Mr Bihari K Shrestha (#263) seems hell bent on advocating the positive aspects of authoritarian rule. Democracy and autocracy are two opposite extremes, never the twain shall meet. You can't have both. It is democracy alone which can best serve the people's interests. A democracy lead by a constructive monarch is not the solution. Mr Shrestha in his long exchange with Sambhav Sharma in your Letters column over the past two months has talked of corrupt politicians but what about the present regime doing the same thing? They will be no better than the rulers who reigned over Nepal for the past 237 years. They have deprived the Nepali people of their fundamental rights of education, information, equality, self-dignity and self-governance. In this era, everyone needs to know that the Kingdom of Nepal belongs to the entire sovereign people of Nepal and not to a section of people or any institution. Regarding the appointment of ex-army generals, there is no doubt that they are respectable citizens of Nepal. But so are other Nepalis. The appointment of an ex-army general after the February First move can cast a doubt on anybody and everybody. It's a well-known fact that the RNA is first responsible to the institution of the monarchy and only then to the people of Nepal. Recent appointments make it all look like the Rana regime revisited.

Pramod Bhagat, Tri-Chandra Campus

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