Re: 'Happy Birthday' (#204). Corruption is the abuse of public or private office for personal gain. Your paper has rightly accused the political leadership of corruption because they did enrich themselves unlawfully. But what about the increase in the royal stipend from Rs 110 million to Rs 650 million? Isn't this also abuse of office for personal gain? I have been in Nepal for two months, and every Nepali I have met is shocked and angered by this.

Robert deFoe,
New York, USA

. Despite your paper's criticism of Girija Prasad Koirala 'Happy Birthday' (#204) he is right when he says that the monarchy is as big a problem as Maoism. Other politicians must reiterate this to make the public aware of the dangers of an active monarchy.

Sucking up to the king may have made Deuba the prime minister, but does not make him a leader. History will judge by what Deuba does, not how many times he became prime minister. What Nepal needs is a figure in political parties that can challenge both the king and the Maoists. Bringing about a significant change in the army can be a meeting ground for the political parties and the Maoist. The monarchy has never been under such threat as it is now, and that is because of the Maoists. This is a moment to seize and bring radical change and moving towards a truly democratic state.

Anand Jha,
Indiana, USA