LETTERS: Inclusion idea ignored

Bipin Adhikari, a lawyer with special interest in constitutional matters, has opined that the President of the country is ceremonial and at the same time he can also use the powers guaranteed by the constitution. Adhikari seems to hint that the President should be a Madhesi because we already have a Hill-Bahun Prime Minister and a Hill-Janajati Speaker in the parliament. If Adhikari wants to state this as a constitutional expert I would fully agree with him. The CPN-UML has decided to field Bidya Devi Bhandari for the presidential candidate and if she is elected, the inclusion of the ethnicities in the constitution would be undermined and underrated.

It is a pity that none of the NC, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and other parties in the parliament seem to be serious about being truly inclusive of the different communities in the country.

By marginalizing the other communities, I do not see how the coalition partners in the power sharing government would solve the ongoing crisis in the country. The ruling partners should have paid more attention to the concept of inclusion.

Kul Ratna Bajracharya,

Kathmandu

Blunder

This is with reference to the news story “China may supply 1,000 MT of fuel to Nepal” published in an Indian newspaper on Oct. 25, Page 16.

Since the promulgation of the new constitution Nepal has been struggling for the supply of petroleum products from India. The basic reasons have been prolonged agitations by the Madhesis in the plains. The agitating parties have been staging blockades at some Indo-Nepal border customs points. Efforts were made by both the countries to ensure supply but it could not happen as the disgruntled parties were unwilling to accept the new constitution and chose to continue with the violent agitations. As a result, acute shortage of fuel got the NOC to slash distribution of fuel from its stocks in order to be able to manage daily requirements. Moreover, Dashain, the biggest festival of Nepal falling during this period, fuelled the fire.

Nepal depends solely on India for its need of petroleum products. With India not willing to resume smooth

supply of fuels Nepal had no option but to look for alternate sources to meet the humanitarian crisis. Under

the situation, the new government decided to find an alternative to import petroleum products from China National Petroleum Corporation. On the other hand, China has shown willingness and is likely to send in the first consignment of 1,000 MT of fuel and, that too, on a grant basis. Ensuring supply of essential commodities including petroleum products became imperative for Nepal. But the circumstances that developed during the last six weeks in Nepal have apparently weakened the ties between the two countries. The brotherly relationship has been adversely affected which is likely to take time to heal. The supply of essential commodities could have been managed easily had the Indian government cooperated with the Nepali government which had assured it of all security to the transporters.

Uday Bindu Sharma,

UP, India