GADHIMAI SLAUGHTER
We all recognise that investment in education is the key to our success in many dimensions: it deepens democracy; it creates human capital to spur long-term growth; but it also helps us evolve as human beings.

It is in the last context that the Gadhimai sacrifices are relevant. You mention an article by Maneka Gandhi, in which she argues that animal sacrifices in the name of temple goddesses are also partly driven by economic motivations ('Stop the slaughter', #475).

I wonder how many of our NNSD-educated luminaries would jump in the pond to tear apart a live goat in the name of some cultural practice. The majority of us probably would not.

Thus, I would like to draw our Honourable Cultural Minister Dr. Rijal's attention to this issue. We were so quick to declare the country a secular state, and yet why can we not take actions to stop such a barbaric tradition?
As Ms. Gandhi argues, bad practices like Sati, slavery, untouchability, Thagi and human sacrifices have been banned. Animal sacrifice should face the same fate.

To that end, investment in education is utterly vital so that people can make informed decisions rather than be blind followers. At the same time, some level of government contemplation in the immediate future on this issue may not be that bad either.

Alok K. Bohara,
USA

l If the goddess of the malignant Gadhimai mob is ghoulish enough to be appeased by blood, then the feverish participants can offer the ultimate sacrifice of their own blood and let the Red Cross properly and humanely collect it for medical needs. What could please her more?

Alonzo Lucius Lyons,
Kathmandu

l The animal right activists have to earn their daily bread; hence one can't blame them for jumping at an opportunity that will bring them headlines in the papers. However, it disheartens me to see the 'Buddha Boy' so involved in denouncing age-old traditions and rituals in religions other than his own. Now that the Gadhimai sacrifices are going ahead anyway, how about stopping the Christians from slaughtering turkeys for Thanksgiving?

Prasanna K.C.,
Patan

OUTRAGEOUS
This is an outrageous abuse of power (Ow, Minister!, http://www.nepalitimes.com/2009/11/12/308). The sense of entitlement among politicians is obscene. Democracy should be a means to promote liberty, not put power in the hands of petty people with dictatorial impulses.

Chistopher Lingle,
www.facebook.com/nepalitimes

GEOGRAPHIC FEDERALISM
The article seems to touch on the socio-economic and geographic dimensions, but I doubt whether any of the federal models proposed so far ensure populations easy access to service centres ('Geographic view of federalism', #474). Besides, just wait for the gerrymandering that will occur come election time. People in the Tarai already got a taste for it during the CA elections.

Tej Prasad Adhikari,
www.facebook.com/nepalitimes