Nepal, July 13 -- Whether it is in the way his ministers threaten physical violence against rule-breakers, or the way the prime minister himself dismisses critics, there is a hard edge to the Balendra Shah government. Many Nepalis are happy with the faster and improved service-delivery under Shah-for instance the swift delivery of millions of pending driving licences or greater availability of staff at vital state institutions. They also see that after years of misrule under the old political parties and their ageing leaders, there has been a much-needed generational change in government. Yet all is not well with the functioning of the Shah government. For one, while its plans and programmes seem to have something to offer for the middle ...