NATIONAL 3 -(Spotlight Weekly)

Under Attack

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

When listeners in the capital valley tuned into ëAajaka Kura', a popular daily talk show on Radio Sagarmatha, on January 16, they were taken aback to hear a notice. The first community radio in South Asia said it had indefinitely suspended the program till as per directives of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC).

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The ministry, in its directive delivered the same day, cited a two-week-old government decision that banned independent news-oriented programs, with immediate effect. "We haven't made any new decision. All we have done is to remind private F.M. stations about the existing rules," said Shri Ram Poudel, secretary at the ministry. The existing laws prohibit F.M. stations from airing news broadcasts. The government took the decision after some F.M. stations were found conducting live phone-in programs over the alleged remarks of an Indian actor Hrithik Roshan at a time when thousands of young people in Kathmandu were pelting stones at everything they linked with India.

"Our media is yet to behave responsibly during such crisis," said Dr. Shri Govinda Shah, a policy analyst. "But such events should not be made an alibi to harass the press."

The government, however, seemed determined to settle its scores in the aftermath of violent protests in Kathmandu late last month. The District Administration Office of Kathmandu summoned publisher of Space Time daily, Jamim Shah, and interrogated him for hours after his newspaper, along with other papers, published news reports related to Hrithik's alleged remarks. Officials claimed the interrogation was not related to the news item. The government rewarded editor of the daily by appointing him as chief editor of Gorkhapatra, an official daily.

"The government seems to be trying to create a lobby of media persons who would write in praise of its activities," said Gokul Pokhrel, a senior journalist and President of Nepal Press Institute. "It has been adopting tactics of intimidation as the Nepali press has become capable enough to point out mistakes made by the government."

Whether it is the alleged huge corruption in the Lauda air deal or misuse of resources by top officials, the press has been quite critical of the wrongdoings, if any, by the government. The press has also exposed and criticized violation of human rights by the government and armed groups during the five-year-old Maoist ëpeople's war.'

"The government has given the message that everything it does in the name of containing Maoist rebellion is justified, which can't be accepted," said Krishna Pahadi, President of Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES). "The government seems to be trying to weaken the media and human rights campaign by using themselves."

Participants at an interaction program organized in the capital by the Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) on Sunday, called upon the media community in particular and civil society in general to become aware about possible threats on press freedom and freedom of expression in the country.

"The government could make even fatal attack upon the Nepali press in near future," said Pahadi. Added Dr. Shah, " when a government finds itself in a lost situation, it starts committing unethical acts."

Of course, there are some limitations to media itself. "Media should not glorify war-like situations and internal conflict. The press should behave responsibly," said Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, a human rights activist.

Agreed Sindhu Nath Pyakurel, senior advocate and newly elected president of Nepal Bar Association, "press freedom, when exercised within limits, can contribute a lot to the country. To restrict the freedom of press without framing a case was violation of the constitution of the country that guarantees press freedom and freedom of expression."

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990, guarantees right to freedom, right to information and press and publication rights for its citizens. In practice, cases of violation of press freedom and freedom of expression are increasing every day over the last few years, said studies.

"Press could make both the state and non-state parties accountable by creating an aware and concerned popular opinion," said Prof. Kapil Shrestha, member of National Human Rights Commission. "Any type of censor can't be acceptable in a democracy but counseling and self-censorship is acceptable practices." Added Shobhakar Budhatoki," General Secretary of CEHURDES, "Both the press and civil society needed to be aware about growing assaults on press freedom by the government, armed rebel groups or any section of civil society."

Of course, continued vigilance is the price to pay for protecting any kind of freedom, including freedom of press and freedom of expression.