couple of quick points: Panchayat in its early years came up with amazing stuff too. Purba Pashcim Rajmarga, Araniko Rajmarga, Bhumi Sudhar karyakram etc. " 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. " The hardships we endure today is not going to institutionalzie demcoarcy in the future, it is actually going to make the matters worse. Because with modern mass media, people have access to the lifeways of people living in westren countries (forget western couyntries, China) and they want that kind of lifestyle too. Nobody wants to endure hardships and poverty so that his unborn son can have a FREE life. "Empowerment" and just what that led to? I am for positive empowerment.. yes, everyone should have a say in nation's politics and tjheir licves, but in a democratic manner.. in Nepal, it just took the tone of ethnic nationalism and you saw the developmnet of ethnic militant movements. " 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." But how exactly could those flaws be corrected under the same curropt rulers? How long could we wait? 15 years in enough waiting, in my view. Of course, if we were still living in the early 20th century, then things would have been different and we could have waited for 50-70 years, but we happen to live in the era of information age, where we have access to developmnet and better life of people not only in western democracies, but Singapore, malaysia and China.. and that leads to discontent with the system. The system becomes and for right reasons, if i may add, synonomous for misery, violence and poverty. " 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. " And what has the democractic govt. brought us? more political instability, more ethnic divisions, more violence.. more external interfarance in the govt. So you are saying we just rely on the lofty ideals of democracy and say, aaja dukha bholi sukha... and hope and pray for the things to turn good or do something concrete? What are the probability of democarcy correcting itself in Nepal say even in the next 20 years under the present parties and their dirty politics? I don't see any. Bihar democratzied in 1947 along with the rest of India.. its been what.. 60 years, and the people there are still hoping that democracy would make them better. aaba debate hunuparcha, hunu ramro ho.. tara nepali society is not a debating society like that of the US. You can see how debates turn ugly even between the highly educated elites right here in Sajha.. so what do you expect from the people who do not have a liberal arts edcucation. Regarding those people now in America, have you asked how they are funding their education? Couldn't they ahve come there not becaus eof the fact that Nepal's economy is developing itslef, but because their parents, sisters, brothers or other relatives are working outside of Nepal and supporting their education? The whole economy is based on remittance.. there are 800,000 nepali workers in the Gulf region.. is that a sign of success? No. when you have so much of your working people, young people abraod working in harsh conditions (for the most part) to support their families back home or help with their sibling's/offspring's education in the US or elsewhere, it is sad.