Attack on the press freedom!

Immaterial of the type of the government in place in a particular country at a particular time always prefers to keep the national independent media in its grip for obvious reasons. Nepal could be no exception to this almost established tradition. The Nepali press at the moment has become the victim of arrogance and unwarranted sensitivities exhibited by Koirala regime on an issue that could have been left to the mercy of the readers. The issues raised by Dr. B.R. Bhattarai in his controversial article that caused the Kantipur publications to face penal actions at least should have opened the eyes of the regime for it was this article which at least gave the government an impression on how the insurgents look at the matter freshly happened in Nepal and later devise strategies on how to counter those arguments put forth by the Maoist leader Dr. Bhattarai. The government could have taken the article penned by Bhattarai as to have come from a quarter which generally expresses comments against the establishment more so that under Koirala. This would have helped the regime under "democratic-minded" Koirala to understand the Maoists perspective in the scheme of the ongoing events that shook the nation from within.

However, the government committed a blunder by penalizing the publication for it was after the arrest of the editor of the publication the article became extremely popular and presumably were read even by those lay and non-partisan men who normally exhibit no interest in such articles. Things boomeranged. The government's penal action not only invited wrath from the entire Nepali media community but also managed unprecedented support in favor of the 'three heads' of the Kantipur publications more so for the editor Mr. Ghimire.

Democracy demands restraint. Democracy also demands listening to the various ideas floating around on a particular topic or subject. Democracy guarantees freedom of the press for it is in a democracy that the press is considered to be the fourth estate. A democratic system can't function in the absence of a free press. The past twelve years saw the institutionalization of the free press in Nepal. Apparently the establishment too favored the process. But all of a sudden the government went crazy and has apparently given the impression to all and sundry that press freedom could well be limited in a democracy should they wish.

However, the national population is in favor of the press freedom as in the past. Sooner or later, the government will have to listen to the popular demands of the people from within and without. The establishment is thus advised to scrap the charges framed against the three media men and bag accolades from the conscious population or else prepare itself to face the wrath of the entire press community of the world.

Fortunately enough, various media organizations in Kathmandu and outside the capital have suddenly become alert over the government's acquiring anti press freedom policy and have come out on the streets deploring the establishment's recent act of axing the media men from a broad sheet daily. Such convergence of the media men definitely bodes well for the entire media men who made already made it their profession. A united stand will definitely force the government to rethink over their previous decision that penalized some media men of the country.

The government is thus advised to refute to the said article penned by Bhattarai through articles and lectures. We the Nepali nationals ready to listen to such debates emanating from government's quarter that counters Bhattarai's article. At least it would initiate a healthy debate in the nation, which would definitely strengthen this democratic order to say the least. Simply exhibiting anger against the Nepali press might boomerang ultimately. It is time that the government thinks with a cool mind and the Nepali press exhibits solidarity with those who have to live and die in the profession. Finally, it would be more meaningful for the nation and the media men if they both cooperate with each other for it were the two very important organs of the State.

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