SINDHULI HIGHWAY
I enjoyed reading 'History in the making' (#407) because it gives us an overview of the present and links it with the past. The highway will offer a much-needed shortcut to eastern Nepal, and will save enormous wastage of fuel and time.

Datta Tray Roy,
email

• Finally there is a piece of news not related to politics, or corruption or any other war. At long last, a constructive item of news. Let's hope Sindhuli will lead to more roads being opened for development.

Pravesh Saria,
email

• Thanks to Rupa Joshi for an interesting write-up and brilliant pictures about the Sindhuli Highway. The highway will open up not just the access to the eastern Tarai from the plains, but will also open up the possibility of a parallel East-West Highway in the hills by linking Nepalthok to Dhankuta along the Sun Kosi.

Dipak Gurung,
Cardiff

WE BELONG
That was an emotional and touching editorial ('We belong together', #407). But reading the past few editorials in Nepali Times I get the feeling the editor is losing hope. Are you? Please don't, yours is the only paper that offers us a sliver of hope in this otherwise desolate political landscape.

John Chhetri,
email

• Just a line to say how much I liked the editorial about Meera Thapa. Having been born in north-eastern India, I know exactly how she feels. But I wonder if what brought tears to her eyes was the Tara Debi song or the shambles she found her mother country in: garbage on the streets, garbage in the politics and garbage in the economy. She was crying for her beloved country and what we have reduced it to.

Kumar Ghising,
Kathmandu

• I just wonder after reading your editorial whether 'Nepali emotionalism' (as distinct from Nepali 'nationalism' or 'patriotism') is a hill-defined sense of who we are as Nepalis.

Name Withheld

UNITED REGIONS
USAID is very pleased with the Nepali Times' coverage of the USAID-supported program to promote exchanges between Madhesi and Pahadi journalists ('Uniting hills and plains', #406). The objectives of this program were to increase fair representation of Madhesi and Pahadi issues in local media and promote social harmony. The activity also provided internships to Pahadi and Madhesi print journalists at regional newspapers, with Madhesi interns working in Pahadi-owned papers and Pahadi interns working in Madhesi-owned papers. USAID proudly supports similar initiatives because we believe that they promote mutual understanding which can help further peace in Nepal. Once again, I would like to thank you for publicly recognising this important program.

Beth S Paige,
Mission Director,
USAID/Nepal