It was ironic that in the picture accompanying 'Class of 1970' (#142) Baburam Bhattarai is on 'extreme left' and Upendra Devkota 'second to the right'. With that picture we didn't even need the article. Bhattarai has shown us that a good student doesn't make a good leader. Nepalis frustrated with 12 years of thugocracy want change, any change. But the action of Maoists in the last 7 years, especially the execution of community leaders and teachers because they were suspected of being spies, is inexcusable. It is clear that the 'people's war' was just another tactic for power. The life of the common man will not change, that will come from institutionalising people's rights and a different attitude. The grassroots have to be involved, and threats, intimidation, kidnapping and murder cannot usher in Bhattarai's vision for a modern Nepal. As for Upendra Devkota, he has drifted to the right. However, if he does have the ear of the king, he needs to dissuade the monarch from veering too far away from constitutional monarchy. The system may have to be repaired but the people are able to govern themselves. Gone are the days of authoritarian monarchy.

Prakash Bhandari,
by email.