LETTERS: Nepal-India relations

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Nepal on February 1-2 is crucial. Nepal is a beautiful Himalayan country in the world and India should strengthen its relationship with Nepal. By the by, the people of Nepal deserve praise for overwhelmingly participating in the elections. Their willingness to embrace the norms of democracy and their efforts to create a new republic in the country are really commendable. Besides, the social, political and economic rights of the people of Nepal should be the mainstay of the government. On its part, India should help Nepal maintain the spirit and flexibility in the whole process of making democracy and governance. Both India and Nepal can achieve/create many milestones on major fronts such as economic growth, culture, tourism and knowledge through great strategies and strong plan of action.

P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai

Apropos of the news story “India willing to work with new govt:  Swaraj”  (THT, February 3, Page 1), it is most heartening to note that India is willing to work with the new government in Nepal. The Indian minister’s visit to Nepal shows that India takes the welfare of the Nepali people seriously. India must have sensed trouble for the Nepali people from the never-ending political squabbles even after the elections. Nepal must be grateful to Sher Bahadur Deuba for leading the government without leaving a dangerous vacuum in the face of never-ending Oli-Dahal squabbling “Oli, Dahal grappling with unity, govt formation” (THT, February 4, Page 1). The country should not be held hostage to indecision and inaction.

Failure of politicians to mend fences should not leave the country void of a government.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Profession

Whenever I hear the word professionalism, the face of a young man comes to my mind. He is not a doctor or a lawyer but a tea vendor who sells tea from table to table at the workplace. He is very particular about his work, always maintains exact timings of his rounds and has a tremendous memory.

“Are you a computer?” is the question he has often been asked. After a full day’s work, he collects money from his customers. So, he has to keep it in his mind how many cups a person has consumed in that particular day and also how many of those are big cups and how many small. And also if there were any arrears of previous days. Whenever anyone’s body language has thrown a doubt, he emphatically starts narrating the details of his having tea associating with other things like who he has taken the first tea with, the exact location of his having the second one and what he said to him at the time of receiving the third one! It is a real magic. But never has he overcharged anyone. He never let anyone hurt his dignity of labour. He does not answer to anything that has been asked with an intention to make even friendly fun of him.

Sujit De, Kolkata