Celebration sans fear :

It is almost in a decade that people are celebrating Dashain in a fearless atmosphere. However, the long-stalled peace talks between the government and the Maoists remain a matter of serious concern for the general public.

Political leaders should respect the sentiment of the people who have long been wishing for the restoration of peace in the country.

Any further delay in the peace process will reflect the government’s incompetence at tackling important national issues. However,

all people should contribute to the success of the peace talks. Hence, this Dashain, let us all pray for peace.

Ambika Pandey, Chitwan

Corruption :

Nepal will not enjoy true democracy till the culture of nepotism and corruption are rooted out. Though most of the government ministers and bureaucrats are corrupt, they are not ostracised from the society. When will the country move in the right direction?

Tainted leaders and inefficient public service bodies are gobbling scarce resources of the country. If this trend continues for any length of time, there might soon be another revolution.

Jhamu Thapa, via e-mail

This Dashain :

It will not be wrong to dub this Dashain a Loktantrik Dashain as it is the first Dashain after the restoration of democracy following the success of Jana Andolan II. A great number of people left Kathmandu to celebrate the great festival with friends and families.

With the improvement in the political climate and security situation in the country, this has been the happiest Dashain for the Nepalis in a decade. The armed forces of both the government and the Maoists, for a change, must be very happy to enjoy the festivities rather than fire guns. All over Nepal, people have prayed to Goddess Durga for a lasting peace and happiness in the country.

Anish Kumar Paudel,

Kathmandu Model College

Uncivilised :

I love the festival of Dashain but hate animal sacrifice in the name of God. I cannot understand what people expect to gain by killing innocent creatures. After all, they are living beings and can feel pain and agony. It is about time we started behaving in a civilised

manner and stopping slaughtering animals.

Rashis Pradhan, via e-mail

Abortion :

This refers to the news report “10.8 pc women opt for abortion: Survey” (THT, Oct. 4). The trend seems to be catching up with Nepali women. Though the moral issues involved in abortion remain unaddressed, the number of those opting for abortion has only risen with the modernisation of society.

Atit Pokharel, Gairidhara, via e-mail

Priorities :

Nepal’s economic health depends as much on the availability of resources as on their proper mobilisation. Therefore, it will be wiser to concentrate most financial resources on a limited number of profitable sectors like hydroelectricity than scatter them thinly over many sectors. The government will be judged by how it will utilise its resources.

Khusboo Rana,

Little Angles’ School