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Kathmandu Friday June 08, 2001 Jestha 26, 2058.
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Govt
interference on press freedom flayed
Post Report
MORANG, June 7 - Intellectuals, independent entrepreneurs
and politicians in the home town of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala have angrily
reacted to the arrest of Editor Yuva Raj Ghimire, Managing Director Kailash Sirohiya and
Director Binod Raj Gyawali on sedition charge under the direct order of Prime Minister
Koirala.
Residents of Biratnagar have said the government has
started the rule of despotic nature trampling on the democratic constitution of the
country under its feet, naked interference on the press and violating the people’s
right to information.
Chairman of Intellectual Council Morang, Dinesh Shrestha
said arresting the editor and the managing director and director of Kantipur daily, the
symbol of fearless and impartial journalism under the direct order of Prime Minister
Koirala was a direct and naked attack on the freedom of press.
Politician Durga Subedi said the Koirala Government has
made the undemocratic assault because it could not tolerate the freedom of speech and
writing exercised by Kantipur daily in democracy.
Subedi further said Koirala has tried to muzzle the voice
of Kantipur daily which has been exposing his immoral, undemocratic and corrupt
activities. Kantipur should, instead, further sharpen its edge and bring the truth to
light, he added.
Former Minister Radha Prasad Ghimire said the government
which was tight-lipped about the tragic incident that occurred at the Narayanhity Royal
Palace, has displayed its despotic nature by its interference with Kantipur daily and the
press.
He said the government gave full description to the foreign
news media on Saturday itself and it bows its head before the foreign news media,
"but why is it taking action against a national daily which has fearlessly published
an article related with the incident?", he asked.
"If the press is charged with sedition merely when it
publishes an article, what is the difference between the Panchayat and democracy? Freedom
and objectivity of the press have become meaningless here after Wednesday’s assault
on the press," chief of Degree Campus, Biratnagar, Ramesh Koirala said.
Nepali Congress Mahasamiti members Amrit Aryal and Sanjay
Bhattarai said the government has axed itself by interfering with the free press and
demanded immediate and unconditional release of the editor and managers.
Chairman of Industry Association Morang Sushil Dhanawat has
said people have started to feel that the government has started to function despotically
after the Wednesday’s flagrant intervention on the fourth estate.
He added that Koirala’s undemocratic action against
Kantipur was a revenge against the daily for exposing his corrupt activities in the past.
"Koirala has taken action against Kantipur daily for
exposing his corrupt activities but why has he not shown courage to take action against Dr
Babu Ram Bhattarai and Prachand?", asks Chitra Bahadur Timilsina, an entrepreneur.
Similarly, a meeting of Nepal Journalists Federation Morang
branch held here on Thursday vehemently opposed the blatant attack of the government on
the press.
Regretting the government interference, the federation
demanded immediate and unconditional release of the arrested editor and director and
managing director. If the government does not take this demand seriously, the federation
has decided that all the journalists would launch an agitation, according to branch
president Dipak Dahal.
Former president of the branch Mohan Bhandari said it would
be unfortunate for the country if all the journalists were compelled to fight against the
government’s wrong step.
Similarly, the district executive committees of CPN (UML),
CPN (ML) and Nepal Sadbhawana parties have also termed the government’s blatant
interference on Kantipur Publications as an act of cowardice.
It may be recalled here that Prime Minister Koirala had
told Kantipur reporter in Biratnagar, towards the third week of April, that Kantipur daily
was his greatest enemy.
Similarly, Central Vice-Chairman of Press Chautari Yagya
Sharma said the entire journalists of the country would not remain silent if the charge of
sedition is levelled against the editor and managers of Kantipur only on the basis of the
article written by Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai."How will people receive real information if
the freedom of the press is muzzled?," he added.
BBC eastern regional representative Tank Khanal said
journalists should be ready to fight against the government if the government does not
change its attitude towards the freedom of the press.
Similarly, President of Nepal Journalists Federation
Nawalparasi branch Krishna Bahadur Karki has expressed his serious objection to the arrest
of Kantipur editor and directors and demanded their immediate release.
Our Nawalparasi reporter says Karki has said in a press
communique that the arrest of the editor and directors was an attack on democracy.
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