Thanks to Shyam Shrestha ("What do the Maoists want this time?", #104) for saying what most of us have been thinking. Do we want a long-drawn conflict that will destroy our country or even cost us our independence? Because that is what will happen to us if this war drags on. The government and the Maoists must take the opportunity for talks seriously. If not, we may have lost a valuable opportunity to strike a peace deal.

G Lamsal,
Kathmandu

. We must always give peace a chance, and I appreciated Shyam Shrestha's efforts to bring the warring parties together. But what Mr Shrestha also has to understand is that it is the Maoists on the run now, not the government or the democratic forces (and no, the Maoists are not democratic, I refuse to believe it) and that it is they who have to compromise more, for peace talks. The way the Maoists broke off the last peace talks, and used the time during the truce for their propaganda, makes any other party very reluctant to believe in the Maoists. In fact, Prachanda himself has gone on record and said that he had followed the example of other anarchists and used the time during the peace talks to strengthen his party. He has further said that he would do likewise in the future. Now, who will trust this person? Mr Shrestha has also used the election card to argue that the government now has to talk to Maoist leaders for elections to be held. As Prime Minister Deuba has said, he would rather talk with the Maoist military commanders than these dastardly leaders. I firmly believe that there is no one voice in the Maoist party-it is horizontally and vertically split, and there is no need to talk to Prachanda. In fact, Prachanda wants to use peace talks to re-establish his lost connection with local cadres. It would definitely wield more positive results if peace talks are initiated with the military commanders. At least it might lead to them laying down arms, and an end to the fighting.

S Rana,
Kathmandu