The ongoing movement of the five political parties has won the support of different professional organisations. This indicates that we are heading toward victory. The demonstrations that were initially centred in Kathmandu have now expanded to the headquarters of outlying districts.

The issue of people's participation cannot be judged with a mechanical yardstick. The number of participants fluctuate, more join in when the demonstrations are peaceful. You can't make a people's movement happen, it has to be spontaneous. The public participate when they discover that the issues raised by the parties are relevant to their lives. That is how the movement expands. Considering the overwhelming response from professional organisations and the people joining us, the movement has certainly reached new heights. By detaining the leaders of People's Front Nepal and student protestors, the government is trying to break our unity. There is a difference between the People's Front and the Maoists. The rebels took up arms while we chose to stay in parliament. The more the government suppresses us, the more intense things will get.

The government will ultimately have to give up. What perplexes me is the government's attitude. We always said our movement will be peaceful but they charge at us with batons, yet fail to rescue police abducted by the Maoists. It is surprising to see that the state is unable to fight the rebels but is quite adept at suppressing those who want the people's sovereignty restored.

The same government turns a blind eye to Maoists occupying district headquarters yet recovers its vision to see the rebels infiltrating our demonstrations.

They need to understand that people from different walks of life are part of this movement. Therefore, things might not go as planned. The hurling of stones and bricks by protestors is not something we want, but it happens. It's part of the process. Save for those minor hiccups, the movement is very much under the control of the organising parties.