A war paint? The Maoist ultimatum for their demands to be met after the end of their second round of protests is but five days away. This goes to show that the UCPN (M) has not been able to get their agenda going in the eyes of the ruling parties. The pointers seem to suggest that only consensus among the three major parties can offer the supposed panacea that is needed for the country to get the rusted joints oiled. However, with every passing day, the focal point seems to become further hazy, all because of the adamant stances of both the ruling parties and the opposition. Despite the fact that so many hectic rounds of talks took place between the leaders of the major parties, all ended inconclusively. Though time is getting scarce, particularly with the statute drafting task, the concerned party leadership have their own agenda to float around instead of coming to a down-to-earth resolution of the problems. The deadline for the constitution drafting task is a little over six months away, yet the move ahead is barely visible. On the other hand, the peace process has been caught up in the snarl of the stalling of the House and the street protests of the Maoists. The political stalemate that is disturbing the scene is but an outcome of the major parties themselves, particularly the UCPN (M) which has its own agenda of “civilian supremacy” and that the presidential move regarding the then army chief was “unconstitutional”. On both the scores, the ruling parties and the Maoists do not see eye-to-eye. In all this, the whole vision of the new Nepal has got stuck up. To President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, the problems facing the country need the unstinted support of one and all to be resolved. Herein lies the paradox. The same political parties that need to find ways and means for almost every problem of national interest are themselves playing the cats and dogs game, with none getting an upper hand. It is the people who have been bearing the brunt of the blockades and the protest programmes. The Maoists are out to project themselves as having the mass behind them, but that is a mere illusion as seen in recent times despite the fact they garnered the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly. However, it has to be agreed that movements have to continue for the transformation of the people’s life to newer heights, not those that revolve only around a particular party’s petty interests. This is just to highlight the fact that an agreement or rather consensus has to be forthcoming on the formula of “give-and-take” as underlined by CPN (UML) Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, who recently returned from a week-long trip to New Delhi. His recipe has validity in the stances that are taken by the major ruling parties, and the opposition party. Now, once again parleys seem to have gained precedence to straighten up matters within the deadline the Maoists have declared. With former prime minister and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala in Singapore for his treatment, the hope that something concrete will materialize before he returns is doubtful. The rallying point still is Koirala for all the concerned.

Not so sweet It is found that more and more people are suffering from diabetes. Since this disease can kill, it is essential to have the necessary medical investigations carried out. As the World Diabetes Day was celebrated Saturday the figures that were given about those suffering from the disease is a cause for worry. It is found that in urban areas as many as 25 per cent of people more than 20 years old have the disease and an estimated 450,000 in the country. Of immense concern is the World Health Organization’s figures that 50 to 80 per cent of the diabetics are not aware that they have the disease. Another thing is that 5 per cent of all deaths globally every year is attributed to diabetes. And it is patients from the underdeveloped countries who are more likely to die from the disease. In the meantime, as the doctors advise, it is wise to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to exercise regularly and not smoke and partake alcohol. It is advisable to maintain an ideal weight so as to keep diabetes at bay. It is time that the common man was made aware about diabetes and how to prevent it and to seek medical advice regularly to see if they are maintaining their healthy streak or have fallen prey to diabetes.