MADHES

When he analyses the Tarai movement, Prashant Jha shouldn't forget the hand behind the it. As a resident of the Tarai, I don't really oppose the movement but I think that any demands to divide the country are unacceptable to myself and most people.

Suman Pathak,
email

. I wish you would recognise that many Madhesi activist outfits are linked with organised crime, Hindutva fundamentalists (and therefore, the Palace), and caste-based groups with roots in Bihar and UP. Madhesis are not the only community with low representation in Nepal's government and upper echelons: a good half of Pahadis are in a similar situation. The casteist aspect of the movement is obvious when you see the names of the leaders of groups with a clearly expressed agenda of ethnic cleansing, and that the Tharus (who have a stronger claim to being 'Madhesi' than many of those agitating) are now strongly opposing the movement. The real goals of the movement, though unstated, are 1) to scupper elections again, and 2) to create a Madhesi-dominated Nepal, with a Hindu Samrat at the head. The result will be the splitting of Nepal, after which many Pahadis will turn to China for protection. This will leave India with a weak control of a mafia-ridden Tarai (a mere extension of Bihar). China's influence will for the first time be effective south of the Himalayan divide, a strategic disaster for India.

Marceau Reda,
email

. The Maoist leadership has been playing short-sighted ethnic politics in order to get its ultimate goal of controlling the nation. Now the rug has been pulled out from under its feet (and the rest of the SPA) are scrambling to battle/save the Madhes. I commend the brethren in the Madhes, for they have realised how dependent Kathmandu and the hills are on them. They don't even have to go to the capital to get their demands met: all they have to do is shut down Birgunj. In this disunity, I fear that another unifier will rise in the form of a dictator or military junta. If they can provide security and stability people may consider liberty to be a dispensable ideal.

SN Singh,
email

. Nepal must be in the topmost rank in the world for equal opportunities. We currently have three heads of the state. We have a king who still believes that he is the king even though our so-called constitution says that he is not anymore. We have the self-declared first president of modern republican Nepal. And we have the current embattled prime minister, who is not prepared to give up the position seemingly at any cost. Modern democratic Nepal also boasts two governments: an official and an unofficial one. The first president of Nepal is in charge of both of these. We should be proud to be citizens of such a democratic nation.

Manab,
email

DARK AGES

Thank you Nepali Times for carrying out the photo feature 'Dark Ages' (#388). The pictures have exposed the uselessness of Nepali leaders, who claimed they would improve Nepal's social and economic lives after the 'feudal monarch' is gone. What real improvements have there been in people's daily lives?

Bhuwaneshor Sharma,
Adelaide

DADELDHURA HOSPITAL

I am very saddened to hear that TEAM hospital in Dadeldhura has closed down ('In god's hands', #387). I visited the hospital in spring 2007 and I truly admired the high quality services delivered by the hospital in such a remote area of Nepal. I am also sad that medical professionals and societies seem to be quietly watching the show. It's high time that health care practionioners should take responsible leadership in issues like this and put pressure on the government and other parties to negotiate a way to reopen the hospital. Letting this hospital shut down is denying people basic rights and is a regression of earlier development. I commend Nepali Times for covering this issue when everybody is focussing only on the upcoming constituent assembly elections and the protests in the Madhes.

Anil Pandit,
Maryland General Hosptial,
Baltimore, USA

. Your article about Dadeldhura Hospial was excellent, but one statement may not be correct. I am sure that much more than four percent of women in the region are suffering from a prolapsed uterus.

Aruna Upreti,
email

Dadeldhura Hospital was reopened this week, after an agreement was reached between the government and HDCS.

- Editor

FLIGHT CANCELLED

I would like to congratulate the team who built Danfe for their hard work and dedication to construct an aeroplane in Nepal. The domestic aircraft industry would benefit in many ways, and it is a shame that the Nepali bureaucracy has not given permission to test flight this plane. This is a good example of why Nepal is Nepal, and not America, Australia or New Zealand.

Sanat Dhungel,
Auckland

. The cancellation of Danfe's test flight reminded me of the similarly sad cancellation of the test flight of Nirmal DC's aircraft in Nepalgunj a few years ago. It's a real shame the government can't encourage such ventures.

Surendra Malla,
email

PRACHANDA BONAPARTE

Maybe it's not so apt, but another 'time-honoured Nepali tradition' like the one the donkey refers to (Ass, #388) is: 'beating up one's daughter in order to intimidate one's daughter-in-law'. There's no question about who the daughter is, it's the public. As to who is the beater and who's the daughter-in-law, well, that's something that only time will tell.

Subodh,
email