Anti-G, Sajha has witnessed innumerable pathetic deaths of abusive rats inside unknown holes of anonymity. Not a single abusive rat has ever come out of the hole ! *** *** *** *** *** *** PSC, If the King agrees for a republic (hypothetically speaking), do you think the Maoists will still not agree to lay down their arms ? I hope this is not what you meant when you said "Maoists will [not] easily laydown their weapons and join the mainstream". If you are, then our logic system is so different that there is no point for debating at all. If not, if you agree that the Maoists are at least likely to lay down their arms if the King agrees for a republic, then shouldn't you, who believes that the Maoist is the problem No. 1 of Nepal, be pressuring the King instead of supporting his dictatorship ? I agree with your implication that it is monumentally difficult to make the King to agree for a republic (giving his natural affinity for royal power). But isn't that all the more reason why we should pressure him more and more ? Everybody (except the King) is ready for the republic. UML declared it yesterday. Anti-Koirala and pro-republican wave of common people and NC workers still continuing since Pokhara Kanda has shown beyond any doubt that, except for Shree 3 Girija Sumsher Koirala, Princess Sujata and a handful of his bhai-bhardars, NC is now a pro-republican party. UML's declaration will affect them (UML was actually waiting for NC to declare it's republican position first !) and it is not going to be too long before NC formally declares it's commitment to the republic Nepal. King is the ONLY impediment to peace in Nepal and you guys are supporting him, at one hand, for pure love of peace and, yet, on the other hand, because you think that the King can not be removed easily ? Finally, you are doubting that the Maoist might not lay down their arms for a democratic republic, and in the same breath, you are hoping that they will lay down their arms for the monarchy ! I don't know how you have convinced yourself, but this is simply incomprehensible. *** *** *** Earlier, in your conversation with Anilji regarding press freedom, you implied that the situation is not terrible at the moment. And I agree with you. Compare today's situation with that during any freest time of Panchayat. Panchayat was dark as a hell. Compared to Panchayat what we have today is a Ramrajya. But is it because Gyanendra is liberal ? Nope. It is all because of the resilience of Nepali media with equally resilient popular support to them. That goes to all civil liberties. Gyanendra has been doing everything (including using most laughable and totally false reasoning like Frequency Modulation is not compatible with the wave length of the voice of news !!!) to gag the media. But my God, our media turned out so resilient, so creative minded, so united that they could overwhelm Gyanendra. All repressive measures of Gyanendra is in place and in action. But they just are not working. As a matter of fact, and in all sincerity, I had not hoped that our media can be this resilient and this successful to overwhelm the regime. I still vividly remember how horribly silent was the media during the 'emergency' of Deuba period. Perhaps there was a silent consent of the press to civil government. Perhaps media was still not mature then. Whatever the reason is the lack of resilience at that time was evident. NY rally is among other thing for showing our support and solidarity to the resilience of Nepali media against the King's regime's all suppressive measures and tricks. *** *** *** PSC, at one point you asserted that private sector media are not balanced. OK, but how would private media compare with Gorkhaptra and NTV ? Care to share your opinion ? *** *** *** *** *** *** Nemesis, Of course it is difficult. But difficult because of whom ? Difficult because of political parties ? No. Difficult because of the Maoists ? No. Difficult because of the King ? Yes. So whom should you be fighting with ? Nepe and Anil or the King ? The confusion between the condition and the conclusion is the basis of all royalist arguments. Let me cite myself to illustrate what I mean, almost all of the arguments against the republicanism in Nepal boils down to a confusion between "the Monarchy is necessary because it can not be removed" to "the Monarchy can not be removed because it is necessary" cited from the opening line of Nepe's Bhagvat Geeta on Ganatatntra: - http://www.sajha.com/sajha/html/openthread.cfm?forum=122&ThreadID=12335&show=all