Verdict on property:

I am a regular reader of The Himalayan Times. It provides good information on various subjects, including legal issues. My attention has been drawn to the Supreme Court (SC) verdict THT published about women’s right to property after divorce. I disagree with the verdict. The apex court ordered the government to make compatible the provision of the Civil Code which gives women the right to half the property of her ex-husband. The apex court said that the provision is against the spirit of the equality provision of the 1990 Constitution. The SC also told the government to review the provision, keeping in mind the practices and opinions of experts on the issue. It may be that the provision favours women. But the question needs to be answered as to why women are not supported. If a woman is compelled to seek divorce because life with her husband is no more compatible, how can she survive on her own, without any property? So keeping women’s interest in mind, the issue should be reviewed because the Constitution itself says that specific provisions can be made for the uplift of women and children.

Anjana Shah, Kathmandu

Customs delay:

I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the operation of bilateral railway cargo services between Nepal and India through inland container depot (ICD) at Sirsiya, Birgunj. Though the Nepal-India railway agreement has already paved the way for operation of the bilateral railway cargo services through the ICD, there has been a delay in brining into operation the cargo movement by the stipulated date of February 1 due to the lack of proper customs clearance procedure. The World Bank funded the multi-million-dollar ICD project which came into operation in July last year but only the third country shipments are being transported through the dry port as of now. Cargo movement between the two countries through the ICD is believed to reduce the transportation cost as well as ensure safe journey of the shipment. So, why the delay in starting the services? Since India is the largest bilateral trading partner of Nepal, it is wise to make the services operational at the earliest to boost export and import. If the problem is only about the customs procedures and directives, nothing will justify the failure to remove hurdles to an otherwise useful arrangement.

Rohit Gurung, Lazimpat

Nepali films:

It is unfortunate that the Nepali film industry has not been able to deliver much lately. No quality movies are being made and there seems to be a shortage of technical manpower in the industry. Given the huge number of talented artists in this field, we should not have faced this problem. However, the political climate has compelled the producers and distributors to show films only within the Kathmandu Valley. A sizeable chunk of producers’ resources is tied up in the market now. Hurdles aside, the industry people seem little interested in furthering their profession. That is why not even a single low-budget documentary is being shot of late, not to mention commercial cinemas. It would be good if Kollywood redesigned its policies and made worthy movies by mobilising its vast pool of resources. I am sure people in the film industry have the means to provide quality entertainment as the old movies did. However difficult it might be for the people in Kollywood to make new movies, they need to pursue it with a new zeal to prove the doomsdayers wrong.

Hemant Giri, Dillibazar