Corrupt and selfish politics

I support Professor Ganga Thapa’s views expressed in his article on corruption published in THT on March 3. Nepalis are fed up with politics. Since 1990, all the leaders promised to eliminate corruption and other irregularities. But nothing concrete has been achieved. They say one thing when they are out of power but do another when they are in the government. Nobody in the country has effectively pursued any policy to control corruption.

Noted leaders are self-centred and busy playing their own games. Lack of transparency has led to illegal amassing of property, which is totally an undemocratic exercise. Parties and political leaders have established a nexus with the contractors, planners and industrialists to make money and live in affluence. We know that the lack of good governance has contributed to creating the present politicial situation. Therefore, corruption-free governance is the need of the hour and that is where all our energies should be directed if Nepal is to move towards the path of progress and prosperity.

Bimal Ojha, Dhangadhi

Shivaratri

Regarding the article “Revering Lord of all Lords” published in THT on March 7 by Dewan Rai, I would like to point out that Shivaratri is not the night when Lord Shiva created himself (which, incidentally, is the reason why he is called Swayambhu: Swayam (self) and Bhu (to be born). It is in fact the night of the marriage of Lord Shiva to Parvati and this is why, in Kashi Vishwanath every year, the “barati” (wedding procession) of the Lord comes out to

celebrate the celestial marriage. It is also why the night is especially important for unmarried girls who ask for a husband like Shiva. Also, Pashupati predates Shiva and was one of the most important gods in the Mohenjodaro (Indus Valley) civilisation.

Santanu Mitra, Kathmandu

Folk songs

It is unfortunate that at a time when the Nepalis are dancing to the tune of Dohari (folk duet) songs played in many Dohari restaurants and competitions, the musicians are actually claiming that Nepali folk culture is dying out. According to the news “Things have turned bleak on cultural front” published in THT on March 7, musical maestros like Kumar Basnet have said that pop music and Hindi songs are killing the true Nepali folk tunes. And there is also the trend of remix songs now in Nepal, which is one factor leading to this sorry state of affairs for folk and patriotic songs.

However, I feel it is foolish to just blame others like the pop bands for this condition. People concerned with the promotion of art and culture have not done their bit to save the essence of folk culture. Just raising concern will not solve this problem as Nepali pop is getting popular among the youth and we cannot stop the production of such songs. The right thing would be to encourage local artists from villages who understand and can play folk tunes well.

Anil Sharma, Tripureshwor

Scholarship

There are a lot of scholarships offered by various embassies and organisations in Nepal. Though these are extremely competitive, it would be better if the concerned authorities gave some concession to the Dalit and Janajati students, which would give them an opportunity to study abroad. Education is one of the most important tools to help them upgrade their living standard.

Bhupendra K Gurung, via e-mail