PRASHANT JHA

Prasant Jha's articles are good but he is relying more on rhetoric than on real analysis ('Post-identity politicis', #400). He wrote before the election that Madhesi parties would do badly because their disunity had infuriated Madhesis, but the result came out with MJF as the biggest party from the Tarai. He wrote that people in the Tarai thought of Ram Baran Yadav as the Pahadis' dalal, which is little more than mud-slinging at a Madhesi leader who is liberal and did not follow the radical path of Mahanta Thakur. In any case, Ram Baran won. Jha also failed to catch wind of Jwala Singh's loss of control of his outfit, despite the fact that Madhesi FM stations and newspapers have been reporting on the storm brewing around Singh for two weeks.

Prasant Jha should start reading Madhesi newspapers to understand the ground reality of the Tarai. A bigger danger than Islamic militancy here is caste-based groups from Bihar influencing the local population in the Madhes. The Ranvir Sena and the Saravana Liberation Front have declared that they will fight against the Maoists in the Tarai who they see as a party of Dalits. These groups should not be ignored as they have been involved in massacres in Bihar which would make Gaur look like child's play.

Raghuvir Singh Thakur,
Rautahat

. I don't think Muslims in the Tarai will start communal violence because they know that with India as their neighbour they will have nowhere to hide if the majority Hindus go after them. I don't know why Prashant Jha is predicting a doomsday scenario ('Post-identity politics', #400). Muslims have a role in society and they will get it peacefully, not by threatening militancy.

Roshan,
email

CK LAL

All the points made by CK Lal in 'There be dragons' (#399) are true. Nepali politicians and all Nepalis should bear these in mind and work for the good of the nation rather than personal gain. Nepalis have been cheated for a long time and we will not stand for selfish intentions anymore.

DR Gurung,
email

. Kudos to CK Lal on completing 400 columns. One may not agree with your foremost op-ed opinionist, but you have to give credit to the man, he is consistent. After eight years, one would have thought Mr Lal would have run out of things to say, but he comes up with original analysis week after week. Thank you.

J Oliver,
email

. Congratulations to CK Lalji for being so regular in Nepali Times over the past eight years. He should be required reading for all policy-makers in Nepal.

Gyan Subba,
email

. Thank you Nepali Times for being our eyes and ears on Nepal for the past eight years. Reading NT every Friday morning has become such a habit that I think we are all hopelessly addicted. Please never stop.

Tara Thapa,
Sanepa

ASS

I enjoyed the Ass' 'Mr Raja's neighbourhood' (Backside, #400). There is very little difference between Kingji and Awesomeji.

The king's former military adviser Bibek Shah's deputy military secretary, General Phudung, is now Prachanda's chief military adviser. Many former anchaladishes are now Maoists, including Surya Bahadur Sen Oli who was close to the king during the royal regime and is now close to Prachanda. The late King Mahendra used to talk about youth mobilisation with the 'Back to the Village' Campaign, the Maoists want a Ministry of Youth. Mahendra and Birendra believed in a Panchasila foreign policy, so does CP Gajurel. The monarchy used mandale goons to threaten and intimidate people, and they have been reincarnated as the YCL. Both Gyanendra and Prachanda are pro-Chinese and anti-Indian, both are unpredictable, and both still have an army under them. It seems the only difference between them is that one has a moustache, but who can forget that Gyanendra also experimented with fuzz last year?

I think it is even possible that the two may unite some day. As the wise Ass reports, who knows what deal was made in April 2006? It wouldn't surprise me if we slipped back into military rule again.

Rassendra Ram Aryal,
Munich