CK Lal in his State of the State column seems to give more importance to the street protests in the name of so-called 'regression' than the Maoists problem ('Blind alley', #216). I think the present government represents a majority of the political parties and it should receive cooperation from all sections of the society including the ones chanting slogans against 'regression'. Lal seems to be exhorting parties in streets to conduct more bandas, jams, torch-rallies, tyre-burning activities etc where the right to demonstrate and speak of the agitators are upheld while common citizens' right to movement is curtailed via hours of traffic jams and prohibition to enter many parts of the capital where demonstrations occur. Lal should appreciate the present government and its allies for trying to create a favourable environment to hold peace talks. The only way out of the present political stalemate is the free and fair election of the house than its restoration.

Bikendra Shamsher Thapa
Kathmandu

. CK Lal is sounding like a broken record. When are you going to take him off his high horse so he can stop his self-righteous pontificating? Now, it is restoration of parliament just so that his mentor, Girija Prasad Koirala, can get back to power. King Gyanendra had to take the October Fourth move because the political parties were taking the country down the path of complete ruin. Now the same people are burning cars on the streets and blocking roads so they can go back to their antics-all in the name of democracy. Give me a break.

Gyan Subba,
email