I am writing to thank you for bringing us CK Lal, who week after week amazes us with the breadth and depth of his knowledge. His analytical skill and comprehensive understanding of a wide range of subjects is unique. Thank you Nepali Times and Himal Khabarpatrika for introducing this bilingual writer to a large Nepali and foreign readership.

Nick Sharma
by email

A more useful way than CK Lal's concept of concentricity ("Fatal attraction," #84) to describe the organisation of the Maoist outfit is that of the netwar. In a netwar, small, mobile, self-contained cells operate independently to inflict maximum damage on the opposition. You neutralise a cell at Terhathum in east Nepal and they come back with a devastating rejoinder in the western part of the country. In a netwar, you know not where the next blow is going to come from. To rephrase an ancient metaphor, the Maoist centre is everywhere and nowhere. The government's counterinsurgency strategy must incorporate the concept of netwar and launch a multi-fronted offensive that aims to deliver not only a crushing blow to the Maoists but also social and economic justice to the rest of the population. Salutations to CK Lal for his courage in articulating his thoughts boldly in the face of obvious Maoist threats.

Kanden Thebe
Phakhola, Taplejung