Remember martyrs & forerunners on May Day

The International Labour Day which falls on 1 May every year is not for Labour or 'Human Resources' Ministers to lecture working people on productivity but it is a day for working people of the world to speak up for themselves and to remember martyrs and salute forerunners of the struggle of the working classes which, in the early 20th century, included the struggles against colonialism, fascism and imperialism.

A public tribute to Rashid Maidin (1917-2006)

A Merdeka salute to martyr S.A. Ganapathy !

Two anti-fascist martyrs' secret conversation

Wesak Day best wishes to friends, neighbours

James and his family wish all Buddhist friends and neighbours a spiritually very fulfilling Wesak Day which falls on 1 May (Tues). Wesak Day marks three simultaneously momentous events in the life of Buddha, namely birth, enlightenment and attainment of Nirvana.

Buddha as an universal humankind's teacher

SEA's largest Reclining Buddha is in Kelantan

2006 Wesak Day Message by Dr. Wan Azizah

Long March documentary to be shown in U.S.

According to a Xinhua report, " a documentary film that aims to reflect true stories happening during Chinese Red Army's Long March will be broadcast by U.S. History Channel at eight o'clock next Monday evening" and " this is the first time for a Chinese documentary film to be shown by a mainstream U.S. media". Last year, China commemorated the 70th anniversary of the victory of the 25,000-li Long March of the Communist Party of China's Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1934-1936, just prior to the outbreak of the full-scale invasion of China by the army of Imperial Japan in 1937.

New FM of China "a fluent speaker of English"

Wen Jiabao : most Japanese also war victims

General Pace visits Mausoleum of Sun Yat Sen

New FM of China "a fluent speaker of English"

According to the official People's Daily, China's former ambassador to the United States and "a fluent speaker of English" Yang Jiechi (杨洁篪) has been appointed as the new Foreign Minister. Yang, 57, studied at the internationally well-known London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1975.

Five English cyber-spatial gateways to China

'Politically incorrect' critique of violent films

United Kingdom's conservative newspaper Daily Telegraph today published what I think is a morally courageous critique of violent films in this age 'liberal' political correctness. Earlier. it also published MP Sir Gerald Kaufman's Questions film-makers must ask themselves after Virginia Tech . My own assessment is that Cho Seung-hui as shown in his self-made 'multimedia manifesto' did consciously imitate or mimic the behaviours and actions of some 'heroic' characters in some violent movies or video games.

Economist reflects on politics of U.S. gun law

CPC organ criticises Chinese films' immorality

I am glad mother and her elder sister or my taiyi bid final farewell to their eldest brother or my taikaufu at the modern crematorium in Tanjung Rambutan with really admirable calmness in the true progressive tradition. Taikaufu Yip Hee, 88, was born in Batu Gajah and is now laid to rest in Ipoh as a soul of the Kinta Valley.

Going back to Ipoh in an hour's time to accompany mother to bid farewell to her eldest brother or my taikaufu who passed away peacefully in our hometown two days ago at a very advanced age.

Passing of judge again delays Chin Peng case

Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) veteran Chin Peng's homecoming application scheduled to be formally heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on 30 April is going to be delayed again due - this time - to the passing of the presiding judge, Datuk K.P. Gengadharan Nair on 21 April at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre following a short illness.

According to a Bernama report on 23 April, the late Datuk K.P. Gengadharan Nair, 63, was posted to the Appellate and Special Powers Division of the Kuala Lumpur High Court in January this year. He was appointed as Judicial Commissioner at the Johor Baru High Court in May 2003, and confirmed as a High Court judge in 2005.

Datuk K.P. Gengadharan Nair leaves behind wife Devagey Raru and son Sashikaran, aged 24.

Meanwhile, Clare Street understands that the Sitiawan-born Chin Peng, 82, is still physically and mentally fit enough to read, write, converse intelligently with other people and travel occasionally. He now lives with his wife Lee Khoon Wah and comrades Abdullah C.D., Suriani Abdullah a.k.a Eng Ming Ching @ Ah Ming, Shan Ruhong @ Ah Hai @ Ah Cheng, Abu Samah Mohd Kassim @ Sibar, Siti Norkiah @ Minah and others in Thailand.

Another legendary and well-known communist veteran Rashid Maidin (1917-2006) passed away peacefully at 89 on 1 September (Friday) last year in Thailand where he lived in exile for many years.

1989 Malaysia-CPM Peace Accords in letters

Praiseworthy civic spirit in American society

Although the recent shooting rampage in the Virginia Technology University has shocked and grieved many in the world, the tragedy also shows that the civic spirit of mutual help such as that which was demonstrated by the deeds of Professor Liviu Librescu and Assistant Professor Cheng Haiyan (程海燕)is very much alive in a society that has always been felt or perceived as 'individualistic' or 'self-centered'.

Washington Post's video interview with Cheng Haiyan

Traumatized, Virginia Tech students return to classes

Nationwide memorial services for US massacre victims

New books on American IR in personal library

Just finished reading Joseph S. Nye, Jr.'s Soft Power - The Means to Success in World Politics (New York, Public Affairs, 2004) and Francis Fukuyama's After The Neocons - America at the Crossroads (London, Profile Books, 2007). I also bought Victor Davis Hanson's Between War and Peace - Lessons from Afghanstan to Iraq (New York, Random House, 2004) last Sunday to add to the stock of American books in my library.

Like it or otherwise, the intellectual debates in the United States on its relations to the rest of the world has been extraordinarily vigorous and heated since 11 September 2001 and there are naturally many areas of gray and shifting positions in the ongoing discourses as new information or knowledge come into light or as the power balances change, both within the United States and in the larger world.

Congress - White House showdown on Iraq

A real-life history about Bush's war cabinet

Understand conservative power in America

Economist reflects on politics of U.S. gun law

While the world still mourns the deaths of 33 students and teachers of Virginia Technology University killed in the worse ever campus shooting spree, another gunman in the US has reportedly just killed a male hostage and himself during a stand-off at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Meanwhile, the Leader of the latest edition of my weekly intellectual companion Economist in the United Kingdom joins the mainstream of world opinion in expressing serious concern about the proliferation of privately-owned guns in the US.

World community castigates US "gun culture"

Brief history of fatal campus shootings in US

VTU killer's psychology : a British MP's views

VTU killer's psychology : an 'old-fashion' view

Lessons from Virginia Tech's campus carnage

Join global call for freedom of Alan Johnston

According to a BBC report, its Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston has been missing for more than a month but he is reportedly still alive. So, there is hope for his safe return to his family.

I hope more signatures from Malaysia and elsewhere would be added to the global and non-partisan petition calling for Alan's release.

VTU killer's psychology : a British MP's views

It seems that some essential points in my 'old-fashion' view on the psychology of the killer Cho Seung-hui in the Virginia Technology University massacre, which is most probably considered by some newly 'Westernised' Malaysians and younger generation of 'Americanised' Singaporeans to be 'authoritarian', 'conservative', 'puritanical' or even 'communistic', is now also shared in modern and liberal Britain by, among other, Sir Gerald Kaufman, MP, who is also the Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the British Parliament. The above picture, taken from the Korean movie Oldboy, bears striking resemblance with a footage filmed by Cho himself about himself in the video he posted to NBS News.

Ponderation over shock from US campus shooting rampage

A brief history of deadly campus shootings in United States

VTU killer's psychology : an 'old-fashion' view

Today's BBC report on the final video sent by Cho Seung-hui to US TV network NBC News seems to bear out what I have said earlier in Lessons from Virginia Tech's campus carnage on the negative influences of certain elements of American popular culture on some infantile, malleable, unstable and disordered minds. My grandmother and father had already always cautioned my siblings and me long ago when we were very young against imitating the behaviours or actions of fantasied 'heroes' or imaginary 'heroines' in movies and films and story books as there were actually stupid boys and girls those days who jumped down from high-rise buildings after watching Superman or Spiderman or Tarzan and Jane movies, or disappeared into jungles in search of the 'Unbeatable Master of Universe' after reading some fantasied kungfu story books from Hong Kong or Taiwan.

A silent witness to history, changing times

My S.T.S. 101 in social psychology, politics

Lessons from Virginia Tech's campus carnage

The campus massacre in the West Virginia College in US is indeed a tragedy and many of us in Malaysia would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolence for the families of the victims as well as Cho Seung-Hui. We share the grieve of the people of the United States. Meanwhile, I would personally like to urge friends in the United States to seriously review the existing gun laws and also take a more critical look at the unrestricted proliferation of popular culture that normalises, glorifies or fantasises violence - in the name of 'freedom of expression'- of individualitic 'heroes' or 'heroines'.

State museum's 'ghost' exhibition terminated

CPC organ criticises Chinese films' immorality

Khalid Ibrahim to contest as candidate in Ijok

Win or lose the Ijok by-election, my friend Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has certainly set a very good example of a man with intellectual achievement and social experience ready and willing turun padang to champion the rights of the rakyat jelata on the side of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. As I said before, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is a man of fairly high E.Q. who can sembang-sembang with ordinary people in the streets about complicated economics in their organic language and with good taste as well as common sense.

Multiethnic exploration of national economy

M'sian economic malaise analysed by Khalid

Ex-CEO to speak at KeADIlan's Budget forum

Martyrs and heroes of Holocaust remembered

Xinhua Online today featured Yad Vashem or Holocaust memorial held in Jerusalem yesterday shortly before the official opening ceremony marking the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day. Two Chinese, namely Pan Junshun and Ho Fengshan were also honoured as Righteous Among the Nations for saving many Jewish lives in the 1930s. When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me how European Jews, escaping anti-Semitism in interwar Europe when fascism was rising, found safe havens in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

In memory of my Jewish teacher Herb Feith

Classical Chinese-style physiotherapy in K.L.

This afternoon, I went for traditional Chinese-style physiotherapy for the back of my neck and shoulders at the pretigious Beijing Tong Ren Tang's Kuala Lumpur outlet at the Sun Complex. Founded in 1669 or the 8th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi as a royal chartered Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) and pharmaceutical company to service the Qing court and its royal households, Beijing Tong Ren Tang now sets modern and professional standards of TCM as well as quality control of related products and services all over the world.

Nepal strives to enrol more kids into schools

Nepal's interim government has started doing the right thing by launching programmes to enrol more children, especially those from the poor and marginalised sectors, into schools for education. Providing secular, modern, humanist and scientific education for children and youths is, I believe, one of the most important and pressing tasks for New Nepal's socio-economic reconstruction and also for the rejuvenation of the human spirit of the people after long years of feudal oppression and theocratic disempowerment.

Real, pressing agenda for building New Nepal

Nepali communists join interim gov't cabinet

Nepali communists to become gov't ministers

U.S., U.K. differ on World Bank chief's future

While President Bush's White House has reiterated its support for Paul Wolfowitz as the president of World Bank, PM Tony Blair's International Development Minister Hilary Benn opines that 'Paul Wolfowitz's promotion of his girlfriend has damaged his institution and the decision over his fate should now lie with its board'. Meanwhile, Britain's Financial Times reported that European leaders "turn screws" on the former US deputy Defense Secretary.

Congress - White House showdown on Iraq

A real-life history about Bush's war cabinet

State museum's 'ghost' exhibition terminated

April 13, 2007 19:31 PM

Ghost Exhibition Terminated

SEREMBAN, April 13 (Bernama) -- After 34 days, the controversial exhibition on the Mysterious World of Ghosts and Genies at the State Museum here was terminated effective today.

Negeri Sembilan State Secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf who is chairman of the State Museum board, said the decision was taken out of respect to the views of the National Fatwa Council.

Yesterday, National Fatwa Council chairman Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said on exhibitions highlighting ghosts, ghouls and banshees were forbidden in Islam as they could undermine the faith of Muslims.

Among items put up on display at the State Museum were weird items called "jenglot", "buluh perindu", "pocong" and "supar".

The exhibition began on March 10 and was supposed to end on May 30.

The exhibition was earlier criticised by Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim who said it would not bring any benefit to the public or contribute to the progress of Malaysians.

Fatwa issued in M'sia against ' ghost ' shows

Say no to museum's exhibition of 'ghost','djin'

Bizzare ban on Pak Said film in Harry's S'pore

Those who have read Singapore's former PM and SM, MM Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs know for sure that the name of Said Zahari never appears as a historical record, let alone the reason or reasons for his 17-year detention without trial under Lee's premiership. Now, according to the Ministry of Information, Communication and Arts of Singapore which has recently banned a made-in-Singapore historical documentary about Said Zahari, the latter was allegedly involved in what is said to be "communist united front activities against the interests of Singapore". However, my friend Amir Muhammad's films Lelaki Komunist Terakhir and Apa Khabar Orang Kampung which documents the stories of self-identified hardcore and real communists like Chin Peng, Abdullah C.D, Suriani Abdullah, Abu Samah and other can still be screened and watched publicly in Singapore. Said Zahari, the trilingual former editor-in-chief of Utusan Melayu whose computer was stolen from his Subang house together with the manuscript of the last installment of his trilogical memoirs during last year's Christmas vacation, of course, now lives in Malaysia as my cherished neighbour, good friend and esteemed sifu .

Film ban strange, says Said Zahari

S'pore: new regime, old authority ?

Wen Jiabao : most Japanese also war victims

China's premier Wen Jiaobao is absolutely right in observing that just a few militarist leaders were to blame for Japan's past imperial aggression and that most Japanese people were also war victims. The observation is also in line with what Chairman Mao and other New China's builders told the people of China during and after the war of resistance.

Reflecting on the relations between China and Japan, the first premier and foreign minister of New China Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) once remarked that Sino-Japanese relationship had been defined by 3,000 years of civilisational exchanges and only 50 years of conflicts. The 50 years of conflicts evidently refer to the period between the 1894-1895 First Sino-Japanese War which ended with Imperial Japan occupying and colonising Taiwan and the 1945 defeat of Imperial Japan by the Allies, which included China and the United States as well as other partisan forces and heroic individuals in the region.

Premier Wen Jiaobao is currently in Japan for an official visit. Before arriving at Japan, he also visited the Republic of Korea (ROK).

In memory of Norman Bethune

Please free BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston. Let us all pray for his safety. Let us also sign the BBC petition calling for his freedom.

S'porean PM salary stuns White House official

Washington (AFP) - A senior White House official on Tuesday admitted he was floored by the news that Singapore's prime minister earned five times more than US President George W. Bush.

" I'm going to emigrate and run for office in Singapore," the official said on condition he be identified only as "a senior administration official who sits in disbelief after reading that story."

On Monday, the Singapore government had announced a fresh 25.5 percent pay hike for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, boosting his salary to 2.05 million dollars per year.

Bush gets paid 400,000 dollars per year for doing his job, according to the White House.

Combined with personal investment income, he and his wife Laura reported 618,694 dollars in taxable income in the 2005 fiscal year. They had to pay 187,768 dollars in federal taxes.

But maybe Bush shouldn't feel so bad. The Singaporean's paycheck is eight times fatter than Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's.

SDP : no need to donate, just cancel pay hike

S'porean PM to donate pay increase to charity

Singapore's ' fat cat ' ministers to get ' fatter '

SWP's MP on ministerial, civil service pay rise

Iran president praises Jesus in X'mas message

While many hardline patriots in Britain are furious at some Christian bishops' praises for the Islamic Republic of Iran and its president for their 'act of mercy and compassion' in releasing the 15 detained Royal Navy sailors as "a gift to the British people" and "to mark both prophet Muhammad's birthday on 30 March and the upcoming Easter holiday", no protest was heard in Iran or elsewhere in the Islamic world last year when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary in his Christmas message. Why ? Could someone learned out there enlighten this theological ignoramus ?

Ban Ki-moon urges Iran to stop defying Security Council

Ban Ki-moon thanks Ahmadinejad for marines' freedom

Patriotic outcry in U.K. as bishops praise Iran

The row in Britain over Iranian capture and release of its 15 marines have now developed into an unexpected direction as patriotic polticians and soldiers publicly criticise Christian clergymen who have praised Iran and its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for their 'act of mercy and compassion' in releasing the sailors. Meanwhile, criticisms against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for its decision to allow the marines to literally sell their 'stories' of 13-day captivity in Iran to the media, reportedly grows prompting MoD to review its rules.

Latest: MoD now bans military staff selling ' stories '

Japanese PM Abe 'vows' to face up to history

According to a report in the China Radio International, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe has vowed, on the eve of his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiaobao's official visit to Japan, to "face up" to history. This year marks not only the 35th anniversary of the normalisation of Sino-Japanese relations but also 70th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge 'Incident' and onset of the Nanjing Massacre.

Reflecting on the relations between China and Japan, the first premier and foreign minister of New China Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) once remarked that Sino-Japanese relationship had been defined by 3,000 years of civilisational exchanges and only 50 years of conflicts. The 50 years of conflicts evidently refer to the period between the 1894-1895 First Sino-Japanese War which ended with Imperial Japan occupying and colonising Taiwan and the 1945 defeat of Imperial Japan by the Allies, which included China and the United States.

Re-reading Laurence Rees' Horror in the East

General Pace visits Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum

" The long march of a forgotten English hero "

New China's gratitute to Dr. Norman Bethune

Re-reading Edgar Snow's Red Star Over China

Freed British marines allowed to sell 'stories'

Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is becoming increasingly unintelligible as it now even allows the released marines to literally sell their 'stories' of 13-day captivity in Iran to the highest bidders in the media industry. However, according to BBC, "one of the 15 Royal Navy personnel held captive by Iran has said he is 'not interested in making money' by selling his story". Daily Telegraph, a conservative U.K. newspaper, now runs a public forum on this new controversy.

Media in West, Mideast differ widely on Iran's treatment of Brits

British marines definitely violated Iranian waters: Majlis Speaker

Release of British marines glorious move by Iran : Majlis Speaker

Recently, I visited dazzling Hong Kong for the first time and found the classically cooked Cantonese-style hawker food simply superb. Quite a number of shopkeepers were pleasantly surprised that a Malaysian could speak better and more standard Cantonese than some of them. To my own pleasant surprise, I found that there is a huge Wing On Building at the well-known and busy Nathan Road.

Visiting site of First Opium War (1840 -1842)

Iran disputes UK sailors' accounts of captivity

According to BBC, Iran's Foreign Ministry has dismissed the released British marines' accounts of their captivity publicly told in London as "theatrical propaganda". Well, whatever the truth may be, it seems none can deny that the 15 British marines can really tell two entirely different stories of the same event under two different sets of circumstances with seemingly equal vehemence and passion.

Freed Brits: " We were blindfolded, isolated "

Freed Brits: " We were blindfolded, isolated "

Now, the freed British marines feel safe and secure enough in their home ground to publicly tell their version of captivity in Iran and to disclaim the 'confessions' they made on Tehran's TV. Earlier, Britain's navy chief Admiral Sir Jonathon Band also reportedly came to their defence. Any rebuttals or revelations from Tehran, especially President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was 'kind' enough to give them personal gift bags before their final departure from Iran ?

Released British sailors' statement : full text

Learning psychology lessons from freed Brits

Learning psychology lessons from freed Brits

While military analysts in Britain are learning mainly operational and tactical lessons from the capture and release of their 15 marines by Iran, what puzzles this layman is the question why the 15 still happily received the gift bags after they had already been freed? Like it or not, the reported psychological responses of the 15 British marines to their Iranian captors indeed merit detailed studies. UK's Foreign Office had reportedly said the freed marines "are in good health" and the entire peace-loving world in the West and East is certainly glad to know that the 15 have also reunited with their beloved families.

Daily Telegraph forum : Has Iran succeeded in humiliating Britain ?

President Mahmoud's gift bags for freed Brits

According to Sky News, before their departure from Iran, the 15 freed British marines had also been given personal gift bags by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The bags reportedly contain handicrafts, vases and special sweets. Are the gifts given to the British marines for the celebration of Easter or to promote Visit Iran Year 2007 ? :) Well, the British Foreign Office has reportedly said the freed marines "are in good health".

British sailors detained, freed : BBC readers' reactions

Ban Ki-moon thanks Ahmadinejad for marines' release

Iran president wins world's hearts and minds

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has certainly done the right thing and also done the thing right by releasing the detained 15 British sailors reportedly "to mark both prophet Muhammad's birthday on 30 March and the upcoming Easter holiday". The release has not only given peace and reconciliation a chance but also demonstrated to the world at large the wisdom and magnanimity of the Iranian people.

Ban Ki-moon thanks Ahmadinejad for marines' release

Freed British marines leave for London, ending standoff

Released British sailors' families describe joy and relief

Iran's detained sailors drama played out on world stage

How true are detained British sailors' TV 'confessions' ?

Dr. Kissinger : rise of New China "inevitable"

China's Xinhua Online and Press Trust of India yesterday reported former US Secretary of State and ex-National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger as observing that the rise of China is "inevitable" and the United States "needs to cooperate with the world's most populous country" to "shape a new international understanding". Kissinger secretly travelled to Beijing on 9-11 July, 1971 to meet China's premier Zhou Enlai.

General Pace visits Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum

China explains its 17.8% military budget hike

PLA's naval ships pay courtesy call to Jakarta

China-led multi-national naval fleet drill ends

Scientific, futuristic dimension of New China

U.S. doesn't see China as strategic adversary

Congress-White House showdown on Iraq War

Both the House of Representative and Senate of the United States have officially passed a resolution requiring all US combat troops to be pulled out from Iraq by 1 September next year. However, President Bush, being the constitutionally designated Commander-in-Chief of the United States' armed forces is opposed to the Quit Iraq dateline and has vowed to veto the resolution. So, there is certainly a monumental and running debate in the United States between the Congress and White House not only on the external strategies for Iraq but also the domestic distribution of war- and peace-making power. Both the Presidency and Congress are popularly elected.

Bush renews veto threat on Quit Iraq resolution

Bush calls Democrats 'irresponsible' on Iraq War

Dick Cheney: withdrawal date means Iraq defeat

Message of Peace Movement, Congress to Bush

CPUSA: "no to escalation! bring the troops home!"

Real, pressing agenda for building New Nepal

The revolution in Nepal has only paved the way for the more challenging task of creating the preconditions for socio-economic reconstruction.

Solving the problems of absolute and relative poverty as well as youth unemployment and underemployment is certainly pressing and the overcoming the high rate of illiteracy, superstitious fatalism and poor healthcare among a large segment of the poor and disempowered masses, especially children in rural areas, is also very important.

Nepali communists join interim gov't cabinet

Nepali communists to become gov't ministers

How true are British sailors' TV 'confessions' ?

Are those detained British sailors whose 'confessions' are shown on Iranian TV suffering from Stockholm Syndrome or being put under threats, coercion or other forms of undue influence by their captors? I really have no idea at all.

Those who are interested should perhaps re-direct the questions to ex-IGP Haniff Omar or those who handled cases of 'Surrendered Enemy Personnel' (SEP) during the 'Emergency' or 'Soviet spies in Umno' in the 1970s before for more authoritative exploration of the possibilities and hypotheses under such circumstances or situations.

Tehran says all 15 UK personnel have ' confessed '

Iran should free UK sailors, Security Council says

Nepali communists join interim gov't cabinet

The armed struggle against feudal dictatorship has ended and the Nepali communists have joined the interim government led by PM Girija Prasad Koirala. New tasks are ahead and new political skills are certainly required to consolidate peace and enlarge the realm of freedom for the people of Nepal. Warm regards and best wishes from a Malaysian friend.

Sahana Pradhan becomes 1st woman Foreign Minister of Nepal

Nepali communists to become gov't ministers

Two news items from the BBC and CNN respectively on the latest political development and progress of national reconciliation in Nepal has attracted my attention. I visited the country's capital Kathmandu before for a week in 1993 and I met many of its then mainstream politicians and political activists on the Left, both the soft and hard types.