In his last State of the State column ('Cliches in the corridors of power', #277) CK Lal claims there is 'a self-defined category of Nepalis whose members pride themselves for being in the know'. If a Nepali Times columnist, who one would think would be very much in the know in Nepal, has to make such a claim about others, one has to wonder: who are these special people? And what else do they know that the rest of us don't? Could Mr Lal back up his claim by naming some members of this self-defined category, and thereby furthering the causes of democracy, openness and freedom of speech? If not, perhaps Mr Lal should revise his method of tantalising readers with gossip and innuendos, and start wearing out shoe-leather to do some gritty fact-based reporting and writing.

Pooja Belbase,
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