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LETTERS |
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LETTERS |
People Power The application of the principles of
democracy in the people's lives can be seen in the way forests are being managed by the
community ("People's Agenda", SPOTLIGHT, June 14). Apart from playing a crucial
role in preserving valuable resources, community forestry has sown the seeds of devolution
and fostered people's participation. This shows how projects can become successful with
genuine and enthusiastic participation of the people. Kumar Gyawali Deepen And Widen The success of community forestry needs to
be emulated by other sectors ("People's Agenda", SPOTLIGHT, June 14).
Decentralization and local participation can galvanize such infrastructure development
projects as small hydro-power plants, irrigation, rural electrification and roads. It is
vital to make more and more people aware of the success of community forestry in order to
spur their interest and inclination. Bikas Tamang Changing Landscape Definitely, there have been visible changes
in our surroundings because of the success of community forestry ("People's
Agenda", SPOTLIGHT, June 14). Only a decade ago, the hills surrounding the capital
valley were denuded. Today there is greenery everywhere. The hills in such places as
Shivapuri, Nagarjuna, Godavari-Phulchowki, Chapagaon-Lele, Chobhar are now teeming with
dense forests. All those involved in the operation of community forestry deserve special
praise. By preserving the environment, they have contributed not only to their society and
country but to the whole world. Kaushal Gautam Apt Analysis Your analysis on elections under a state of
emergency ("Closed Minds", SPOTLIGHT, June 7) was incisive. I would like to
recall what senior advocate Ganesh Raj Sharma had to say in a recent interview with BBC
Nepali Service: "In other countries, political parties rush to the voters once the
house is dissolved and fresh election called, while our parties go to knock the doors of
the court." This precedence has been set by none other than the Nepali Congress,
which likes to call itself the synonym of democracy. Once again, history is repeated in
different circumstances but in the same system of governance in which the prime minister
should not be challenged. Although the petition filed by Congressmen raises some
constitutional questions, these have been overshadowed by their real motive. Are the
ex-lawmakers worried by the premier's violation of the constitution or do they feel uneasy
having to face the voters again. Had they really been so worried about the constitution,
they should have removed Sher Bahadur Deuba as their parliamentary leader immediately
after he went back on his pledge in the house to amend the constitution. Experience,
however, tells us that the common people would get no benefit whichever way the court
rules. While presenting snapshots of the FIFA World Cup in the same edition of your
magazine, the writer has exposed his bias towards Brazil by not mentioning the decisive
penalty kick that was so controversial. How could you forget to mention the injustice done
to the Turkish team over Rivaldo's acting, which caused irreparable damage to the team? Suraj Poudyal Little Interest Although petitions have been filed at the
apex court demanding the reinstatement of the House of Representatives, there is very
little interest among the people this time ("Court In Politics", SPOTLIGHT, May
31). The judiciary, it is hoped, will take a decision that would not aggravate the
situation. Although legal experts are bound to define the issue from legal and
constitutional perspectives, they should also take into account the state of the country
before reaching a decision. Om Gurung Anti-Pollution Drive Pollution is growing by the day in
Kathmandu, but government officials do not seem to be bothered. It has become difficult to
find fresh air to breathe. Rising air pollution has raised the risk of chest diseases and
respiratory problems. Noise pollution is also increasing in urban areas, causing loss of
sleep, deafness and hypertension, among other things. The recent outbreak of typhoid,
which claimed more than 100 lives, is said to be linked to contaminated water.The
government should take serious steps toward controlling pollution. The main causes of
pollution are haphazard industrialization, improper use of harmful chemicals and unplanned
urbanization. The discharge of industrial wastes has degraded our rivers, lakes and ponds.
Smoke emitted by old vehicles and factories has spoiled the quality of air. The people
should be made aware of the harmful effects of pollution through sustained environmental
education programs. Afforestation and clean-up campaigns should be launched with greater
vigor. Nirakar Poudel |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
