Xanthippe, Your comment greatly raises the level of witticism on Sajha; I greatly enjoyed reading it. Thank you. That said, let's clear up a few misconceptions, shall we? I do NOT "know that the maalik "is an honourable man". I have NEVER said anything like that. Please quote me accurately, and do NOT put words in my mouth. Broadly, I am interested in understanding the answers to these questions: With the maalik doing this and that since Oct 2002, why haven't the Nepali janataharu rallied around the political parties to fight for their share of democracy? And what could be done to make the Nepali janata rally around for democracy? My answer to the first question is: To most janata, it appears that the netas' corrupt ways are more vividly imprinted on their minds than the maalik's errant ways (which are, supported by long-entrenched institutional mechanisms). Few Nepalis, at this point, appear interested to fight for democracy if that means getting GPK et al back in the saddle again. Meantime, compared to the muddle coming out of political parties, the king's message -- however wrong -- appears to be clearer to most people in these confusing times when people seek comfort in the familiar. [This is like, to use an analogy, blue-collar workers in America voting for Bush -- just because he's got a simple, clear message -- even when Bush's policies end up hurting those very workers' interests the most!] My answer to the second question is: It's time for democrats like you and me to WREST the definition of democracy from these netas (who are unwilling to leave the stage, and who have become liabilities in the fight for democracy), and start creating and crafting coherent, credible and personal stories about democracy, and then take those messages to the janata in our own small ways. This is why, merely chanting, text-book style, that parties make up the lifeblood of democracy and that they ought to be respected is not going to get anyone's attention for long in Nepal at this stage. Of course, in the spirit of free and frank discussion, BOTH my answers are fully OPEN to criticisms and further comments, though I won't be around Sajha for a long time from July 1 onward. ****** You write: "What has Mukarung accomplished by writing this poem?" He's a poet. He expressed his opinions through a poem. Something about the way he expressed his thoughts touched me -- a Nepali. Can I not express my heartfelt joy at that? At any rate, let's just say that the heart has its reasons for liking the poem that reason knows not of. Maybe his poem will be history by next week. But for a brief shining moment, he brought a lot of things in focus to sharpen the fight for democracy. For that, I celebrate the poem. [Incidentally, non-democratic regimes do seem to produce of fiercely independent poets and writers: I am thinking of big names such as Joseph Brodsky, Czeslaw Milosz, Wislawa Symborska, Vaclav Havel, etc] As a so-called "efficiency/profit/success-oriented thinker" (truth be told, my life is a lot more complicated than this easy characterisation, but never mind), I do remain angry that Mukarung rarely gets paid anything for his songs and poems, and that his is often a lonely battle against those who do not pay him for his thoughts, poems and songs. Mukarung remains an EXPLOITED Nepali poet -- a fact he himself admits readily in private conversations. oohi ashu