Dear Poonte, I have some questions for you. 1. Serious (in terms of intensity by which they thrive) and protracted violent movements?like the Nepali Maoist conflict?take years, if not decades, to ferment. The root of Maoist problem in Nepal is the culture of inequality and suppression based on hierarchical system that was started by the Rana oligarchy and further perpetuated (at the most) and promoted (at the least) by the Panchayat autocracy. - This is oversimplifying the problem. I think what you wrote is definately a FACTOR. You cannot just rule out other possibilities when talking/writing about the Maoists. Is this a wholly domestic problem or is there any international component to it? Whose interests are served by creating political turmoils in Nepal? If it was a product of hierarchical caste system, how would you explain that the majority of influential maoists are from the privileged caste ? Is it a problem of caste or CLASS? 2. Despite many failures of successive democratic governments of the post-Panchayat era, one area that Nepal made remarkable progress under democracy?albeit weak?was in empowerment of the people who were ignored, suppressed, and deprived of rights, privileges and opportunities, particularly those from the rural areas, who were/are the vast majority of Nepali population. In the long run, what really matters?and what really holds true solutions to social ills (corruption being one of them)?is the real and genuine power to the people. How do you know or what makes you say that the people were empowered? Is there any way to measure the degree of empowerment? Do you mean to say the people became more politically aware? I don't think this happened. For example, D.B Lama was elected unopposed from Rasuwa. How do you explain this? Do you think without education and money to bridge the gaps in our society, people would really be able to empower themselves or become politicallya ctive and or aware? 3. Despite some serious difficulties, this trend need not be halted, not even for a moment. KingG and his coterie of vision-deprived, obviously-not-fit-for-modern-times crooks, after extended efforts to undermine the democratic governments, have done just that. It is too early to judge the King and his group, don't you think so? Maybe the majority or a significant majority in Nepal does trust the King to bring the nation back in track. Sometimes its very hard to assess things from abroad because we both are cut off from the ground realities. I am not in Nepal either, so I don't know what the people really think/want and expect, but I think when making adjectives- laden-broad statements/claims, one has to know really well what the situation really is and what the people for whom we both are arguing, really want. 4. Democracy, not autocracy, ensures greater awareness among the people and empowers them. Empowered people create better political alternatives. Better political alternatives, in turn, obviously guarantees better results for the people. This is the way it works. And this is the way it should be. In a divided country empowerement without economic development only creates more divisions and ethnic strifes. What do you think happened in Rwanda? Why the Arusha agreement failed? It failed because there were 10 parties asking for 10 different things. Our political leaders whether they be first generation or third generation, have proved it more than enough to the people that neither they nor the organizations they represent have any vision for Nepal or the people. This is why, I would rather force the political parties to change their organziational structure NOW and have all the old generation people go to Kashi or haridwar or hell, depending on their individual preferecnes. _ Do you agree that the nation is at war? If you agree that the nation is at war, then you ahve to agree that war time rules are different than peace time rules. and here's my final question to you: If you are appointed the PM of Nepal today, what is your solution? Be specific. [ How will you empower the people? We don't expect you to change Nepal overnight but what specific work plan or blueprint you have to implement your ideas so that Nepal starts the process of true democratization? How will you solve the maoist problem? What is it that you will do so that everyone in Nepal feels safe and satisfied? How will you adress the problem of poverty which is the root cause of all of Nepal's problems? How will you deal with a difficult neighbor to your south? ]