King Gyanendra's handling of the nation's state of affairs suggests that he has no desire to rule the nation for long. As CK Lal opines in 'A king can't do wrong' (State of the State, #181), the moves by the royal palace after he assumed the throne is slowly and gradually pushing the future of monarchy towards an inevitable downfall. Had our political leaders been good enough, the people would have already revolted and reinstated their sovereignty. King Gyanendra has tried to capitalise on their stupidity, but the people are not foolish. Ultimately, it looks like it will be the monarchy that will pay the price for the king's actions. It would be in the king's and the national interest to hand over power to political parties and force the Maoists to join mainstream politics.

Rameshwor Kafle,
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. As usual, CK Lal in his 'A king can't do wrong' (#181) reveals the true state of the state. As the head of the family holds the responsibility of looking after the family even forsaking his personal luxuries, the king must understand his own responsibilities and limitations. At a time when the country is in economic doldrums, there is no point in seeking Rs 142 million from an almost bankrupt exchequer to buy more cars. When will the king start looking at the plight of the famine-stricken in western Nepal?

Ashish Sigdel,
Bharatpur

. After reading the king's interview in Time, I was quite impressed and even dared to hope for a better future. But something did not seem right. The king has consistently spoken about his concerns for the Nepali people but why has there been absolutely nothing to show for it? CK Lal in 'A king can't do wrong' (#181) made me understand why. I agree with Lal that it was not right for the king to hike the palace allowances and import the luxury cars at the present time. Perhaps these purchases could be acceptable if the palace coffers were also being engaged in charity, development and relief work. All this does is strengthen the hand of those who think that extreme measures will solve our country's deep-rooted problems.

R Khadga,
Lazimpat

. It has been almost a year-and-a-half since the political parties launched their anti-king demonstrations. Having started to destroy the nation in the past 12 years, they now want to finish the job. The Royal Nepali Army and the CIAA should teach the leaders of political parties a good lesson before it's too late. The Panchayati system used to be a lot better than the democracy we have now. Democracy is only for the politicians but not for the public. Students, the 'pillars of the future', are just pawns of the narrow-minded political leaders. Nepalis should stick together and build a new nation. If the situation stays like this, we will be vulnerable to external intervention. The king should take power in his hands and help all of us to live safely. As things stand, that acronym for Nepal-Never Ending Peace And Love-doesn't stand a chance.

Buddhi Pant,
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