Telecom troubles

Nepal Telecom, despite its widespread repute, also deserves some criticism for its failure to give reliable information about its services to customers. The latest instance of this is NT’s new ADSL Internet service, for which I recently installed a landline telephone. But to my dismay, it was not only a landline telephone that was needed for ADSL as had been advertised. Only when I was at NT office to apply for ADSL services after installing the new telephone line did the NT staff inform me that the new number did not apply to the new service.

Despite knowing that my only purpose for installing the new telephone line was to get the ADSL service, NT staffers never gave a hint that I might be ineligible. In other words, the NT staff misled me. You often do not find anyone in NT to give you reliable information if you are

confused. Can’t NT improve the situation?

Amit Pyakurel, Teenkune, Kathmandu

Welcome

It is a welcome sign that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has finally summoned the

CPN-Maoist to form a new government. Now that the formalities are over, the Maoists should rise to the occasion by bringing all the political parties together to form a government of consensus to write a new constitution and to make peace permanent.

After more than a decade of bitter conflict, Nepalis have a glimmer of hope that Nepal will be politically stable and economically viable. I wish all the very best to the Maoists and urge them to completely renounce the path of violence.

Aashika Pokharel, via e-mail

Just a start

The CPN-Maoist has suspended Kali Bahadur Kham Magar alias Bibidh, the commander of

Chitwan-based third division cantonment of the People’s Liberation Army, for his alleged involvement in the murder of Ramhari Shrestha. Yet this is only the first step. The Maoists should help bring criminal action against Bibidh and show that the party adheres to the rule of law. Prime Minister Koirala has already invited the Maoists to take the initiative to form a

consensus government. In this light, it is important that the CPN-Maoist projects itself as a party that can rule the country sans nepotism and cronyism, the twin evils that have eaten away at the base of Nepal’s democracy.

Biswo Shrestha, via e-mail

Word choice

Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa said on Saturday that his party was in the mood of expanding the Young Communist League (YCL) because the CPN-Maoist wanted to win all the 240 first-past-the-post seats in next election.

Is Badal implying that the YCL will be mobilised in the upcoming polls to garner mandate in the party’s favour by hook or by crook? Otherwise, how can the YCL, which has taken ilegal action against sympathisers of other parties help to secure more votes, unless it resorts to intimidation?

Whether such an implicit threat was deliberately added to Badal’s statement or not, a responsible leader of the largest ‘democratic’ party in the country should choose his words wisely just in case people might give them other meanings.

Samrat Sijapati, Bhaktapur