Iso, Let us not lose focus of the discussion by presenting me with a disconnected lengthy lecture on Japanese history -- that is not the issue here. Neither is the issue here about respect to cultural practices. I have already explained these above, and I will choose avoid redundancy. Once agian, in a short and sweet manner, MY issue with what Shiva Shrestha did was/is: DHOGNE is a profoundly gradiose form of respect in our society. Therefore, is it appropriate to indulge in that grandiose form of respect to someone just because s/he happened to be born a royal? Or should we consider expressing such respect according to the recipient's deeds, not merely his/her birth? According to you, yes, Komal Shah deserved that kind of respect "because she is the Queen of Nepal, and for many she is a mother figure and or represents something divine." What has she done to be considered a "mother figure" and "divine"? You failed to address. Nevertheless, it is your right to DHOGO someone merely because she was married to the King. Judging by your comments, you'd probably DHOGO Paras Shah too because he is the member of the immediate royal family. Suit yourself. I am not trying to stop you. However, it is also my inalienable entitlement to an opinion that people who would fit into the category described in the preceding paragraph to be "manipulated". By choosing to DHOGO someone merely of his/her birth, and not out of respect to their deeds YOU (capitalized because it is a general YOU) have displayed admission to subversion. I still stand by my original comment that "independent-thinking and free-of-manipulation" individuals would not admit to ANY form of subversion to ANYONE. I too grew up reading what THEY made us read, listening to what THEY made us listen to, and privy to information that THEY chose to provide. If this process of brain-washing is not manipulation, then I seriously do not know what is. True, Shiva Shrestha's action has become an issue on this discussion forum now. That is becasue some of us are at least beginning to question the conditions of our growing ups, and are trying to free ourselves. Over three hundred thousand Germans stood at Brandenberg chanting "Hail Hitler" in 1933 too. Think about it.