highfly, We do not disagree on our goals. We have differences in how to achieve them, which is healthy -- the more ideas we have, the better it would be for our cause! I had said somewhere before that it would be a grave mistake to jump over the cliff clinging to King's arms in the name of unity. We need unity, yes. But, we need to be united as PEOPLE, and for the PEOPLE, rather than for the King. And UNITED PEOPLE need not necessarily agree on everything. Rather, the real threat to PEOPLE'S UNITY comes NOT from out differences, but from our unwillingness to respect those differences. If we must unite for a greater cause, why not then unite against repression that the current regime represents, rather than unite for HIM? The idea of STRONGER PEOPLE cannot be materialized overnight -- it is a long and difficult process, especially given he fact that Nepalis as people have been deprived of elements that make them stronger, individually and collectively, for decades. The institution of monarchy in Nepal has played a key role in this negative aspect of our lives too. Nevertheless, the process of strengthening the people must be started somewhere by someone, by doing small things that make people see choices, by making them think, by having them debate, and making them subjected to everything else that is enshrined in DEMOCRATIC principles. The bottom line is, people need to be empowered. EMPOWERMENT of the people, as I see it, is only feasible in strengthened democracy, not uprooting of it. Notwithstanding the fact that much of foreign aid does not even reach the needy, I doubt if targetted sanctions would affect the commoners much anyway. More importantly, though, I personally have always advocated what some of the EU countries are doing vis-a-vis sanctions against Nepal: Stop the military aid while continuing the humanitarian aid, with stronger monitoring. As for the upcoming rally in NY, different individuals may join it with different agendas. That is all fine by me as long as I know in my heart that I will be there to raise a voice against REPRESSION, not even against the King per se, but against a feudalistic system of repression that he represents.