PUBLIC'S REPUBLIC

This declaration of Nepal as a federal republic (Editorial, 'Public's republic', #402) has not only stunned South Asians but also the world at large. This is the lesson from Nepal: that people can decide their fate not with bullets but with ballots. All Nepalis expect an all-inclusive Nepal free of corruption and chaos. It is the responsibility of the new leadership to translate these expectations into reality. Let us enjoy equal rights and freedom in our New Nepal.

Dhananjay Shah,
Tribhuban University,
Kirtipur

* In the last few days, yours is the only publication that has caught on to how irrelevant the republican agenda is to making a difference in the lives of most ordinary Nepalis ('It doesn't make any difference to me if there is a raja in Kathmandu or not', #402). What difference does a republic make when the country is in the mess it is now, and we can't even get basic necessities like petrol and cooking gas? The parties celebrated by themselves, declaring another three days of holidays. My colleagues and I worked as normal in this time to show that what we care about is getting on with our lives, not the power and personality politics of all those at the BICC.

Prasanna KC,
email

* We in the outside world think you guys in Nepal are crazy. Communism has come and gone in the rest of the world. And it's now that you decide you want a dictatorship of the proletariat. Go ahead and commit suicide. We will be watching with amazement.

Name withheld,
email

* Congratulations to all the representatives from the Madhes. I've also spent some years of my life in the Tarai and I could also feel the grievances of the Madhesis. But we will have to be careful to ensure that Madhesi politics are not just based on ethnicity and territory. Allowing all cultures to have a dignified existence is one of the cornerstones of free expression.

Nirmal Ghimire,
Spain

* The CA election showed how our urban-based mainstream political parties became opportunists and abandoned their fundamental doctrines in order to hold on to power. The catchy sloganeering of 'New Nepal' has definitely made an impact upon the public. However, the common concern of all is what sort of new Nepal are we going to create? Will it really be inclusive with space for all or will it become ridden by ethnic and communal conflict? With regard to the monarchy: if a non-Hindu country, like Sri Lanka, can market Ram Setu to boost tourism, why shouldn't we Nepalis be positive about marketing a cultural king, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, by restoring him to a non-political symbol? This would be interesting to the whole world, with New Nepal becoming a unique hybrid of republicanism in practice and monarchism in heritage. Can't the much-hyped New Nepal truly be inclusive in this way, by not excluding even the former king?

Pradeepta Sharma,
Mumbai