Diplomatic appointment:

Judging by the names of prospective candidates for ambassadorial posts that appeared in the press, one can have no doubt that sycophancy and nepotism rather than merit are receiving higher priority. Most of the names are of those who have been unable to make a mark in the domestic politics of these coalition days. At a time when many of these hopefuls should have been making a contribution to resolving the political problems at home, it is not appropriate that they are trying for ambassadorships, posts for which they are not well equipped as these require special training and skills. It is too late to train them. Nepali diplomats are supposed to promote the country’s national interests. People appointed just for their political affiliation will not be able to perform their duty ably. All diplomatic appointments should be tied up to clear terms of reference based on economic diplomacy recently recommended by the high-level task force and followed with periodic evaluation of performance. If these criteria are not followed, our embassies will be full of people seeking to go abroad for a variety of purposes, such as treatment, employment, education, or just prestige.

A Baral, Khumaltar

Probe it:

Apropos of the report “Man found dead in national park detention centre” (THT, Nov. 17), the death of a person held in the detention centre inside the Chitwan National Park (CNP) provides room for suspicion. A few months ago, CNP officials had allegedly tortured detainees to death. This tricky issue should be handled carefully. On the one hand, such incidents may discourage the park officials from making more arrests, on the other, it is possible that the family members of persons dying mysteriously in detention may resort to extreme measures against park officials. The incident must be investigated and corrective action taken.

Keshab Raj Joshi, CDES, TU

Win hearts:

This refers to the report “Irate locals force Maoists to free five captives (THT, Nov. 18). The Maoists’ Morang district chief, Dinesh Sharma, claimed that the Maoists had not abducted children. But he also said that some cadres might have mistakenly taken five children with them. The Maoists should not shrink from admitting their mistakes, whether at district level or central level. It is time the Maoist soldiers and cadres were trained to win the hearts and minds of Nepalis rather than rule by force.

N B Katuwal, via e-mail

Neglected:

The Supa bridge on Gorusinge-Sandikharka Highway in West Nepal has not been repaired even once in more than a decade. It was left untouched recently even when a 62 km highway was metalled. To prevent any untoward accident, it is necessary to repair it without any further delay.

Amod Panthi, via e-mail

PDF version:

I used to download the PDF versions of old THT issues from its website. That service is no longer available. It is much more gratifying to read a real newspaper with colourful advertisements and pictures. You should start the service again.

Mandil Pradhan, via e-mail