The most stable characteristic of our national culture, no reservations with the 10-hour delay before the inaugural CA meeting. What we don’t understand is why the meeting was scheduled for 11 am instead of 11 pm? That way, while the midnight oil burned at Baluwatar, the rest of sabhasads could catch a nap inside the Great Hall of the Sleepers. What more, all those high voltage lights could be turned off saving a huge amount of electricity. TIE suggestion: Avail every CA member with sound-proof sleeping bags. Heavyweight CA squatters

were spotted de-snooting their noses. We suspect ulterior motives.

••••••••

Mohan Vaidya “Kiran” doesn’t appear too happy after Baburam Bhattarai became the deputy leader of the CPN-Maoist in the CA. Maybe it was for this reason that he didn’t attend the swearing in. Things don’t look good in the party with Bhattarai supporters claiming that daktor saab is being portrayed as a

“betrayer” by the hardliners. But for the time

being the Fierce One appears to be looking for a “modern” doc, not a traditional healer.

••••••••

Before the swearing in ceremony on Tuesday, the new CA members were kept waiting for almost three hours by our honourable Prime Minister. The CA members were told that Girijababu was sleeping. PM appeared to be equally ill-at ease on Wednesday. He didn’t have enough oxygen to stand for the guard-of-honour, and rested for one hour before entering — Sagarmatha Hall. People do need oxygen up there.

••••••••

Our Ex (king), curators inform, was busy in early morning poker when the republican goondas decided to poke national flags through the main gate. Spooked beyond his wits, Shree Zero had the royal standard pulled down,

and up went the national flag. His Haughtiness

still seems keen on our idea

of space exploration: maybe he’ll hit it either

for the sun or the moon when the 15-day

deadline expires.

••••••••

The Americans have finally stooped down to talk with the Maoists, indicating a partial change in

policy. They should. When the US started giving aid to Nepal in the 50s, their

primary strategy was to control the rise of the communists. Later on, they invested in the Rampur Agricultural Campus. Ironically, the campus became

a hotbed of Maoist ideology, with our own Mighty Fierce being socialised

into a hardcore Maoist there. Not much difference between a Green Revolution and a Red Revolution. Is there?

••••••••

Comrade Luminosity came to light, incuriously, just a day in advance of the inaugural CA sitting. His Lightness was all ready for Chinese Checkers after

18 years in the hiding. “We stand above the traditional parliamentary democracy and below the people’s

republic,” The Light One

let slip at his first press meet. Nepali, please.