While I despise the brutality of Maoists' methods, I respectfully will have to disagree with above posters that violence is the answer. JB wrote, " I strongly believe that the near and dear ones of the maoist top brass should be captured and tortured." Hmmmm... that is way too harsh, woutdn't you say? If we start doing that, and by we I mean the government (which represents us in some shape or form whether we like it or not), then what makes us different than those brutal maoists. One of the most dreaded word in Nepal these days is "BEPATTA" or "disappearance." People are being disappeared right here in Kathmandu, and mostly by the armed forces. Now it is not known how many of those "disappeared" are Maoists, but nonetheless, it is quite disconcerting. Government's armed forces will have to always stick to the higher road, no matter what the consequence. Sticking to the higher road gives it the legitimacy. Should it stray from that road, then it becomes nothing but just another "dogs of war." Violence is evil. If we deal violence in answer to violence, there will just be more violence. All sides will lose and evil will reign rampant. We are already seeing the beginning of this in our society. We can't let violence prosper in our land of Buddha. The friends and family of known Maoist Leaders should be kept under surveillance, perhaps even investigated, but should NOT be unlawfully detained and definitely NOT tortured. That would not only amount to gross human rights violation but also bury us as a nation into the depth of shame and immorality.