Ashu,

The reality is a "tipping point" -- the point after which people simply give up resisting--- has been long passed, unbeknownst to the likes powerfuls who are now rallying to protect Himalmedia in KTM, and are outraged. Nothing disgusted me more than when people like Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Khagendra Sangraula and Hari Roka went to PM and demanded a karbahi against the attackers.

You, above all persons, must have known it since long that industrialists have been beaten since long, and even a small restaurant owner can't operate the restaurant without being asked for extra money. God bless Himal Patrika for publishing those excesses from time and time--sympathizing with the industrialists in their plights, and your "unionko nam ma dadagiri" article should be one of the best ever in Nepali media. But the fact remains that when people in villages were crushed, extorted arbitrarily to the point that their children were kidnapped from schools and used as a canon fodder, people like Hari ROka, Khagendra Sangraula, Manjushree Thapa etc were busy praising the Maoist utopia. (I have heard you praising them, but surely that may not prove any association! Plus, I have no rights to demand that you cut off your association with them, but Himal media's cuddling with these Maoists-Goebbles doesn't look compatible with their heroism of publishing kartoot of some relatively unknown union leaders of the Maoists--not to subtract away from the heroism of the patrakars who wrote the report. I will be happy to see the day when Himal media, Kantipur and others cut association with the Maoists sympahtizers in KTM, and brand them danger to the freedom of press in KTM.)

I am a son of an ordinary trader in village. I still carry around a rashid of my payment to the Maoists, my proof that I made a deal with the Maoists, and for a man who hates the Maoists from his guts, this serves as a proof of humiliation I was inflicted upon long ago.Of course, I wanted to be resolute and resist the terrorists, like you did, but -having no friend in Obama transition team or in Kailali-my bravado would have gone unnoticed and I dont' want anonymous death or paralysis. But the humiliation hurt me big time. For some reason, I wanted it to happen to the complacent wealthy class in KTM, who always found a way to support the Maoists. It is either king or the Maoists for most of them. I have long passed a tipping point where I could resist Maoists without appeasing them. I assume most of the industralists in Hetauda-Birgunj corridor, in Biratnagar, in Janakpur did that. When they needed help, Nepal's anti-capitalistic media and elites turned the other way. Frankly, if a YCL goon punches Khagendra Sangraula/Devendra Raj Pandey, especially Pandey, one day, that would be my best day.

I didn't bring up this "Us Vs Them" taxonomy without any reason. There was no one to protect us when we were victims. My own sister voted for the Maoists in the hope that they would stop their excesses. We long passed by the tipping point of resistance. Now, as sociologists say, there is a pooling equilibrium, where everybody votes the Maoists, follows the Maoists in village, because it is costly not to do so. We wait for another pooling equilibrium--like they did in Dolakha loooong ago--where everybody opposes the Maoists. Dolakha's anti-Maoists movement fizzled out, because KTM didn't bother to support it. I doubt KTM has stamina to start another pooling, in all likelihood, the arrest of the two terrorists will be declared a victory and the country will be run in two parts--one is KTM and another is nonKTM-- and in that case, I am sure you will forgive me in thinking that some people "up there" are more equal than us in the new Maoist ruled animal farm.

(BTW, what I wrote above doesn't mean I disagree with you in that we must work one-day-at-a-time to defeat the Maoists and allow an environment where people entrepreneurship spirit is amply rewarded, not discouraged as capitalistic tendency.  But sometimes, as I walk from my deraa in Sanepa to Kupandol, it comes to my mind that there is no one who is going to fight for my poultry farm back home. The interpretation for me rightnow is this: a few people in Kathmandu are trying to tell me, " Pire, help us to be safe in Kathmandu, and we may help you to be safe in your hometown!". I don't know if that works. I will, today, rally behind you, Ashu, but will you do it for me tomorrow when they come to my house and take my profit? Of course, I will be selfless and support you. But you should always keep this context of "Us-Vs-Them" in mind. I support you, but don't make me feel it is totally nishkam-karma support.)