It's hard enough for Nepalis living abroad to maintain their cultural identity without a journalist of your calibre making overblown statements in 'Love thy neighbour' (#145), among them, "Most Nepalis speak better Hindi than former Indian prime minister HD Deve Gowda." At the orientation program when I first joined university I told my disbelieving Indian friends that no, I didn't speak Hindi and neither do many of my fellow Nepalis. The prevailing attitude seems to be to look upon Nepal as more than just a friendly neighbour, almost another Indian state. We may have centuries of links with India, but the current circumstances demand for us to be independent from Indian influence. Look at our politicians-if it's a rainy day in India, they get out their umbrellas. And the king is not exempt. His recent 'religious' visit south of the border was a thinly veiled excuse for a little power play. Interdependence is a pretty political theory but we must maintain our own sovereignty. Bhusal should realise the media plays an important role in expanding, broadening and bolstering our national identity.

Surendra R Shrestha,
Sydney
The parliamentary parties don't see what is right in front of them. There seems to be a very cordial relationship between the Maoists and the government, this is extremely sinister and damaging to the multiparty democratic system. Just consider some facts:
- IGP Krishna Mohan Shrestha is murdered a few days before the ceasefire, the government is apathetic, and the confessed kiler is released.

- The Maoists seem more eager to reach an agreement with a puppet government rather than a duly elected government.

- The government's eagerness to comply with every demand of the Maoists, including those concerning security.

- The indifference of the state towards ceasefire violations by the Maoists.

- The government's strong-arm tactics against the political parties on the streets, but its tolerance of the activities of their student wing.

- The government's negligence towards the demands of the student unions for elections.
- The Maoists graudually shedding all their major demands except those which ensure the scrapping of the democratic constitution.

- The government and the Maoists saying in one voice that the public must not question their actions because it will damage the peace process.

The strategy seems to be clear: get the royal government to hold elections to ensure a fair amount of seats for former Panchas and Maoists. This way, they will control parliamentary proceedings by proxy. "The snake is dead, the stick is not broken." Donors who have a genuine interest in the development of democracy must not be waylaid by an illusory peace process by two groups who will benefit from democracy's demise.

Ram Bahadur Moktan,
USA