With the indefinite strike enter its sixth day there are a lot of people who are fed up with the Maoists. And about 25,000 to 30,000 showed up to express their feelings. It just shows you that the Maoists are losing ground. Here are some pics taken by those who were at the rally: I [...]

As Nepal teeters on the brink of collapse. News reports are bleak: Tourists are being evacuated: Nepal started evacuating scores of tourists stranded Tuesday by a general strike called by Maoist former rebels in a political standoff with the government. The Maoists have not threatened tourists, but their supporters have blocked roads and stopped vehicles, [...]

Nepal was declared a secular state when the current interim constitution was adopted a few years ago. With the new constitution due on May 28th, religious freedom isn’t necessarily an issue that has been settled. In fact Hindu nationalists (partly inspired by their Indian counterparts) are mobilizing against declaring Nepal a secular state in the [...]

Image via Wikipedia Very provocative statement from the former Army chief: Former Nepal Army chief Rukmangad Katawal, whose dismissal led to the collapse of Prachanda government last year, today said the national army would not keep quiet if Maoists try to capture power by force. “If there is bloodshed in the country, the army will [...]

I’m sure the former king of China, France and other places had wild dreams of the monarchy being restored. Its probably a natural way to think. I’m not surprised the former king of Nepal has the same thoughts. But I doubt the monarchy will be restored. From AFP: Nepal’s deposed king raises hope of return [...]

Here is an exclusive interview with former King Gyanendra where he expresses hope that the Shah dynasty will be restored. var addthis_pub = ”; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more’;

My father recently sent me the transcript of a speech given by Mr. Kul Chandra Gautam. Mr. Gautam is a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF. He has extensive experience in socio-economic development, humanitarian assistance, human rights and international diplomacy. After living outside of Nepal for 40 years [...]

Very good article in the New York Times regarding the issue of integrating the Maoist People Liberation Army into the Nepal Army: At the ramshackle headquarters of the Fourth Division of the People’s Liberation Army, soldiers in dingy tracksuits loitered in the compound’s dirt courtyard. Their leader, known as Commander Pratik, smiled when asked if [...]

I am still trying to reach the producers of the movie Beneath Everest to organize a viewing here in Phoenix. I have not had much luck. If you know of anyone who can help me obtain a copy of the movie please let me know. Of course I would like to show it here and [...]

There is no doubt that the 10 year Maoist insurgency took a very heavy toll on Nepali society. Atrocities from both sides has left many open wounds. The fact that there has not been any attempt to bring those responsible to justice for their actions makes it even worse. Even without accountability, we should at [...]