NRN has provided immense entertainment Dr. Raman Misras The discussions, diatribes, and debates that seems to be going among the Prabashies, (NRN as they like to call themselves) has provided immense entertainment, in spite of me and my fellow citizens having to live in this unprecedented turmoil in this country. In one sense the Prabashies seem to think and speak as we used to about 7 or 8 years back.!!! In another sense they seem to be "all knowing" individuals, matching the capacity of the supreme God. At times I get the impression that their wishes, hopes, directives, and demands will make geopolitics in our region disappear and the natural trend of actual events in Nepal to bow down to their prescriptions. I hope their notions will alter the course of our reality. For then, magically we will have a haven on earth and that also the very next day.!! We, who have been lucky to be in a relatively secure locations, with about 40 to 50 percent of the army providing such security, must naturally be very grateful to the Prabashies ( not the army, who are putting their lives in line for our defense) for their suddenly intense concern for our "democracy". We must be particularly grateful to the Prabashies for their concern, focused only in our residential locations and only at this time in February,2005 and not for those of us who have been in Maoist controlled areas since 1996. This pray is not to insinuate "democratic favoritism" of the Prabashies to the lucky us in the relatively secure locations. Presumably, the advocates of democracy have by the grace of God known all along that things like "freedom of speed", freedom to assemble, freedom to pursue ones economic occupations, freedom to live, freedom from any types of intimidation and coercion etc etc had never been deprived in those Maoist controlled areas since 1996, so that they did not have to wine and wail like now. We are grateful to them for discerning that this mystical "democracy" only in the secure locations has suddenly been endangered from February 2005, by only those very institutions that have hitherto provided relative security and protection to us. Presumably if we could just get rid of our protectors, we would surely enjoy the democracy like those of us have enjoyed it since 1996 in the remote districts. This will surely bring peace of mind to those wailing and wining for love of "locational democracy" since this February. We are also grateful to the Prabashies for making us aware that demands for democracy should be made only from those who are taking decisions to address our crises and not of course from those who have been leading us into confrontation since 1996 as well as those who are finding new ways and means for yet more confrontations and instability, all in the name of democracy of course !!. You had asked, "How do you see the present political crisis in the country?" As for the like us, who have to suffer the consequences of reality of Nepal, we do not know what this "present political crisis" that you allude to is. We have been in crisis since 1993 and more intensely so since 1996.We know that a new type of decisions have been taken. We are still trying to figure out what it means to us, out lives, our security, and our unprecedented economic uncertainty. This new decision, we believe is a reaction to and an attempt to address the CRISES that we have been facing since a decade. The series of crises that some have described as leading Nepal towards "becoming a failed state". Uncertainty prevails. It is too early to make any judgment. We still have to wait for likely trend that maybe discernable after some time. We are more concerned with results and how it affects our lives our securities and our future. One has to wait some time yet, to see the type of results that the February decision brings. But if the wishes, hopes, wants and the current February furor of the Prabashies is any indication of actual reality, we may add yet another series and types of confrontation, that presumably will be according to the "love of Nepal" displayed by our Prabashies and this no doubt will make us free from worry and dejection, simply because, even if we are not killed, we will eventually just get used to our agonies. As I have told you before, "should", "must" are words that are beyond my comprehension. My "should" and "must" have no power to alter or guide reality. So I am in no position to tell you what the immediate role of the media "should" be. Further, I fail to understand which media you are referring to, the Maoist media, the other partisan media, or other types of media? Well, they are taking the role that they have decided for themselves. They need no prescription. But just because you asked, I would repeat what I had said before, that is if media could just promote consensus, we maybe blessed with some pragmatic direction and condition for peace in this country. But this is just my wishful thinking. Is it not? "How will this move affect the peace process, the negotiations with the Maoists?" Again Kamala jee you have taken me by surprise. What "peace process"? Is there any peace process going on, that we in Nepal are unaware of ? If there were, there would have been grounds for hope, wouldn't it be? And Negotiations with the Maoists? I believe I had given my opinion in the article titled "Hearts overriding minds." published in the People's Review. Just to reiterate, negotiations depends on the desire of those who started the conflict and only secondly on those who are opposing them. Further negotiations must include, The International Revolutionary Movement (RIM), as well as CCOMPOSA ( South Asian Maoist Organization) to which our Maoists belong. And what maybe the things to negotiate about? Terms of surrender by the State or the Maoists? Hypothetically speaking, even if negotiations were possible between the State and The Maoist, will it be acceptable to other parties and of course, I almost forgot, the Prabashies ? Do the other parties have any pragmatic points or issues or commitments or stands for "negotiations" with both the State and the Maoists? What are they going to give to the Maoists or the State and what are they willing to take? Have they made any approach or even contacts with the Maoist to explore the possibility of this "Negotiations"? And if they have, then have they granted the "freedom of information" to the people of Nepal and the world at large? As for the nature of conflict after 1st February. Again, I am no soothsayer. The answer to this question is in one sence inherent in the answer to your first question. But, is the action of 1st September the cause or the consequence of conflict? Or is it not just a part of the conflict? Just another maneuver like the attempt by NC to reinstitute the expired parliament, like the attempt to have all party government sans elections of the UML, like the previous two attempts at dialogue, like the reluctance of the over-ground parties even to try to attempt to facilitate and conduct elections, like the demand for elected constitutional assembly? By the way, I have heard of constitutional assemblies of other countries, but I have never heard of the "ELECTED" constitutional assemblies (except as a slogan, now in Nepal), have you? Is this February action the consequence of the lack of consensus between and within the over-ground parties? Is this latest action the consequence of ever increasing areas of operation of the Maoists and non-seriousness or incapacity of any other forces to address the Maoist problem ? When the over-ground forces are in disarray and in disagreement and in conflict with each other, will that motivate the Maoists to intensify conflict or to give-up the use of arms? And just an insinuation, without heed to future consequence, crises and conflicts, would not this current conflict and current crisis simply disappear, if only all of us agree to live in communes under the "new democracy or people's democracy of the Prachanda System" and as part of the Compact Revolutionary Zone, together with Bihar, Jharkhand and Andra Pradesh? You had asked, "How hopeful are you about Nepal's future?" Many of us who have lost all hope have, as you well know already, lost sanity and many have committed suicide. Rate of such incidents have risen since 1996 in Nepal. Hope is the only thing we may have to sustain us. But those high and mighty who just demand, keep saying "should" "must" and display their unique wisdom by doing nothing concrete, but only blame others, do contribute in depriving even the little hope of those who have been suffering the consequences of conflict. Yet lets keep hoping that things will be better. That is what the people I have met in Nepal are doing, now.