Doing our job

This is in response to a recent statement made by the executive director of Sahid Gangalal National Heart Care Hospital, Dr Bhagwan Koirala, that journalists should respect an individual’s right to privacy. We as photojournalists agree with him in that an individual’s privacy should not be encroached upon. However, when any event involves public figures and matters which are vital to public interest, it is our responsibility as journalists to keep the public informed. In the case of photographs of the ailing Prime Minister, we did not encroach upon his privacy, but undertook our duty of keeping the public informed about the PM’s

deteriorating health.

Bikas Rauniar and Narendra Shrestha, via e-mail

Act now

I have enjoyed visiting Nepal since 1979. However, the laid back response of the authorities to the bird flu threat might prevent hundreds of tourists from visiting Nepal. The

authorities should not wait for the flu to penetrate Nepal thorough the open Indian border but take every measure it can to remove the threat before it claims human lives. The authorities should seal the Indian border so that the virus-infected birds are not transported into Nepali

territories. Surprisingly, the three-person team the government sent to eastern Nepal to look into the bird flu threat does not include a veterinarian. If bird flu hits Nepal, the tourism industry will be the hardest hit. The authorities should act immediately without wasting any more time.

Jim Spillane, Badikhel,

Lalitpur

Wrong stand

This is in reference to the news report “No talks till the government meets demands:Thakur” (THT, Jan. 26). President of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Mahanta Thakur has refused the government’s offer to sit for talks until the government makes its stance on the

11-point demand clear. No issue can be resolved without discussion and dialogue, especially when it involves complex political questions. The demands of the TMDP might be

reasonable from their perspective, but the government has to mull over every aspect of the issue and the likely consequences before making any decision. Furthermore, the present government has been formed to conduct the constituent assembly election to solve those very political issues by framing a new constitution. Thakur should understand that the demands of other communities cannot be overlooked as well. Should Thakur accept the government’s offer to sit for talks, it will not only facilitate the solution of most of the political issues but would also pave the way for polls.

Basanta Devkota,

Gaurighat, Kathmandu

Exemplary

Apropos of the news report “Locals clean up Dallu area” (THT, Jan. 27), it is appreciable that Dallu locals have taken an initiative to clean up the locality and raise awareness about proper methods of waste disposal. Garbage disposal is one of the biggest challenges facing the capital. Most of the times the metropolitan authorities have been blamed for not being able to keep the city clean. But it is the duty of the public to keep their areas clean as much as it is the responsibility of the KMC to manage waste.

Pratik Pandey, Kalimati