Spare no effort

This refers to the news report “Govt directs cops to protect tanker drivers” (THT, Feb. 18). Since there has been the shortage of petroleum products, it is the people in the capital who have been the hardest hit. At a time when the entire nation is gearing up for the CA polls, the shortage of commodities of daily consumption will only raise questions about the ability of the SPA government to steer the nation out of troubled waters. Granted that the ongoing strike in the Tarai is the major reason behind the acute shortage of petro-products in the valley. However, it cannot be a genuine excuse. The government, by employing adequate security measures, had ensured the supply of basic goods even during the height of Maoist insurgency. The situation is expected to grow worse if nothing concrete is done about it

immediately. The government should spare no effort in bringing life in the capital back to normal.

Manit Deokota, Ratopul, Kathmandu

Painful

Apropos of the letter “Think twice” (THT, Feb 18), I support the writer’s view in that I have a similar painful experience to share. I have been studying in Melbourne as a foreign student for the past six months. However, I have been unable to balance my studies and work. I have now realised how difficult it is for Nepali students to survive in a foreign country, especially when they are in no position to self-finance their studies. However, that is not to say that Nepali students should not aspire to study abroad. My suggestion for them is to collect all the information before taking the plunge.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne, Australia

Act sensibly

People weren’t much worried when the Constituent Assembly polls were postponed for the first time. It was because people knew that the parties weren’t prepared for the election. The failure of the government to hold the polls for the second time was blamed on the Maoists, as it was because of their demands that election had to be deferred. Now it seems the ongoing Tarai agitation may be the main cause of the third postponement. The situation in the Tarai has got worse because of the demand for the right to self-determination.

Moreover, violence and criminal activities have been on the rise. The government has to solve the Tarai crisis very soon or the CA polls slated for April 10 may be affected.

Dwaipayan Regmi,

Biratnagar

Indecent

I am far from a moralist myself, but we still live in a society that is predominantly traditional and considers sex as the closet thing. The article “Lust for language” (THT, Feb 18) was a great read, but not decent according to acceptable standards of our society. I believe the social taboo attached to all matters relating to sex in Nepali society is hypocritical.

However, how people, chiefly youngsters, learn about sex can be the deciding factor whether

they gain a healthy education (while being entertained at the same time) or are prompted to

indulge in irresponsible activities. THT should exercise more discretion in the future while selecting articles for Midway, which is very popular among youngsters.

Sarina Maskey, Lalitpur