Selective justice

In the news report “Party’s over for Paris Hilton” (THT, May 6), Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo has been quoted as saying about the 45-day jail-term for Paris Hilton, “In the city of Los Angeles, no one is above the law”. But side by side, there is the news report “YCL men torch govt offices in Bardiya”. Clearly, in Nepal, the law does not to apply to all equally. The stories of clashes involving the YCL cadres have increased recently. It is unfortunate that these things are happening even after the Maoists have become a part of the interim government.

Manoj Thapa, via e-mail

Callous

This is in reference to the news “Mahara defends Maoist atrocities” (THT, May 5). It is callous for the minister for information and communication to make statements defending Maoists’ killing of journalists in the past. The Maoists should have expressed remorse for what happened during the decade-long insurgency, and showed by deeds that they have abandoned violence.

Sambriddhi Kharel, via e-mail

Offensive

Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara’s recent comments justifying the killing of journalists offensive. To add insult to the injury, he said this at a function held to felicitate working journalists. But Mahara has only echoed Maoist chairman Prachanda, who thinks the death of 14,000 was a “comparatively small toll”. All journalists should demand an apology from Mahara. But the question is, Will they?

Pukaar Jung, via e-mail

Nice

Uday Lama’s Midway article “Keeping a straight face” (THT, April 30) was good. It delves into how a person should react to a nasty joke, a complicated situation or other emotional events. A person who shows no reaction is a lonely person in this world interconnected by communication.

Ekta Kabra, Putalisadak

Right thing

This refers to “Ason street vendors to be evacuated today” (THT, May 6). Ason will not lose its identity simply by removing the street vendors in the area. Rather, it will regain its ancient image as a cultural, social and business hub. The street vendors had turned Ason into a filthy, congested and chaotic place. Ason and other temple squares should not be turned into areas where anybody can set up any kind of shop anywhere without regard to the historical and cultural importance of the areas and to the feelings and convenience of the local people. It is a good thing that the local authorities are trying to clear Ason of street-vendors. At least, this would help make the place manageable.

Tisa Tuladhar, Kathmandu

Add page

As a regular THT reader, I am very impressed by your balanced news and reports. I especially like the editorial page for its excellent articles on international affairs drawn from such respected sources as The Guardian and The New York Times. If you can, you could add an op-ed page to make the newspaper more informative by including more articles on a wide range of domestic and foreign issues?

Madan R Bhatta, School of Valuable Learning, Kathmandu