LETTERS (Spotlight Weekly)

Tough Nut To Crack

Although Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has promised to reform the civil service, it is easier said than done (Reforms Overdue Spotlight April 21). Who could know the difficulties of reforming the civil service better than Koirala, who during his first stint as PM had to face a serious backlash after he decided to prune the bureaucracy? But, however hard it may be to reform the civil service, no one can deny its importance and urgency.

Lila Nath Subedi
Dillibazar

Make It Attractive

The civil service in the country is does not provide attractive job opportunities to ambitious young men and women (Reforms Overdue Spotlight April 21). Thanks to its low pay, most of the bright students either opt to go overseas or join private sector. This could be one reason why Nepalese bureaucrats are less efficient. The government should give due attention to this facet and make the service lucrative enough to lure brightest people.

Dinesh Dhital
Bishalnagar

Develop Skill

The skills of the Nepalese bureaucrats leave much to be desired vis-a-vis their capabilities to negotiate, hard talk or bargain with their foreign counterparts (Reforms Overdue Spotlight April 21). The concerned authorities need to give more thought on this issue and introduce training courses to hone the skills of our civil servants. This agenda should also be included in any reform initiatives.

Narendra Bista
Kalimati

Faulty Mindset

The civil servants of the country suffer from a faulty mindset (Reforms Overdue Spotlight April 21). They don't see themselves as public servants but as public masters. This has resulted in them being indifferent and inefficient. While reforming the civil service it is essential that they be taught about their duties and their responsibilities.

Diwakar Dhungel
Siphal

Education In Crisis

In our attempt to adopt the education system of the western countries, we are beginning to neglect the importance of our own traditional education systems (Searching For Attention Spotlight April 7). While it may be important to teach English and other international subjects, it is equally, if not more, important to teach our students our traditional values and culture. If we go for blind copying, we may end up nowhere. Neither we would be able to master the western education system, nor would we be practicing our traditional ones. The situation is such that if we do not control it, our whole education system may face a serious crisis in future.

Kamal Dahal
Hetauda

Dirty Politics

Not only the ruling party but also the main opposition are too immature to shoulder their responsibilities in a democratic regime (Heading For Confrontation Spotlight April 7). While the party in power thinks itself as supreme authority, those in the opposition think they rule the streets. In between, the common man is trapped helplessly. Sure, it is the duty of the opposition to point out and raise voice against government's shortcomings, but they have to do it in a disciplined manner. Organizing shutdown strikes, creating traffic jam by demonstrating in the middle of the road at the peak office hour shows how immature they are.

Abhaya Subba
Dillibazar

Good For Third World

The UN Secretary General's action plan for the 21st century to be unveiled at the Millennium Summit later this year comprises of many points that could prove beneficial for the third world developing countries (Targeting Globalization Spotlight April 7). It is good that the developed countries of the world realize the difficulties faced by the third world nations thanks to the economic liberalization and globalization. We, the people of third world countries, sincerely hope that the action plan will be followed by the global statement for the benefit of mankind.

Subash Shrestha
Lagankhel