- http://samudaya.org/articles/archives/2005/07/conversation_wi.php#comments As a competent journalist, Kunda Dixit presented a very objective report on the situation in Nepal as well as a good journalist's support for basic tenets of democracy. I appreciate this very much. Kunda-jee appeared to be resisting to share his PERSONAL political views particularly during Q&A time. If it is indeed so, it is his choice and I am sure that should be respected. So the following little comments are not really an attempt to drag him into political discussion. Just sharing my thoughts and speculation on some of his words. I would like to pick three points. 1. Skepticism regarding political parties-Maoist reconciliation [on a democratic republic set up] Kunda-jee at one point expressed his skepticism about political parties-Maoists reconciliation to fight the monarch. He appears to be emphasizing that it might give the monarch excuses to suppress the political parties more. I do not know if this is representing his [personal] point of view or an speculation regarding political parties' perception, however, I think this skepticism is an absurd one. Political parties have already reduced to "beggars", they don't have anything to lose. I don't think political parties are scared of being officially banned by the King. Kunda-jee is of the opinion that political parties are hopeful for a reconciliation with the King [ presumably at pre-2003 October status quo]. Kunda-jee is probably assuming that the growing pro-republican voice within the political parties and among people will somehow be contained by the current monarchist leadership when such reconciliation occurs. I think Kunda-jee is underestimating the strength of republican voices. Kunda-jee actually picked the data from Asia Foundation Survey conducted before Feb 1 to support his skepticism. That will be my second point. 2. I have elsewhere debated about the above mentioned poll and pointed out the questionability of it's official conclusion regarding negligible popular support to republicanism. I will like to bring that. Just two quick notes for now. (a) The question asked in the poll on which the damn conclusion is based was glaringly "leading" one that invites a bias in favor of the constitutional monarchy (refer Q. 26 in the the questionnaire. Full report here - http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/Nepal-ContemporarySituation.pdf ) (b) The wide scale acceptance of the conclusion that there is no popular support for republicanism appears to have influenced by scientifically erroneous summary statement published in Nepali Times. Read the following line from Sharma and Sen's report in Nepali Times, #239 - http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/Nepal-ContemporarySituation.pdf "The people overwhelmingly reject republicanism. ." In a scientific method, an answer to the question you did not ask is not valid. Q 26 is not a scientifically accurate question to obtain an absolutely conclusive answer like the one above. I would like it to be clear that by pointing to these flaws, I am only pointing to some limitation of the survey. Nothing more, nothing less. However, if you compare a demographically limited but very clear poll conducted several months before (which by the way Kunda-jee mentioned during the Q&A time when he said 90% of the students are anti-monarchy), the results are indeed conflicting. I am referring to the poll called "Student Referendum" conducted at around May 2004. More than 30,000 students (note that the sample size of the Asia Foundation Survey was 3000 !) from more than 20 campuses throughout the country took part in the referendum and the result was absolutely opposite to what Sharma and Sen reached to. "The student overwhelmingly rejected monarchy" For references: - http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=11526 - http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/nepaliweekly/dristi/2004/may/may18/local.htm The situation of pro-republic voice after Feb 1 is no difficult job to speculate. That brings me to the third point I want to come to. 3. Kunda-jee has claimed the following: "Most intellectuals and scholars seem to like the idea of the King and the political parties (two constitutional forces) reconciling to confront the Maoists (the unconstitutional force)." I would like to check the accuracy of this loaded claim one more time with Kunda-jee before I ask more questions. So that for next time. Deepak Khadka NJ, USA