Poonte, I was only trying to put things fair and square. I mean you guys don't even live in Nepal. What would you know the circumstances that led to the take-over on Feb 1. What would you know about the most pressing needs and aspirations of the nation and the people at this hour? Ultimately, it's the people living in Nepal who will have to endure the pain and hardship -- not you lot. I couldn't possibly fathom the reasons behind the passing of certain legislations by the US president, could I ? as I don't live in that country. We live in two different planets where our priorities are worlds apart. You live in a first world country which has the highest standard of living; I live in a war-ravaged third world country teetering on the brink of collapse. The single most important thing to you is political freedom. What does political freedom mean to a person in a remote village in Humla? Zilch. Period. Trust me, we worry more about where our next meal is going to come from than anything else. It's all about priorities. Suppose, there's a person who is really ill, what do you think would be his priority -- medicine or a TV? What use is a TV to an ill man, get my drift? To us, survival -- which is instinctive -- is our first priority. First our basic needs have to be fulfilled and once that is taken care of we can move on to other finer things. Personally, I think political stability and peace is what Nepal needs. Not political freedom. Only if peace and stability prevails, will the economy thrive. Only if the economy thrives will the people have better life. We must stop this cycle of voilence and bring an end to maoist terrorist activities. We can no more endure this pain and hardship. We have had like 15 governments(correct me if I am wrong) in the last 14 years. The hallmark of multi-party system has been the birth of Maoist insurgency. Their report card has been replete with disasters. The former US ambassador (can't recall his name) to Nepal once, and quite aptly so, likened the tussle for power among parties to 'fighting for the masterbedroom when the whole house was burning'. The politicians emerged as selfish corpse-eating vultures. It's absurd to blame the King. How can you blame him when it was the political parties running the country for the last 14 years? Com'n be fair to him. That's all I am saying. Let's be objective. It was deuba who dissolved the parliament in 2002, not the King, as one ignorant poster was asserting the other day. Deuba even mocked that he had learnt it from Girija. The political parties themselves admitted thier inability to hold and/or participate in elections. So, in effect, in all but words, democracy was already dead. They themselves killed democracy. It wasn't like the "evil" King woke up one morning, things were all honky dory, and then on the spur of moment he decided that he would take control of the government, or was it? Surely, we had to end this stalemate. The country was fast plunging into absolute lawlessness. I would imagine that the King is the custodian of our constitution, and, as such, it was his resposibility to safeguard the nation and the people. Poonte ji, I bear no grudges against you. You have always come across as an affable and level-headed guy, which, I must say, is a scarce species in this forum. You called me royalist, which is very unlike you. I have not seen you label people. When I first read that part where you called me a royalist I actually broke into a fit of laughter. Politics isn't exactly my cup of tea. Unlike you (btw, not saying you were wrong to attend a rally), if a pro-monarchy rally were to be held toimorrow, I wouldn't attend it. I am not nearly as passionate as you are on these issues. As I said in my earlier post my apetite to engage in a protracted discourse on this issue is wearing thin as I know no matter what I say, or what I write, it is not going to make an iota of difference. [Oh! I still dare you guys -- the pro-democracy participants -- to come and live in Nepal permanently] Cheers!