The increase in technology in this so-called ‘modern’ world and the invention of the camera in mobile phones nowadays are being used too much. People click photographs especially by the ‘Smartphone’ users (who also take selfies and groufies) anywhere they are whether it be a car, bus, train or any hill station, desert and sea. These ‘smart’ people using smart phones never come back from any visiting place without clicking at least 10–20 photos. Sometimes the photos go above 100. Nowadays, people are buying phones by seeing the picture quality, not focusing on the quality of voice in outgoing or incoming calls. And their main aim is to post the photographs in social media sites. My mother also has got the Smartphone disease! Changing display pictures, posting photos, selfies, groufies and videos is a common phenomenon in the social media sites. After we come back from visiting a place outside our state or country, my mother posts at least 20–30 pictures. Not only she wastes mobile battery, money and time, scribbling with the mobile for such a long time gives so much strain on her eyes! Thank God she has no spectacles after using her Smartphone for three and a half years.

Avik Chatterjee, Kolkata

Alliance

It was encouraging to read the news “Parties resume slow-paced talks with front” (THT, Feb. 2, Page 1) at such a time when the Madhes-based leaders are talking about forming a grand alliance. It was not understood why the “Big Three” decided to amend the Constitution unilaterally without having consensus on contentious issues with the disgruntled parties. What was the purpose of the amendment if it was not intended to resolve the political and constitutional issues? On the other side, Federal Inclusive Madhesi Alliance (FIMA) comprising Madhes based five fringe parties is also planning to intensify its agitation (“FIMA to intensify Madhes stir” (THT, Feb. 2, Page 5) citing UDMF’s failure to effectively lead the agitation. However, it has urged the UDMF to form a grand alliance of Madhesi forces to exert pressure on the “Big Three”. Both the alliances are separately protesting against the provisions of the new constitution for the last four months. It is yet to see whether they will be able to form such a grand alliance. In the meantime, the upcoming dialogue between the “Big Three” and UDMF needs to be final and decisive to avoid the formation of the grand alliance which could further deteriorate the political situation. If the “Big Three” continue to flex their political muscles based on their numerical strength and ignore the grievances of UDMF and FIMA, there could be political blunder on their part which may politically and socially tear apart the nation. However, let us hope that the “Big Three” will use their political acumen and be sensible to settle the Madhes unrest in time and ease the Nepal-India trade blockade.

Rai Biren Bangdel, Kathmandu