Fruitful Inter-Action

THE Nepalese media sector has seen tremendous growth in recent times. Not only has there been a huge growth in the number of publications and even FM radio stations, but it is encouraging to see the gradual development of professionalism in this sector as well. However, the mushroom like growth in the number of publications, has not been in the interest of those newspapers themselves. Considering the limited market in the Nepalese media sector, it is a tough uphill task just to survive with a healthy financial condition. What most private sector newspapers feel is that, they can be economically viable if the notices and advertisements of the government and government owned institutions, are fairly distributed to the privately owned publications. This is quite true, but at the same time publications should also maintain certain standards regarding circulation, regularity and quality before expecting such facilities. Participants at a one-day inter-action programme organised by the Department of Information the other day, had argued that the government must change its attitude while disbursing such government notices. The participants also called on government departments to be more transparent and they asked government spokesmen to be more answerable to the press.

There is no doubt that a democratic government, which has been elected by the people, has to be accountable in its functioning and the people must be well informed of its various activities. Yet, like mentioned by the spokesman of the Ministry of Information, the media should also understand that the government spokesmen are not evasive or silent because they do not want to speak to the press. Many times, such officials have not been well briefed themselves and they have also not been advised of their functions and limitations. In this regard, politicians in power must change their attitude and allow the government spokespersons to inform the press and through them the people, about government activities. It is true that the private media in Nepal requires government assistance if they are to professionally institutionalise themselves. But at the same time, the media people must also learn to be more competitive and self sustaining in their own ways. Government dependence will not allow them to grow in an independent and free manner. It can be hoped, inter-action programmes like the one organised by the Information Department, will create ways for the government and the private press to function with more cooperation for the benefit of both the sides and for the overall development of the nation.

Red Herring

THE Indian newspaper Economic Times’ allegation that Nepalese industrialists are exporting third country raw materials to India after only nominal processing and resorting to under-invoicing so as to avoid countervailing duty smacks of the general trend of the Indian media to cry wolf when there is no wolf in sight at all. Accusing India’s neighbours for a host of inconveniences that the country faces for a variety of reasons seems to have become a favourite pastime of the Indian media. Accusations of unfair trade practices spawn exactly from that mindset. This being the general trend, it is not at all surprising that Economic Times has chosen to level such charges against the Nepalese industrialists. The paper revelled in going for extra charges: that Nepalese businessmen are using the excess amount from the under-invoiced export items to finance Indian terrorist activities and drug-related criminal activities. That Nepal harbours anti-Indian criminal elements is a favourite whipping horse of the Indian media.

Any watcher of Nepal-India trade knows why the diatribe is coming now. In recent times, some of the Nepalese products are doing well in the Indian market on account of no other reason than the fact Indian consumers prefer those products. Some Indian businessmen dealing in those products don’t like it. So, lobbying is being resorted to. With a compliant home media that refuse to verify truth these businessmen and industrialists are succeeding in spreading canards. Facts on the ground testify how ‘truthful’ these allegations are. Given the domestic consumption, there is very little to indicate on the ground that any item on a large scale finds its way into the Indian markets. Though the latest allegations are patently an effort to throw a red herring around, it must be emphasised that facts on the Nepal-India trade point to a very serious imbalance that benefit India. Nepal suffers from a huge trade deficit with India. It is against this background that efforts to curb what little Nepal exports to India come as a callous exercise. The whopping trade imbalance is there precisely because Indian products enjoy equal facility as Nepalese products in Nepalese market and there is neither quantitative nor qualitative restriction on Indian products in Nepalese market. As a protest communique from Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI) pointed out, neither any banking procedure nor any certificate of origin is required for Indian exports to Nepal. Because of all these factors, Indian goods are able to dominate the Nepalese market. In sum, the Indian allegations are baseless, pure and simple. And the Indian officialdom should also see them as groundless.