CK Lal bemoans the exodus of Nepalis who go to foreign lands to seek fame and fortune and then expect their homeland to welcome them as conquering heroes ('Homecoming', #165). This is the wrong attitude. Lal notes that "there is no altruism in business. In the globalised economy, investors go wherever money is safe and gives the highest return." Lal types the correct words, but implies an incorrect interpretation. Global Nepalis are not a liability for Nepal, but an opportunity. I am an American business student and consultant who had the pleasure to spend time in your amazing land. Nepal is wonderful country brimming with potential, but dearly suffering under the effects of grinding poverty exacerbated by a deadly political insurgency and depressed tourist economy. Global Nepalis are a lifeline out of this quagmire, but it is up to the powers that be in Nepal to enable this lifeline. I urge His Majesty King Gyanendra to take the bold leadership steps needed to empower the government to take extraordinary measures to entice domestic investment from Global Nepalis and inspire confidence by offering guarantees of protection of these investments once they are made.

Joshua Gitlitz,
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

. Only CK Lal has seen through all the hoopla about the overseas Nepali conference, and put the event in its proper perspective. Most of these Nepalis left Nepal of their own free will to seek fortunes abroad. Now, instead of giving back to Nepali society what they took from it, they want more from the motherland. They want special treatment and profit repatriation for investments, and they want double citizenship so they don't have to pay visa fees. If foreign Nepalis want to help, why don't they help set up childrens' welfare schemes, girl-child scholarships, relief for victims of the insurgency, village water supply?

Nilam Ghimire,
Putali Sadak

. It is indeed a matter of pride that overseas Nepalis are showing a keen interest in bringing the socio-economic transformation of our country. Even though they are thousands of miles away their Nepali heart still beats. The government should give all cooperation.

Dr Eli Pradhan,
KMC

. It almost seems like Nepali Times has ODed on the NRN conference.

Overseas Nepalis are guided more by self-interest than by altruism or duty towards motherland. It is about getting the comforts and dual citizenship and repatriation of profits. One needs to evaluate their real contribution to Nepal prior to handing out freebees. Instead of wasting time on NRNs, the government needs to concentrate on the actual contributors to the Nepali economy-the blue collar workers in the Gulf, Malyasia, Korea, Japan and the US. Providing these blue workers with proper vocational training, job orientation, workers' rights, and consular services will further enhance the contributions of people who are already keeping the Nepali economy afloat. It is time to recognise the real contributors to the Nepali economy by those who toil 80+ hours/week or sometimes 2 jobs to make ends meet and help their family at home. Nepal should have convert the VVIP lounge at the airport to the real NRN lounge to welcome and say thank you, or say good luck and good bye dedicated to these hard working neo-lahures.

SN Singh,
by email