Re: Dhawal Rana's 'In a federated state' (#141). Now, here is a politician with foresight. We take comfort in the fact that we at least have some politicians that do give the future of our country serious thought, and not limit it to the innovations in money-making schemes.

Nevertheless, I also feel that the idea presented by Rana is a little too premature for our state. At a time when the entire political system is in a mess (a constitutional monarchy has absolute power, a multiparty democracy has a nominated cabinet, the 'real' democratic parties have virtually nothing to do or can do, the underground insurgents are partying above ground, etc), the move towards a federal system would, in my opinion, throw the country further into a state of confusion and chaos. Just imagining the current state of disarray multiplied by five development regions makes me shudder.

What we need, is more people like Rana to first play a more active role in the untangling of the present political stalemate. The people have more or less lost faith in the 'jail-term experience' politicians of the Peoples\' Movement who have proven time and again that they simply do not have the capacity to manage a system called government. Only after the counrty returns to normalcy can we have the luxury to dwell on the future design of governance. The need of the moment is of people who have the knowledge and skills to get more involved in the affairs of the state.

Abhiyan Jung Rana,
email

. In his column 'Right to rebel' (Somewhere in Nepal, # 141) Puskar Bhusal hints that the students are in the street protesting violently because of Matrika Yadav\'s comment. I think the corrupted politicians of the mainstream political parties who held the power for 12 years are 100 percent behind this unrest. They are afraid that if there is peace and stability in the country the following things could happen to them:

a) they might all be prosecuted for the corruption and might have to pay back whatever they have gathered in the last 12 years

b) they might lose in the upcoming election following the peace because they don't have any agenda to convince people

I am for democracy, the political parties are committed to progress, but their leaders have failed the Nepali people miserably. I was a student during the 1990 Peoples Movement. A handful of politicians are using innocent students to achieve their goal of gathering more and more wealth to themselves. I wish one day it will come and all the people in Nepal will start thinking independently and say what is wrong is wrong. And whoever is corrupt is corrupt even though the corrupt person is from your own party. They should defy orders from unpatriotic politicians. Students, you are more educated and intelligent than most of the polticians. Don't fall for this scam.

Bimal Raj Bastola,
New York

. Thank you for providing us with up-to-date news from Nepal.

When we heard about the ceasefire, we were all relieved that finally our friends and family could live in peace. But, it seems like it is not in our fate to have peace. Every day we read news of strikes organised by Maoists, strikes organised by Koirala, strikes organised by Deuba, strikes organised by Nepal. Vehicles destroyed, people beaten up, libraries set on fire. My suggestion is why don't we all fight with each other, destroy each others vehicles and properties and destroy all of us to extinction. Then there would be no one to fight over. If we cannot learn to disagree gracefully and if we cannot argue with each other without hitting each other, we probably do not deserve any democracy at all. We probably need a dictator who will whip us from time to time and put us in shape. I would like to challenge our so-called leaders to get united, address real issues of the people so that we Nepalis do not have to go through the hell we have gone through recently. We do not deserve this.

'Janata',
email

. I read the online edition of your paper without fail every week, and it breaks my heart to see students being manipulated by politicians in our motherland. Instead of supporting the peace process, they are adding fuel to the fire. What do they get out of it? I am a student, too, and I beseech my friends not to bring more havoc to our nation.

Kim Gyalpo,
Toronto