Saving grace

This is in reference to the news report “Alleged kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar in net” (THT, Feb 8). The Nepal Police, who have miserably failed to contain violence and criminal

activities in the country, have earned some credit by arresting Dr Amit Kumar, the kingpin of the kidney racket. Now that he has been extradited to India, it is the duty of the Indian

government to punish him. At the same time, the Nepal Police should step up their efforts to nab criminals at home as well.

Mohan Devkota, via email

Eye-opener

Though the much-hyped Nepali movie Kagbeni is not without its flaws, the movie could be an eye-opener for the Tarai groups. In fact, people in the hills are still living in abject poverty and without even the facilities that people in the Tarai have always taken for granted. Not only are they deprived of the basic amenities but they still don’t have schools, hospitals and the means to earn a decent livelihood. Tarai people might have good reasons to demand a federal state, but they have every responsibility as Nepali citizens to think about the more disadvantaged people in the country.

Bikash Jha, via e-mail

Unfair

Apropos of the news report “King Gyanendra cries foul” (THT, Feb 8), he has every right to express his opinions as any other citizen of the country. Now that the monarch has been stripped of all his powers, there is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill over what the king has told foreign journalists. It is quite unlike democracy for political

leaders to cry foul over an issue that deserves no attention.

David, via e-mail

Get ready

Though the CA polls are barely two months away, none of the 74 political parties which have been registered to contest the elections have prepared their manifestos. Moreover, the recent revival of the People’s Revolutionary Council and the Maoists’ announcement that Young Communist League would mobilise 200 volunteers for every booth do not bode well for the constituent assembly election. These developments suggest that the best way to ensure the conduct of free and fair Constituent Assembly polls would be to call a

round-table conference that would form a non-party interim government and a

commission of constitutional experts to draft a republican constitution. This draft

constitution should then be presented to the public for endorsement through national referendum.

V P Sayami, Kathmandu

Unfounded

This refers to the news report “It’s foreign inspired” (THT, Feb 9). Prachanda’s ire over king Gyanendra’s remarks in an interview with Japanese media is unreasonable. In a

democracy, every citizen has the right to express his opinion and king Gyanendra should not be an exception. Moreover, why should the king require the support of any foreign power to express his personal opinions? Or, should common Nepalis assume from Prachanda’s statements that common people should stop expressing doubts about the ruling government’s

ability to govern?

Lochan Loof, via e-mail