Your page one picture ('Jumping the gun,' #307) of Comrade Sita, who said she was 18 years old on sentry duty, is tearfully emotional. The picture speaks for itself. I asked myself: are her hands old enough to carry such a heavy gun? If she were privileged enough like Anjana Rajbanshi, she would not raise the gun. I agree with CK Lal (State of the State, 'Anjana Rajbanshi's Journey' #307) that, although Rajbanshi is janajati and attended an ill-equipped private school, she is among a privileged Nepali because she has access to national resources. If we compare Sita and Anjana, it makes one think about the issue of special reservation for women.

Prakash Pangeni,
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. CK Lal's columns often provide mild entertainment for those of us amused by rants. But in his nitpicky unpacking of the 'real meaning' of a smart young woman's achievement (State of the State, 'Anjana Rajbanshi's Journey', #307), he hits a mean-spirited, sour note. Mr Lal, could you try to be gracious about the fact that while this SLC topper might not win the Olympics of the Suffering Life, she worked hard and used her brains to get where she is. Why diminish that?

Geena Lantana,
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