lokman, no matter how nicely you put your words, why do you think people aren't convinced? Is it because most of us are less educated, unenlightened than you guys who have a soft corner towards monarchy? I don't think so. People have witnessed the exploitations of monarchy since centuries. They have seen our country going nowhere under their hundreds of years of rule. They have witnessed the feuds in the palace. They have witnessed the conspiracies between the courtiers. They have witnessed the Narayanhiti massacre. They have seen favouritism, nepotism, cronyism, dishonesty, immorality, corruption, embezzlement spread from the palace to the rest of the entities over the centuries. Were the congress or the UML or the Maoists responsible for the disreputed history that the later generations of the Shah dynasty earned for themselves? How on earth can we compare the present monarchies of Commonwealth and Scandinavia with that of Nepal? There was a time in the history of Britain that can be compared, and that was after the middle of the seventeenth century when Britain was declared a republic for a brief period. After that, the Kings and Queens never messed up with the parliament and hence they are surviving till today. Our royals have too many times undermined the people, their freedom, their sovereign rights. Mahendra did it, Birendra did it and Gyanendra did it. It is not people's fault that they don't have any sympathy for monarchy today. Gyanendra himself paved the way for his downfall more than any others. Or am I wrong? Oh he can go to any temples, can do anything a civilian is entitled to do even after the republic. I am sure he can stand in elections too. People have just stripped him off the extra powers and privileges he had been enjoying undeservedly, that's it. Today the nation is in transition, in the biggest phase of transformation in our history. Hence so many upheavals. Britain, France, America, India all have already gone through this process. Unfortunately we have just arrived at this fork in the road. Like the way people have tamed the Monarchy, they will tame the Maoists too. I am sure it won't take that long to tame these Maoists. And the crooks in other political parties too. In due time they will get the dividends of their deeds. btw did you read about the trial of Nuon Chea in Cambodia? I don't think he had foreseen 2007 when the Khmer Rouge was in power. Right now, our country is in turmoil. But I think there will be light in the end of the tunnel.