C.K. Lal is an excellent writer, but substituting rhetoric for facts turns his opinion into polemical ranting. Mr Lal has penned two articles on "Paras killed Praveen Gurung therefore monarchy is on the docks" theme (#5, 7) he has not taken the effort to tell the readers any facts about the death, accident or motive. Just shouting the public is convinced\'\' is not sufficient for conviction. Perhaps the facts do not suit Mr Lal\'s agenda?

If the king were to act just on the signature campaign and a march to the palace by a section of the public what would happen if the other people started taking a mob to the palace with the other demands? So let us be aware of what we ask for. Mr Lal says that in the past people were "forced to be loyal" or that truth was manufactured. Nobody can ever be forced to be loyal, people became loyal voluntarily when the going was good.

Mr Lal need not look more royal than the royals by talking about the king\'s "real interests". Remember, when the facts were clearly established, it was the same king who, during the ancien regime, did not hesitate to punish not only his senior bureaucrats, police and army officers (who have been subsequently reinstated by the new democratic regime) but his youngest brother as well. That was without the persuasion of supposedly 500,000 signatures and a motley crowd trying to desperately recover political relevance by clutching on to a tragic accident. The act of royal justice and redressal is more than we can say for the present free-for-all, anything-goes regime.

When facts are clearly established beyond reasonable doubt about Paras\' involvement, the king will act according to the best tradition of monarchical justice in Nepal-without fear of the mob or favour to his nephew. I remain, His Majesty\'s most humble \'\'minion".

Mrigendra K. Devkota
Kathmandu