Republican call serious :

Apropos the letter ‘Let Nepalis decide’ (THT, August 7), Bihari Krishna Shrestha has every right to find my article Opportunity for Koirala “provocative”. Some people have told me that it was a very realistic write-up and that the PM should give it a serious thought. Some others have labelled it as timely advice to Koirala, who can grab the opportunity now to go down in history with a big bang. But Shrestha had gone a bit too far in calling the article “frivolous”. If talking about republicanism and the ways to achieve it is frivolous, I don’t know what could be more serious in the present context. Whether and how republicanism is achieved is something to be seen in the coming days. But, in my view, suggesting that PM Koirala should declare Nepal a republic for the sake of his own image and for the benefit of the people who have been confused with the painful process of settling the issue is a candid and serious act.

If talking about republicanism is frivolous, should we not regard Jana Andolan II as frivolous as well? Are the parties frivolous too in committing themselves to republicanism? And what about the ethnic communities, women groups and the civil society which are demanding an outright republic?

Republicanism is the need of the hour and it is only a matter of time before Nepal becomes a republic.

Shrestha, is, of course, right that our PM has no “commensurate ability to see that his commitments are carried out.” He has a point if he is saying that PM Koirala being too weak to implement the official declarations of the government, is not in a position to declare a

republic.

Aditya Man Shrestha, Chabahil

Impractical :

Total democracy doesn’t mean freedom to do ‘anything’. Even in a democracy, there are certain restrictions. People from all sectors are demanding a place in the constituent assembly (CA). Those who are not included will tend to protest and disrupt the government’s activities. But they should realise that if all are included, the CA will be unwieldy and unruly because of its sheer size.

Ramesh Pandey, via-mail

Good sign :

The five-point agreement signed by the government and the Maoists on Wednesday has given the peace prospects a shot in the arm. In their separate letters to the UN, the two sides have agreed to monitor human rights, assist the monitoring of the code of conduct, and seek the UN’s role in arms management. Now a major hurdle to progress towards constituent

assembly has been cleared. The SPA and the Maoists should refrain from making statements that may hamper the implementation of the five-point pact. Yes, the election to the constituent assembly and the formation of a new government will take some time, but we are well on our way.

Suman Dahal, Ghattekulo

Neglected :

This refers to the news “CAAN grounds ‘stressed-out’ Cosmic Air pilots” (THT, August 8). The Cosmic Air pilots are doing a wonderful job, but its management leaves a lot to be desired. Having worked for the airline, I can testify that the company never looked after its staff, nor did it pay the salaries in time.

Roshan Maharjan, via e-mail