Matter of decency

Apropos of the news report “Microbuses, tempos flout quota for women, disabled” (THT, July 29), I believe that reserving seats for women and disabled in public transport is more a matter of civilised behaviour and common decency than rules and regulations. In fact, too many regulations make people blind to their own thoughtless actions. It was funny of the coordinator of National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs, Nir Ratna Newa, to say that women and disabled suffer because they have been unable to assert their rights. Reservation of seats in public transportation has nothing to do with any group asserting its rights, but to do with the transport entrepreneurs showing enough decency to respect diversity in our society.

Anna Adhikari, Kathmandu

Unnecessary

As far as reservation in public transportation for women goes, I don’t see any need for such a provision. Whenever I travel in public vehicles these days I cannot help but laugh at notices on reservation for women. It is invariably the case that there are as many women (if not more) in public vehicles as men. In that case, I wonder why any kind of special arrangement is needed.

Shree Ghimire, Ghattekulo

Overlooked

With reference to the news report “Two Nepalis killed on K2” (THT, August 3), I have often heard backpackers say that the upper layers of snow are gradually disappearing in the high mountains. This is a direct result of global warming, which also clearly indicates that in the days ahead, the snow-fed Melamchi river would be a less reliable source of drinking water for Kathmandu metropolis. The Bagmati River should be a more reliable source of drinking water. The construction of a dam at the Chovar gorge and the bio-technological purification of Bagmati water would be cheaper and more reliable.

V P Sayami, Kathmandu

Basic flaws

A country cannot progress unless its citizens are educated. But education has become a saleable commodity in Nepal with the mushrooming number of expensive private schools and colleges. The government has introduced several measures to improve the quality of education, but none has been effective owing to excessive politicisation.

Moreover, Nepali educational establishments have not been able to produce scholars and

experts the country needs. Another fault is with the evaluation system in which a students’ aptitude is evaluated on the basis of their performance in written exams. The entire education system should be revamped.

Prabal Pradhan, Kathmandu

Up to Maoists

Not only has Nepal been declared a republic, but the country is also on its way towards drafting a new constitution, which is expected to address age-old grievances of Nepalis. At this crucial hour, it is important that the leaders of all political parties agree on a common minimum programme as the basis of collaboration. As the single largest party, it is up to the

CPN-Maoist to take other political parties into confidence and embark on the process of government formation.

Ganesh Niraula, Birganj