Letters (Spotlight Weekly)

Do Not Sell Electricity

It is an irony that while less than one-fifth the nation's population has access to electricity, our leaders are talking about selling electricity to India "A DECADE AFTER THE ARUN DEBACLE: Hurting The Poor (SPOTLIGHT October 8)". It is heard that even now electricity produced in Nepal is being sold to some of the Indian towns in border areas in much lower rates than the rate charged to Nepali people. We need to understand that before selling it to India we should make sure that all Nepalese people have access to electricity.

Nabin Khanal
Balaju

Harness The Electricity

Your cover story about the Arun III hydro-electricity project once again highlighted the issue of national concern - a welcome diversion from the common headlines of mainstream journals covering the ongoing political debates "A DECADE AFTER THE ARUN DEBACLE: Hurting The Poor (SPOTLIGHT October 8)". What, I feel, as one effective way of abolishing poverty in our country is to develop more and more hydroelectric projects. If there is any natural resource that Nepal is very rich in and feasible to use is the water resource. Given the mountainous terrain it is very feasible to produce electricity from the available rivers and streams. The other thing we are rich at is the human resource. So, I believe that local human resource should be used to extract electricity from the local resources. We need not even think of selling the energy to India or some other countries. Because if we can replace the fossil fuels that we are using currently for industrial and transportation, we can save a lot of foreign currency. In addition, it will be the best solution to the deteriorating air pollution. The development of medium and large scale projects would help to employ many people. Considering the job market, the advantage such projects have over other industries is that they employ all kind of labors- unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled. We are not short of unskilled and semi-skilled workers. Lately the number of skilled manpower has also been very high. There are Nepalese people who are highly skilled and working in foreign lands for there is no opportunity at home. So, its not a bad idea to start the development of the nation focusing on hydroelectric projects initially, but of course with a clear planning.

Rabindra Shrestha
Patan

Dismal Picture

I saw the picture of the Government school students buying lunch during the lunch break in a website recently. I feel sad when I think about those hungry kids behind the gate struggling to get their lunch. I feel sadder when our journalists only write about politicians but do not look at these kinds of problems and never give solutions to society. The journalists should diverge their attention from political issues to social problems like these. We are trying to educate them today. But I do not think we can hope much from these children given the dismal environment they are getting to grow up. We are unable to create them a suitable base on which they can grow. Looking from the other side, the solution to these problems is in the hands of more privileged youths like myself and journalists like you. However, we all are too cynical to think that far and spare some time for the poor underprivileged children. Journalists are supposed to show a way to society, but they are too busy writing about endless political debates and the politicians, and people like me are too busy to study and think about my career. Such a cynical individualistic attitude, however, is detrimental to all of us. In the long run we are losing as the children suffering from hunger and apathy are heading towards darkness. I request all concerned citizens of the country to join hands and find a solution to the burning problem before it is too late.

Suraj Shrestha
Via Email

Sort Out The Differences

I fear that the thoughts Bishad Piya expressed through a letter to the editor in Spotlight (SPOTLIGHT October 8) are very true. I am due to bring 20 trekkers to Nepal in February 2005. However, if the situation does not improve between now and then we will not be coming but instead will visit Sikkim. We do not want to do this. I have visited Nepal three times earlier and I love the country but I cannot risk bringing trekkers into an area with so much conflict. Please, please, get talking and sort out your differences, before your tourist industry disappears completely.

Norman Finbow
UK (Via Email)

Use Proper Wordings

I was happy to learn the news of British Gurkhas receiving citizenship in Britain as a good news through your newspaper. However, the word 'recruited' instead of 'retired' published in your newspaper confused me and others. As the process for amending immigration rules is underway, Gurkhas retired after 1 July 1997 will be considered for citizenship and not the Gurkhas recruited after 1 July 1997. The two words are entirely opposite as 'retired' means the last date of service and 'recruitment' is the beginning of the service with the British Army. Hope the necessary wordings will be amended in your magazine.

Jit
UK

Inaccurate Information

An information in your paper in the cover story "A DECADE AFTER ARUN DEBACLE: Hurting The Poor (SPOTLIGHT October 8)" is not accurate for Jamuna Bridge. Jamuna Bridge is not 11km long. It is only 4.85km long.

Shamaun
Via Email