No growth sans peace:

Of late, there has been a lot of deliberations on development issues in the context of the prevailing armed conflict. The main thrust of the discussions is how development activities should go unhindered in spite of political instability and violence. Political analysts say that a political settlement of the conflict is needed first to create a conducive environment for development activities. It is true that in the absence of peace and democratic institutions, real development cannot take place. Development experts from home and abroad argue that development should not be made to suffer because of the conflict. According to them, development efforts help reduce the causes of the conflict. They, thus, see no direct relationship between development activities and politics. However, if we listen to the voice of the majority in the country, we find that people want ‘peace’ first and foremost. The people, especially in the far-flung villages, are not enthusiastic about development activities because of the fear and insecurity triggered by the conflict. Therefore, all the well-wishers of Nepal should help the Nepalis to unite and put pressure on the government to seek reconciliation with the parties to bring a lasting peace in the country. Development is contingent upon peace.

Tatparya Bhatta, via e-mail

Dirty roads:

The condition of roads in Kathmandu is deteriorating by the day. Besides affecting the locals, the congested and highly polluted dusty Valley roads are leaving a bad impression on the tourists, too. But it is the people who are actually to blame for this situation. The locals behave irresponsibly by throwing household trash on to the streets, thereby making the roads dirty. Only when the people cooperate with the municipality can the city be clean and healthy.

Nishchal Aryal, via e-mail

Confusion:

This refers to D B Rai’s Midway piece titled “The last salute” published in THT on March 24. I am a regular reader of this column, but this time I was surprised to see Rai’s article, which had an unexpected subject matter, as it was merely an obituary or, say, condolence piece praising the bravery of the writer’s inmate. I am confused what actually is the subject matter of this famous column. Is it entertainment? Or is it recollection of the memoirs of everyday life? The subject matter of the column should be clear.

Harihar Poudel, Pokhara

Lax rules:

It is sad that the number of road accidents is rising in the country. This is due to weak traffic rules and also because of the drivers’ negligence. Actually the culprits bribe the police and get away with murder quite easily. Just a few days back I was surprised to read a news item in which a driver, who had hit a small child, was sent to prison for only four months and fined a mere Rs. 2,000. Lax traffic rules and faulty punishment system have given rise to the number of accidents. If the drivers feel that they can get out of jail with ease even after killing pedestrians then the rate of accidents will never go down. Strict rules should thus be implemented.

Neeraj Raya, via e-mail