First, my humble apologies to all the visitors who are sick of hearing me mumble (believe me, I am too), but sign of the times have revealed that other people have different priorities — life, love, career etc. etc., that not everyone can show up or bother to drop their 2 cents anymore. Hence the sweeper at your service.

Now, to issues that concern Paramendra equally as they do to blogdai, but in my own words of course.

Is this the height of irony or an example/experiment in self-restraint, I wonder! The very force that is supposed to protect the people — since NA now operates under the parliament, is to be confined to the barracks; whereas the overtly anxious and brainwashed groups of hormonally agitated rural Nepali youths who drool over the idea of a communist republic are ‘expected’ to limit themselves to some ‘camp’. Priorities were never so mismanaged; perspectives never so lost.

Speculatively, either PLA is really disciplined - which is almost a conflict in terms cause, maybe it’s just me, but I have never come across/heard of ‘disciplined youth’ with guns; or, there is an ulterior motive - to pull a Lenin/October revolt as soon as the army is restricted to its barracks. What about the junta you say, but, it’s the same moronic junta that ‘believes’ or even ‘hopes’ - the higher echelons of Maoists are ‘claiming’ to strive for a communist republic only to keep the lower rung — PLA together, whereas in reality, they have in fact already abandoned such idea/s.

Will wonders never cease? I agree with your thoughts on the subject, Sir!

My problem with the Nepal army as it currently stands is that the army brass seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that they have the authority to flout the law-whether that is offering a 21 gun salute as a personal tribute to KG or openly flouting Court issued summons by the Commission.

I am aware that not all members of the army susbscribe to a regimen of torture on the side, but, one has to admit that the instances of torture against “suspected” Maoists has been high handed.

As far as the Maoists are concerned, I have equal misgivings of them- their deeds with respect to concern for civilian lives has been appalling to see the very least and I would not want to take at face value, assurance from the likes of Prachanda and Baburam that the Maoists will live up to their end of the bargain and abide with the arms containment within this one camp (especially when they have broken similar accords time and time again in the past)

Given that this, to me atleast, seems like a no-win situation- both army and Maoists lack credibility at this stage, this may be the only way of ensuring that the peace process moves ahead..until…it blows to smithereens down the road! (so much for optimism!)

..my two cents worth:-)

A news of breakthrough, indeed, is more than a joy.

Leaders of both parties- the Maoists and the government - have shown their faith on what people beleived for long- an enduring peace.

It was such a terrible months or so with both sides blaming and wrangling each other, that despite the fact that war was ceased,hopes were fading, albeit slowly.

But now that they have really started to sort out Nepal’s deadlock by working closely, i beleive there is only one way for Nepal to move-towards prosperity.

Dear Madam,

What can I say, except be rhetorical — what is life without wonders; samudaya without ‘personal biases laid bare’. Then again, the vortex that is samudaya can quite easily throw one off their center — compelling to reevaluate themselves every so often, I concur.

Anyway, concerning the real and moving on to a lot less abstract issue surrounding the recent development between the SPA-M on ‘arms management issue’, I have come to believe that the international media is unnecessarily optimistic — acting like a fat American kid with a double scoop ice-cream on a hot summer’s day.

Apparently, this ‘agreement’ was “simply to write separate letters to the UN”, according to one of the journos named Umesh Shrestha. If that’s the case, then, these damn BBCs Reuters and APs of the world should bear in mind — not to every exaggerate the slightest positive turn when there are immensely major issues/hurdles that need to be cleared before there is any ‘breakthrough’ to a permanently peaceful Nepal.

Point well noted Sire!

The American press does have an affinity for either the “rosy scenario”(the people will shower us with roses as we enter Baghdad) or the doomday scenario (As Anderson “Katrina” Cooper claimed, the onset of Armageddon emanating from Lebanon), Umesh Shrestha if I’m right is the wunderkid behind “Mero Sansar”?

Given that the separate letters gimmick was to avoid the appearance that the Maoists were on par with the Government,I wonder how much longer this honeymoon between the SPA-M is going to last before we back to where we started…

It’s one thing to hope for peace. Unfortunately, a reading of the political and diplomatic tealeaves does not suggest it is about to break out any time soon.

In any case, it will be interesting, perhaps even educative, to note what UN’s honchos sitting in their glass palace between First Avenue and the East River have to say.