Kundale - You bring up some great points. A couple of comments and thoughts: - There needs to be a sense of generosity on the part of both Bahun/Chettris and SETAMAGURALIs on issues of caste and ethnicity. Bahuns and Chetris should own up to the fact that discrimination has been practiced in their names even if they have not been individual contributors. Likewise, people of the other castes need to accept the fact that the average Bahun or Chettri is as much a victim of oppression at the hands of a corrupt elite as the rest of the population. The real struggle is against an entrenched elite that occupies the highest echelons of power and has misused that power time and again against *all* Nepalese. - Getting back to the story, as much as I have come to enjoy reading Mr Karthak, I have had to take his comments on caste with a grain of salt. While I look at the last set of comments in a generally positive light, he leaves the door wide open for different interpretations. His nostalgic references to the Raj makes one wonder if they are indicative of a sub-conscious inferiority complex towards the former rulers of India. When he says there were 2 British guys in the tea estate, one is left to wonder whether he is implying the managerial skills of those guys, and not necesarily the absence of Bahuns or Chettris, is what is responsible for the smooth state of affairs at the tea estate. The idea of a society without Bahuns and Chetris may sound romantic and appealing to some but the Badamtam example doesn't do it a whole lot of justice because it leaves a lot of gaping holes in the theory. - All said and done, Mr Karthak deserves praise for his work and I eagerly look forward to reading his book. He seems like an interesting guy and I had a good laugh reading some of his comments on the Darjeeling forum.