INDIA-NEPAL-CHINA
I am appalled by Prashant Jha's rambling ('Two Dajus', Plain Speaking, #415). How much should we lean towards India to balance China? Playing China against India doesn't work but playing India against China does. Please clear my head.

Sandeep Dhungana,
Preston, UK

* Indians and Chinese are going to be the next super powers in Asia and the world. Nepal stands to gain a lot by being smart. But we need to fix our mess. The most important thing of all is to safeguard our dignity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and nationality. There should be no compromise on this. The responsibility of this lies with our own leaders. India's reaction to PKD's China visit ('Love thy neighbour', #415) is childish. We need to be pragmatic, but a great country like India should not be so insecure.

Sirish, email

* It is the political parties who have created this perception that the real reason Nepal hasn't advanced is due to Indian meddling. Such India-bashing is a lame excuse for their own inadequacies. Indian companies have invested in Nepal and more would do so if the attitude in Nepal was not so anti-Indian. China's desire has been to isolate India in its own backyard. By destabilising the region the Chinese want to make sure manufacturing and jobs do not move to these countries. If the Indian economy expands as projected and there is a favourable environment in other South Asian countries, the whole region will flourish.

Manoj Sharma,
New Delhi

KOSI
As you point out in your editorial, it's time we all realise that we have to learn to live with nature and not against her ('A flood of recrimination,' # 415). The strongest of human endeavours fail to stand in front of nature's fury. Corruption and careless attitude are two other reasons behind these devastating floods. The Indian government clearly failed to maintain the embankments properly.

Kapil Mishra,
India

* Your editorial warned of the Kosi changing its course and bypassing the barrage and sweeping across Bihar as a worst-case scenario that will make the flooding in Nepal 'a picnic'. Well, it looks like the worst case scenario has happened, this is what we have dreaded all along. You suggest that we should 'not block the Kosi's path to the sea.' How? By relocating tens of millions of people who now live in the flood plain? There is no alternative to the Kosi Dam, the sooner we get used to the idea the better.

Ritesh Thapa,
email

* Alternative to the Kosi Dam: tap the Sun Kosi at multiple points and bring the water down through the Tarai to Bihar first so that the water is uniformly distributed in the plains. The height of the Kosi High Dam can thus be reduced in this seismic prone area. Water can be better controlled, siltation won't be a problem and it will be much cheaper. Let there be a national debate on this issue.

Name withheld,
email

VANISHED
Kishor Kayastha's photos ('Vanished without a trace,' # 415) made me sad. It is cruel for these families to suffer this way. No amount of money will bring back their near and dear ones, but the new government of Nepal, which is built on the blood and sacrifices of these families, should properly compensate them for the tragedy they have suffered, and at least lighten their financial burden. This sort of negligence and injustice is unacceptable.

Daniel R.,
Valencia, USA

* A non-profit group I lead here, Community Members Interested (COMMITTED), conducted a fund raiser to help the families of the Jogimara 17. Within Nepal, some more money was raised. Money may help, but families need a more long-term redress and a belief that justice has been carried out.

Jayjeev Hada,
Virginia, USA

* Looking at the wheeling and dealing in the formation of the new government, it looks like the sacrifices of the disappeared and killed like Ram Kumar Bhandari's father ('Justice delayed', #415) have been in vain. Is it for this that all that blood was spilt? Even now you see a Maoist prime minister only pay lip service to the plight of the relatives of the disappeared. We have to put pressure on the army and the Maoists to disclose information on the people they disappeared.

Yamlal Aryal,
Odense, Denmark

* There has to be justice for the families of people like Ram Kumar Bhandari. Thank you Mr Bhandari for carrying on the struggle in such a humane and heart-warming way. A New Nepal can't be created until the suffering of those who lost dear ones is recognised.

Leeza Sharma,
Virginia, USA