This refers to Rakesh:

Wadhwa’s column Taking Stock: More capital, higher wages (published in THT on October 31). His assertion on capital and wage rise holds true in a perfectly free market economy. However, it is still unclear how “capital combined with entrepreneurship would lead to an explosion of productivity.” Merely adding capital would not ensure an increase in productivity. It requires the right mix of labour and technical know-how. To increase productivity, we need to ensure that the marginal productivity of labour is higher than in the absence of such capital. To boost the marginal productivity of labour, we need proper knowledge of how to operate capital too. Capital needs to be maintained in a good condition over the years and the management should be competent and far-sighted. Moreover, an increase in wages due to an increase in demand can be offset by deploying more capital, which could increase productivity. This does not necessarily increase wages sharply as the wedge between demand and supply would be minimised by the increase in supply due to an increase in productivity. Is not the whole assertion somewhat unconvincing?

Shikha Basnet, Old Baneswor

Shocking:

I express concern over the report “Media fiat against statute, says Adhikari” published in THT on November 1. The newly appointed Nepali Congress vice-president Sushil Koirala’s latest statement that “I have no idea what it (democratic republicanism) means” is indeed shocking. Koirala is trying to be very smart or foolish because “democratic republicanism” is the common slogan of the seven-party alliance. It is really an irresponsible statement coming from one of the important members of the alliance. How can Nepalis trust leaders like him for restoring peace and democracy in the country? How did the NC’s majority hand over power to such a leader?

Tenzing Bhotia, Canada

Misleading:

Some Nepali veterinary doctors, through one of the Nepali Television channels, have said, “People can consume poultry products even amidst the fear of bird flu because they eat cooked meat.” We must remember that people in Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong and China do not consume raw poultry products but eat cooked chicken. Despite this, several people have died after consuming infected poultry products or through viral infections caught from poultry. Isn’t their advice to Nepali consumers misleading and dangerous? Instead, Nepali consumers should have been told to be cautious and to consume poultry products at their own risk.

Bishnu Shrestha, Thamel

Elaborate:

CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam has said more than once in the past three months that some leaders of the multi-party dispensation had committed grave mistakes in the 12 years of their rule but he refrained from listing their names. I think Gautam was just trying to get even with those leaders who had declared him corrupt in course of their speech at the Open Air Theatre a few years back. The public has the right to know who these leaders are and what mistakes they actually committed.

Ramesh Shrestha, Lalitpur