ROAD FOR NEPAL
I think that Baburam Bhattarai's economic ideas are sound and practical ('The investment climate will improve', #396 and full version on Nepali Times website, 'Radical democrat'), but I also wish to make a suggestion. Nepal should no longer be a dumping ground for Chinese goods which have been rejected by the rest of the world. It is wrecking our own production base, as anything our small country can make is immediately swamped. I agree with many others of his suggestions, but I think that the families of victims killed by both sides in the war should be recognised and compensated. This is important. Government should be more transparent, and the police force should be both cleaned up and strengthened to provide real protection to Nepali citizens. I think it's better that Nepal's revolution will now be a gradual change rather than a drastic, violent confrontation.
Pradipta Rana,
email
. Baburam Bhattarai's interview really depressed me. There is not one iota of new economic thinking in his agenda. What new or different views did he give that NC or UML politicians have not put forward already? Or that's not in the usual recommendations from the World Bank or ADB? I don't see any insight in the economic thinking or agenda for the 'New Nepal'. Anyway, how can we trust a party that calls itself Maoist but is prepared to hobnob with all the big capitalists?
Samjhana,
email
. CK Lal's reference to businessmen as 'Kathmandu fat-cats and Lalitpur moneybag&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#̵'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;' ('The survival of the weakest', #396) shows us the apathy that Nepali society at large has towards its entrepreneurs. No economy can grow without the contribution of its private sector. What people like CK Lal fail to understand is that wealth creation is necessary before wealth distribution. A simple mathematical example for you, Mr Lal: zero divided by any number equals zero. It's a good thing that the Maoists have realised this, or at least are trying to show that they have realised it.
Swagat R Pyakurel,
email
. The constitutional assembly gives us hope to build a new Nepali nation state. But we also have to seriously consider what might happen if the future political system fails to meet people's high and diverse expectations. In this time it is crucial that all political pundits look towards true and meaningful democracy. The Mexican anthropologist Bonfil Batalla said that democracy can only work properly if it serves the benefit of all in the country, not just a minority or an elite. He also stresses the importance of cultural pluralism. I think this is especially apt for Nepal right now. We need to follow through on the agenda of federalism and self-determination both to decentralise power and empower minorities.
Prakash Thapa,
Virginia, USA
. Why are your views still so anti-Maoist? Please be positive. Now that the Nepali people have elected the CPN (Maoist) enthusiastically, please respect that. Do you recall the open letter you wrote to Prachanda asking him questions ('Dear comrade', #382)? Your question was very nicely answered by the Nepali people with the election result.
Pashupati Neupane,
Syangja
. I strongly feel that the CA election was more a populist and propagandist display for the political class of Nepal than any sort of necessity for the nation itself. There are many countries in the world which are peaceful and developed but never had a whole election just to make their constitution. Rather, they preferred a consensus constitution, written by legal experts, representing all political stakeholders of the country. Anyway, hopefully this chapter in Nepal, alleged to be pending since 1950, is closed once and for all. But who is happy with the outcome? Truly speaking, no one. The Maoists? Just look at the u-turn in their rhetoric on various national and international issues.
Pradeepta Sharma,
Mumbai
HARDLY SURPRISING
Congratulations to Deepak Thapa for this rigorous and unbiased analysis ('Hardly surprising', #396). This election has proved that you cannot survive in politics anymore based on what you did 60 years ago. Nepal has shown that like other countries its politics are not static but dynamic. The people are ready for a radical change. Many NC and UML candidates were known to be corrupt, and this contributed to the parties' defeat.
P Adhikari,
email
. I find it funny when the Nepali media blames the Tarai people for 'voting along ethnic lines', as Deepak Thapa did. Didn't they elect NC and UML politicians time and time again, who in turn always chose to favour their own aphno manche and sycophants? Just look at GP Koirala's constituency. What has he or any other Pahadi leader done for Madhesis or unpriviledged people in the Tarai? Now it's time for change and I hope the media will bear the importance of this in mind in the future.
Vivek Gupta,
email
. One does not know what to make of so-called experts such as Deepak Thapa. Two months ago, in your sister publication Himal Khabarpatrika, he wrote an article saying there was growing disenchantment with the Maoists and they were victims of their own ethnic politics. Now that the election results are in, Thapa says the Maoist victory is 'hardly surprising'. His article attributes their success to their organisational skills, as if no one else had guessed this and you need to be an expert to say it. What happened to his claim about Maoists and ethnic politics? I think Nepali Times should start an 'Expert Watch' column so readers can decide for themselves who really knows what they're talking about and who are really just hangers-on and self-styled experts.
Pooja Belbase,
Kathmandu
