It seems as if Nepalis have lost hope. There is no region in Nepal where it is possible to live a quiet, peaceful life. It is death, murder, arson, kidnapping, traffic jams and chaos everywhere. Inflation is soaring and the petrol crisis has crippled life. There is no rest in the tarai, bombs go off in the capital, and then there is Kapilbastu.

When the government sets up an investigative committee, their reports just vanish. The government has ignored the public's desire for peace, security and the freedom to live their lives in peace. All the government does is lie to cover its faults.

Then there is the election postponement fiasco. The Maoist demand for a republic before polls is unreasonable at this time. The interim government has no power to declare the nation a republic. When all the other parties have agreed to go for elections, it is unreasonable for the Maoists to dilly-dally. Their demands go against the loktantric code. Their actions will only cause the international community to thumb their noses at us, and at a time when Nepal is in dire need of support. In order to keep Nepal together and not let it degenerate into an Afghanistan, all the political parties, including the Maoists, must put aside their own petty demands and work for the establishment of a new Nepal.