled to celebrate Dashain without adequate food due to gross negligence of the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC). What is the so-called people’s government doing?What are the people’s so called CA representatives from Gorkha and other affected districts doing in Kathmandu? They must be having a good time in Kathmandu with people’s tax paid money. Did they so easily forget the hard lives of the rural folks who voted for them? When are they going to act if they don’t act now when the people are desperate for rice and other essentials? So, unless and until the concerned representatives exert pressure on the government and NFC to act timely, the people of these areas will continue to face acute food shortages in the days to come. Let the suffering people of those remote areas also enjoy Dashain to their best by supplying them with necessary food in time. Rai Biren Bangdel, Maharajgunj Main concerns As a foreigner, safety is always one of my main concerns when travelling to a foreign country, Nepal is no different. Late Friday night last week, I was going to my guest house on a rickshaw. Once I arrived and got off the rickshaw, two men came out of an alley and snatched away my camera and money. The guard from the Pyramid Hotel on the road was witness to this event, yet did not help in anyway. I was able to get hold of one guy and bring him behind the hotel gate only to find that the guard would not lock the gate and call the police. Instead, he and about eight other Nepalese watched as I defended myself, but they did not offer help to me in anyway. Eventually the man was able to escape which led to a foot chase down the road. Two guards in blue stood by and watched the event take place. I was told that all the shopkeepers and hotels pay for this security, but when they are needed most they turn a blind eye. Night time is becoming very dangerous in Thamel. Within the last four weeks, I personally know three people who have been mugged. At the end of the day, many tourist may have a drunk in excess leading to intoxication, and it appears that these are the opportunities the robbers are looking for. This event has led me to file a report at the tourist police station. At first, I was put off by the fact that they were closed on Saturday. Crime does happen on Friday evenings only, and safety is put in jeopardy when reports cannot registered immediately. However, I did file a report on Sunday and was very pleased and satisfied with how things were handled. They quickly began an investigation, filed the report, and went to the crime scene before I was able to reach the area. Many thanks for the quick action of the tourist police and the kind management of the guest house. Ad-Kruyssen, via e-mail Unique Nepali political parties should not be divided on the issue whether to retain the current flag or design a new one because the present flag of Nepal has become a symbol of recognition at the international level. It is quite a unique flag. No other country in the world has this type of flag so far. So, it should not be changed in the name of federal democratic republic. UCPN-Maoist’s idea to change the existing national flag of our country is irrational, because our national flag doesn’t represent any specific caste, creed, religion, and there is no sign that it represents the monarchial regime. So, the Maoists, if they want to change something, they should first change their misconceptions about our national flag. The present national flag of our country is a symbol of unity in diversity. So, please don’t do politics on the national flag. Roshan Kumar Jha, Kathmandu School of Law, Bhaktapur A puzzle With reference to the news report “Maoists leaving peace track” (THT, Sept. 17), I agree that the Maoists are only interested in creating trouble for no reason at all. They do not have any desire for peace to be established in the country. But, who will benefit? Diwakar Khanal via e-mail