Letters (Spotlight Weekly)

Downward Spiral

There is no doubt that the current adverse situation in the country has destroyed the tourism sector ("Hoping Against Hope", SPOTLIGHT, August 16). The series of incidents that have occurred over the last few years have raised fears of whether what was once Nepal's premier industry can ever be brought back to life. Nevertheless, let's hope the upcoming season would herald the revival of tourism.

Laxman Shakya
Kopundole

Find Solution

The cover story "Hoping Against Hope" (SPOTLIGHT, August 16) pointed to the sordid situation of the tourism industry. But it lacked adequate voices from sectors like hotel and tourism that are so intricately linked with the industry. For a country like Nepal, which depends heavily on foreign exchange generated by the tourism industry, the world-wide slump in tourism is unfortunate. But one should not lose heart. For every problem, there exists a solution. All concerned Nepalese should join hands in developing this sector and work toward fulfilling the promise of national prosperity.

Deepak Rai
Chhetrapati

Court Intervenes

In what is seen as a far-reaching decision, the Supreme Court has decided to uphold the right of the prime minister to dissolve the House of Representatives ("Politics Left To Politicians", SPOTLIGHT, August 9). One hopes that after this decision, our politicians will learn lessons from their mistakes. It was indeed ridiculous to watch politicians flocking to the doors of the court every time a prime minister dissolved the House. When we have agreed to work according to the constitution, we also must take care not to take any step in contradiction with the provisions of the sacred document.

Bishwombhar Dahal
Putalisadak

Encouraging Dictator

The Supreme Court's decision upholding the prime minister's right to dissolve the lower house of parliament ("Politics Left To Politicians", SPOTLIGHT, August 9) has indicated that his authority (to dissolve) remains justified even if the security condition is grave. Interestingly, some intellectuals and politicians, who had earlier criticized the prime minister's decision have started changing their tone after the apex court's decision. Isn't there anyone who sticks with his or her views? As such, the court's decision may encourage the prime minister to become a dictator by enforcing the state of emergency before and during each election.

Prem Thapa
Gyaneshwore

Enlightening Article

The opinion by Ananda Bahadur Thapa (SPOTLIGHT, August 9) was very enlightening. Mr. Thapa splendidly paints the actual picture of water resources and its potentials in the country. His expertise in this issue seems quite impressive. The points and predictions he makes in his article are strong and thought-provoking. Moreover, they are of vital interest to Nepal and Nepalese. One only hopes that the concerned authorities would give due attention to the issues raised. I hope your magazine continues to give space to such writers and such stories.

Kumar Gurung
Sanepa

Third Party Mediation

The solution to the Bhutanese refugee impasse appears as distant as ever ("From Pillar To Post", SPOTLIGHT, August 9). The nearly 100,000 refugees languishing at different camps in eastern Nepal seem to be losing hope of ever returning to their homeland. It is baffling that the two Himalayan kingdoms have been unable to solve the problem even after a dozen round of ministerial-level meetings. It is, therefore, natural to hear the refugee leaders talking of third party (read Indian) mediation. Maybe it is time the mandarins at the Shital Niwas gave a second thought to their policy in dealing with the problem.

Ramesh KC
Chabahil

Distorted Remarks

In last weekís edition of "SPOTLIGHT" you rightfully pointed out in your always interesting and sometimes fiery ìEditorís Noteî that something must have gone awry with the interview of "a senior western diplomat published in a local vernacular dailyì. Let me assure you that none of the rather outrageous quotations pinpointed by you reflect what I really said. Like most Ambassadors here I have learnt early during my tenure that it is unwise not to insist on the written clearance of an interview before publication. This had also been the explicit arrangement with the journalists from "Spacetime Daily" under which I had agreed to grant an interview. Unfortunately, the terms of this agreement were not honored. To this day I did not receive an English version of my interview in writing, and the editors went ahead releasing an unauthorized translation that I saw only when it appeared in ìSpacetime Dainikî on 9 August. Although I objected to this breach of trust in no uncertain terms, my insufficient command of the Nepali language is to blame if I did not realize right away the seriousness of the distortions of what I really said in the interview. I am grateful to you for drawing my attention to this. At the same time I should not suppress that my interview did also contain some rather critical remarks. They were meant to explain the unhappiness of donors such as Germany with serious shortfalls in the implementation of agreed reform policies. These failures seriously hamper our efforts to assist Nepal in overcoming the present crisis. A case in point is the dissolution of elected local self-government and its unsatisfactory aftermath. I do not believe, though, that the words chosen by me overstepped the limits of diplomatic decorum.

Rodiger Lemp
German Ambassador