Stop being partial

This is in response to the Radio-operators’ result published by UNDP on March 1. I was among the 16 candidates vying for the five seats and despite being evident from the articulation of an interviewer that I was among the top three, I was mysteriously dropped. I am not writing this letter with a defeatist mentality to protest my rejection (in fact I am

happy) but to object the way the publication of result was unduly postponed week after week and the manner in which only the convenience of Kathmanduites was catered to during the month long “interview-cum-training ordeal.” I am hoping to be proved otherwise.

I have nothing but deep respect for this institution. However, my recent experience has led me to believe that it is increasingly becoming “Kathmandu-biased.” The fact that all of the selected candidates are from the capital does only add up to this belief. Not that the

applicants hailing from outside the valley were in any manner incompetent or undeserving.

Moreover, despite being overtly stated prior to the training that the toppers would be allowed to choose base stations on merit basis, losers were given the liberty to choose, while the toppers were asked to fill the leftovers.

Interestingly, two individuals were sent to Nepalganj base station while Pokhara was left unoccupied.

I understand that any institution reserves the right to make final decision without having to furnish any explanation, but does it means any decision on that pretext?

John Narayan Parajuli, Jhapa

Comment

I cannot understand why the INGOs now want to change the bases agreed between the

representative of the two parties to solve the Bhutanese refugee problem. The present stand off is due to the lack of communication between the government and the refugees and has nothing to do with Bhutan government no matter how much the Nepali press would like to disguise it as the fault of the Bhutanese government. It is time the press gets the facts right and points a finger at actual problem.

Thinley Palden, via e-mail

Good job

I would like to thank THT for bringing out the new “Perspectives” which contains a wide range of information and entertainment. It also covers different prospects of social dimension. I hope your new endeavour would be able to guide the career-oriented people towards the right direction.

Ambika Pandey, Chitwan

Preserve

This refers to the news: “Linguist to work on Dolakha dialect” published recently. It is good to learn that a foreign scholar is penning a book on Dolakha dialect. I would like to thank Carol Genetti for her interest in the dialect. This dying dialect lacks a thorough research on its grammar and other linguistic work till date. Genettis’s future work hopefully will fill this gap.

Around 20,000 people of Dolakha, Shaharpa and Tauthal speak this dialect. Main congregate lives in Abhayapur, a name given to Dolakha by Malla kings of erstwhile Dolakha kingdom

referring to it as ‘the city spared from fear.’ This dialect is distinct from other Newari

dialects. Dialect enlivens a culture. So such dialects should be preserved. One way of preserving is by letting the new generation speak the mother tongue.

Sadly we don’t have this awareness. Two local magazines — ‘Kulsi’ (ladder) and ‘Bapigyala’ (a kind of Nepali window) used to be published in Dolakha dialect, but they have vanished now.

Utsuk Shrestha, Chabahil