Finally, a summary in the Nepali context. We have tried authoritarian rules of one form or the other for over 220 years in Nepal. even if we discount the pre-Rana and the Rana eras are irrelevant, we still had 30 years of Panchayati authoritarian rule in our modern political history. They (it) got us no where. Instead, suppressed people were made so incapable of functioning freely that when democracy came, they may have lost some sense and chaos erupted. Precisely because we do not want this to happen in the future, I say, we MUST endure initals hardships that democracy entails, so that we will be better off in terms of responsibility and civility in the future, by having learned from mistakes in democracy. 12 years if democracy is nothing compered firstly to 30 years of Panchayat, and it is nothing compared to what might be required to see proper fruition of democracy. Political and social transformations take AT LEAST a generation to take positive effects. Nevertheless, despite all the problems Nepal faced during the 12 years of relatively free society, the society was atleast headed int he right direction. INterms of physical development, road networks were DOUBLED, electricity networks TRIPLED (refer to Kanak Dixit's article -- I even forget which one -- for exact figures. Upcoming ICG report, which I have had the opportunity to preview, states that overall growth rate during 30 years of Panchayat was 3.4%, compared to 5% during 12 years of relatively freer society, this DESPITE the Maoists problem. Besides the numbers, ISO, let me give you an example that I can personally relate to as someone who has had spent significant numbers of years in the US as a student: When I came to the US for the first time to start an undergraduate studies in 1989, and even until the early 90's, Nepali foreign student in the US were very few -- perhaps in the dozens -- and the vast majority of them were high school graduates of either St. Xavier's, or St. Mary's, or Budhanilkantha. Not only they came from those three elite high schools, many of them were from well-to-do families from the KTM Valley. You look at the picture now. Not only there are hundreds upon hundreds of Nepali students in the US, majority of them (collectively) are not only from "other" high schools in the valley, but there are quite a few from small schools in the villages. I personally know quite a few of them who are doing PhDs here in the US. This is EMPOWERMENT. Something that those students' elder siblings or their parents could not even have dreamed of, they are enjoying it in reality now. all this was possible ONLY in democracy through better access to resources and information. अब, भोली आएर कोई शहरियाले त्यो गाउँको केटोलाई हेपोस् त! "तिमीले मात्र पढ्या लेख्या छैनौ, मैले नि PhD गर्?या छु!" भन्न सक्छ उसले। "तिमी मात्र देश बिदेश खाएर शेष भएका छैनौ, म नि पुग्याऽ छु त्यो अमेरिका र जापान!" भनेर जवाफ दिन सक्छ उ। From arts, to literature, to music, to formal education, to media (FM stations and various other news outlets)...who were increasingly running the shows? They were the people outside of the valley! The areas that were previously under the strict control of an elite social clique from within the valley were now being dispersed to various people of various jaats who came from various areas in "other" Nepal. THIS IS EMPOWERMENT! I know a lot more needed to be happening, and many were still feeling left behind. But at least the process was started and it was heading in the right direction. The benefits were not reaching everyone, but it was reaching to the people that it never reached before. This is not to justify and/or to glorify the NETAS. They were loathesome corrupts full of sheer ineptitude. I agree with all of you when you spit disgust at them. However, just becasue they turned out to be bad need not mean that the system was bad. Yes, the system had some flaws too, but what needed to be done was to correct those flaws through strengthening of democracy, NOT uproot it all together. The bottom line is, Panchayati-type governance brought us only human misery in the name of nationalsim and coerced homogenity and peace. Human development -- development of the minds -- through EMPOWERMENT is what we need; and this was slowly but surely happening in the past 12 years or so. I am not even saying that the King may not be the right person for us. Maybe he is. Maybe you are right. BUT, let the people debate that in a free and open manner, in a democratic framework. Whatever we have been abel to do in Sajha forums -- debate, argue vibrantly -- I want to happen in a national level. Raja pani maidaan ma uttros. Nadarayera. Army ko pachhi nalukera. I just don't want the King, or anybody else for that matter, shove his idealism down my throat through force. Even the King himself, and his ideas muast be a subject of debate and arguments.