END ON A HIGH
Let's see how long this will last ('End on a high', #482). When are the rest of them going to learn that these Maoists won't budge unless we force them to? Government should use a two-pronged approach - provide opportunities for youths so that being a Maoist cadre has a high opportunity cost, and strongly enforce the law. Only then will they start to learn.

Pwloj

BEYOND CONTROL
While ethnic conflict must be avoided ('Beyond control', #482), we can't maintain the status quo anymore. There must be proportionate representation and transparent affirmative action in each part of the state machinery, not just in political bodies. Sadly, you do not see this happening when you look at the list of newly selected government officers. Looking at the figures, things were better during the Panchayat days!

R Rai

WITCH-HUNTS
Abuse and ill treatment of women is not new in Nepal ('Witch-hunts', #482).The only difference now is that some have spoken up about it. I recently saw a very upsetting documentary about the ill treatment of young Nepali widows. The current government policy of setting aside a few rupees for men to marry widows shows you how trivially the government takes the issue. I would really hate to see the fate of our womenfolk to be used as a political issue for our parties to score points over each other.

Rishav

SOUND BITES BITE
I approve of Prachanda's public call for dialogue with India, and his courage to openly irritate India ('Sounds bites bite', #482). I don't understand critics who claim he has in a way surrendered our sovereignty. Our sovereignty was always only 'partly' ours and Prachanda has only pointed that out. It is parties like NC, UML who have sold our sovereignty to India. Nepal needs fair relations with its neighbours to develop and we must have the right to cultivate productive, long-term relations with both India and China. We must resist all foreign interventions of the most blatant form that NC, UML promote.

Patriot