MELTING POT, NOT THALI

Shashi Tharoor's column 'India's thali democracy' (#362) has simply the wrong
lessons for Nepal. How India held together and still holds, is amazing. However, India is definitely in a category of its own with its billion plus inhabitants.

Pluralism, India-scale, is not a transferable experience. Ethnic harmony in closer quarters is a different game. Harmony through assimilation, not seclusion, is the winning strategy for Nepal. The comfort-space needed for India-like parallel existence of ethnic islands and ethnic institutions does not exist in Nepal. Nepal has been viable mostly as a melting pot, not a 'thali'. Sure, there are ethnic grievances now reaching epic proportions, and they need heard in earnest. But the surfacing of these grievances is not a signal that focussing on unity is the wrong course, as Tharoor implies. Nepal has many things going for it. Nepali is the language embraced by a big proportion of Nepali citizens, the same can't be said of Hindi in India. Nepalis don't need a lecture on religious tolerance, the largest Muslim shrine exists close to the house of the famed Hindu king and hardly gets noticed most of the time. Nepalis are far more open to cultural assimilation than Indian Brahmins, for example, readily shedding their ethnic taboos of alcohol and meat-eating upon arrival in Kathmandu, the seat of Newars. Nepali Hindus do not mind naming their kids Sameer or Sakila. And the list goes on. Nepal is a melting pot. It is just that the pot does operate very well when firewood is pulled from under the stove, time and again, by gun-totters, delusional monarchs, and equally delusional revolving-politicians. If we direct our attention in the coming months to building and safeguarding democratic institutions rather than in the lip-and-ear service of democratic 'values', the fire will continue to burn under the pot, and continue to churn out this nice treat that is 'Nepal'.

Arun Neupane,
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PASCOE

The UN Under-Secretary General Pascoe said last week elections could be held. He added: "Parties have to rise above their petty interests and fulfill their once in a lifetime opportunity writing a new history." What does this mean? That we need the UN to tell us whether elections are possible or not? Why can't our election commission have the final word in this?

Name withheld,
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PANT

MP Raghu Pant is absolutely right in his Guest Column that the Maoists must be on the run ('Yes, yes', yes', #363). Dictators are always frightened when made to face the people as they will be seeing the faces of murderers. The Maoists are afraid to go to the people to ask for votes because they are used to ordering and treating them like slaves. Non-violence always wins in the long-run. But Pant's conclusion that the Maoists might not win even one seat may be an exaggeration. The UML now has started thinking that the CA election will make it the unchallenged leader. If true, then they should be doubly serious about not bragging about it, otherwise the Maoists and the Girija group will not allow an election. So instead of daydreaming, it will be more useful for Pant and the UML to focus on issues that will make people hopeful about a better future.

Kamal Kishor,
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. Apropos Prashant Jha's reference to the counter accusation made by an ex-ambassador of India to Nepal for not keeping our own house in order when his attention was drawn to the safe haven currently being enjoyed by Goit and Jwala Singh in Bihar ('The view from New Delhi', #363). Mr Jha should now go back to the 'diplomat' and ask him if it would be okay for Nepal to provide safe haven to the architects of recent Hyderabad blasts and accuse India of not keeping her house in order. The extent of India's interference in Nepali affairs is also evidenced by the recent reported rendezvous of the Fierce One with the Indian intelligence sleuths in Silguri with the former apparently sneaking out of Nepal under the cover of darkness. As a good neighbour, India must stop aiding and abetting destabilising forces from Nepal which always sought save haven since early days when she used to be known as (lawless) 'Mughlan' to common Nepali.

Name withheld,
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FOREIGN HAND

We need the likes of Foreign Hand back more often on this paper. Although we get to read some of his writing once in a while, they are an absolute treat
to all of us without a doubt. Not only is it entertaining to read but the things the Hand says has to be by far the hardest hitting and to the point than anyone has bothered to state aside from the Ass, and even that is somewhat lacking at times.

J Smith,
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