All work and no play:

I am concerned and disturbed to find little children being made to carry heavy school bags that usually weigh nearly half of their own weight. Besides, they are overburdened with the never-ending homework. Can you imagine the mental pressure on school-going children? This is all due to the over-ambitious syllabus for the primary level. They have to spend the entire evening studying and have no time for play. This is one of the main reasons why children are not physically strong these days.

Such a hard and tedious life is harmful for their overall growth of children. The school authorities should realise this and reduce the homework load.

Aditi Chokhani, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu

For equality:

The news “Gurkhas in for 10 pc pension hike: GAESO” published in THT on January 10 must have hurt the sentiment of 25,000 plus pensioners. Firstly, a lot of Gurkhas now have doubts regarding the credibility and leadership of Major Dipak Bahadur Gurung. There are people who think he is making every possible effort to defame GAESO, the pioneer Gurkha organisation in Nepal. It is also said that he now has his own organisation that conflicts with GAESO. So how authentic is it to publish such important news on the basis of a press meeting called by a controversial person?

Secondly, after my retirement in 1996 the annual pension review has been 10-11 per cent. It was only last year that the hike was a meagre three per cent. The issue is not of pension hike, but of providing the Gurkhas pay and pension at a par with their British counterparts. This is a fight against discrimination.

Hemant, Lagankhel

Insensitive:

The picture of the gruesome killing of a whale published in THT on January 9 was very tragic. So much for all the hype regarding animal rights. Such inhuman acts remind me how insensitive we humans have become, at the same time making a strong case for stopping such acts. The population of the mighty whale is already decreasing and researchers believe that this mammal will become extinct soon. Still it is surprising that killings are going on, that, too, in such a gruesome manner. The animal rights organisations should come to the whale’s rescue. People should not forget that the earth belongs to all creatures and every being has the right to live.

Pradip Bhandari, via e-mail

Speeding:

Hardly a day passes without road accidents. A busy city like Butwal is no exception, especially the Siddhartha Highway. Who is to blame? Is it the ever-increasing traffic or the negligence on the part of drivers? I guess the main cause is the lack of patience among drivers who try to overtake the vehicles in front. The drivers of micro and passenger buses and trucks are usually the main culprits. They do not respect the rights of the smaller vehicles and don’t realise that they are not only endangering their own life but that of the other passengers as well as the pedestrians. Unless heavy fines and stringent punishment are meted out to the guilty along with the confiscation of their licences, this problem will persist.

Bharat Shrestha, Butwal