Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Second Impression

No news is good news, it is said. When you have no news, spread rumors. This has been the trait of Nepali journalism of late.

I can’t remain an exception to the rule. Nevertheless, I try to spread analyses to the best of my ability. My editorial staffs support me in my noble endeavor. Thanks to them all.

However, some news items that demand the attention of the media men of this country are more often than not ignored. I can’t say that they do it for sake of ignorance of the events or ignore the sad events deliberately under some sort of pressures from unseen quarters that are in abundance in my country.

One such news that humiliated the entire Nepali community thus could not come to light for unknown reasons.

Why the news or for that matter the sad event did not get a place in the Nepali media is mysterious. Thanks The Jan Aastha weekly that it provided ample space for the news which had in effect hit hard the sentiments of the entire Nepalese people.

The sad episode ran like this. The chief of the Nepal-1-the Indian Television Channel, Ms. Nalini Singh recently misbehaved one Nepali staff right here in Kathmandu at her office. I don’t know where the TV office is located in Kathmandu, to be honest.

Ms. Nalini, as the Jan Aastha reported a fortnight back, summoned one Nepali female staff and point blank made nasty comments that I prefer not to disclose here. I don’t want to put pressures on the minds of the Nepalese people who would love to die for the preservation of the prestige and the glory of this country.

When enough was enough, the Nepali staff had to retaliate. And she retaliated in such a violent manner that must have surprised the Indian brain-the chief of the Nepal-1 TV channel.

The Nepali staff slapped her own boss telling her that look this is Nepali fitness and capabilities.

The Nepali staff have had to do so, as she told the weekly later, when she was challenged by her Indian boss as to what the capacity of the Nepalese were?

In response to her humiliating and insulting uproar made against the Nepali psyche, the Nepali staffer made it known to the Indian boss that the Nepalese people still extract pleasure and happiness from their past glory.

My own contention has been that the Nepali staffer must not have reacted that violently to the insulting remarks made against Nepal and its people. Things could have settled down after few moments. However, this was not to happen. Things moved so fast that neither Nalini nor Anjali could control their inner feelings.

I have many good Indian friends. I want to continue this friendship ad infinitum. Some are exceptional ones. But then yet at times they make derogatory comments against my country. They do it so perhaps to forget their horrifying colonial past.

Take care APCA friends! It could be your turn now. Good or bad, we are Nepalese. We might differ in our view, but then yet we are the sons/daughters of the same soil. We can settle our differences. But do not tolerate humiliation in the name of job. Look how Rakesh Wadhva’s case is being given a political twist. And look how this Indian gentleman is being shielded by his seen and unseen friends in Kathmandu. Understand the meaning underneath. Admittedly, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu must have used its own media-clout to corner the innocent and thorough gentleman-R.D.Tuttle. It is the turn of the American Embassy in Kathmandu to take the side of its citizen whose personal efforts have generated employment to four thousand plus Nepalese people. But will the American embassy do so?

Do not become offensive and don’t hate the Indians. They are our close friends and will remain so for ever. We have to live with them. Don’t retaliate. But then when it comes to the crunch show them what you are and were. However, read their intentions first and if possible make them to understand as to how we can live together as good friends. Don’t forget that they have completely forgotten their Bapu. If they can do so they can easily forget their own motherland. Recall the shameful deeds of Mirjaffors, and Jaychands. They were the sons of the Indian soil.

They can’t compete with us on any front. Albeit, we too must not rush to seek their blessings as our leaders have been doing since the 1950s. This applies to the media as well.

Calm down youself as and when they pose challenge to you. Nevertheless, if situation so demanded, handle the circumstances keeping your heads high.