CK Lal raises an interesting-though hollow-point about the need to stop the brain drain by building think tanks and academic centres. He believes we need to "produce the administrative and technocratic elite necessary to modernise the country." I doubt the Maoists would agree with his premise-they want to restructure all of society, making his point moot.

We should instead concentrate on more plebian centres of vocational excellence, so when our neo-lahures go abroad for work (without whose contribution Mr Lal and the rest of us would have drowned in economic depression), they can get decent paying jobs. Mr Lal, the next time you go abroad on a funded trip, at Kathmandu's international airport, please stop and buy our economic rescuers tea or water, help them fill out some forms, aid them in the bureaucratic hassles, or at least say thank you.

SN Singh,
email

. CK Lal, a graduate of a Nepali university, writes provocative and insightful pieces on a range of topics. But lately, his writing shows the signs of a frustrated intellect who lacks sympathy or empathy for anyone except himself. Lal accuses Harka Gurung of being egotistical and lacking social skills. Barbara Adams publishes a book and gets a diatribe. Does he have anything nice to say about anybody?

D Waiba