The Role of the Press in an Emerging Civil Society-II

Dr. Klaus Barth, Germany

In a democratic environment, readers become more critical and, as it were, spoilt, they are no longer content with the peel, they want the whole fruit. This is an environment that requires professionalism in journalism. The more democratic the system becomes, the more informed, enlightened, analytical and critical - in one word: the more professional - the journalist has to be, in order to satisfy his readers.

My impression is that during the last three years professionalism in Nepal´s press has indeed increased. News coverage has become more complete and news presentation more interesting; quotations are now more accurate, editorials and cartoons more to the point, bolder and more critical. Not only has the democratic environment been conducive to the development of professionalism, but the competition between democratically expressed opinions seems to have forced editors to make better and more lively newspapers.

On the other hand, the press should not be content with acting simply as a mirror of changing society towards a civil society and with reacting to the society’s aspirations. On the contrary, the press should view itself as an educational institution which can add life to the democratic process, and which can help to speed up democratisation to the point where you can really speak of a civil society. At the present stage, democratisation in Nepal has already gone a long way beyond the creation of functioning democratic institutions and mechanisms and the democratic expression of the political will of the people. At this comparatively advanced stage, democratisation basically means nothing less than the transformation of the society by democratic means, until the "civil society" is accomplished.

This is a task of mammoth proportions. Given the prevailing inequalities based on caste and gender, to name just the two most important causes for discrimination in Nepal, full democratisation will eventually require a complete overhaul of social behaviour and social institutions. Obviously, this will not happen over night. In fact, it will not happen at all, unless all formative institutions, such as schools, the family, universities and, of course, the media join hands to promulgate a civil society based on norms that derive from constitutional rights, rather than from traditional prejudices. The role of the press in this process cannot be underestimated.

To give you a very positive example, I may refer to a piece of news by a reporter of „Kathmandu Post" rendered by that paper on its front page on 15 June this year, entitled „Police alleged of arbitrary detentions". It also carried a picture of family members of persons allegedly held without trial for much longer than permitted by law. This is the kind of transparency which the press is indeed called upon to provide, and I hope this particular news item has helped to motivate the authorities concerned to do their duty.

It seems to me that Nepali culture in general is not really geared to passing on informations. Relevant information seem to be a cherished possession of those who obtain them, and instead of passing them on to the people concerned who should really work with those informations, they will rather keep them to themselves. Instead, people seem to prefer to pass on rumours and gossip based on hearsay. I could give you lots of examples from my own Embassy and household. Unfortunately, newspapers are also not free from that tendency, and you seldom see an apology. Speculation should be left to the astrologers, whereas the role of the press is the dissemination of relevant information.

Also, newspapers are quick to blast foreign criminals like paedophiles and to expose them extensively, sometimes even on mere suspicion, but when it comes to Nepalese citizens doing the same thing, even within their own families, it is worth just a few lines in the papers. Or when people neglect their old parents, it is simply reported in a matter-of-fact fashion, when it should really be one of the foremost tasks of the media, in a civil society, to seriously discuss these matters in depth, with a view to restore the traditional values in the society.

Another point, which I would like to make, is that the task of nation-building is given much less attention by the Nepalese media than that of democratisation, although it is probably just as important. Nationalism, for most people, seems to be a question of Kalapani and transit rights, downstream river benefits and friendship treaties - in other words, of foreign relations rather than that which it should really be, a question of building a nation through common efforts. When you read that a vast majority of new parliamentarians see their most essential task in uplifting the living conditions within their respective constituencies, rather than in playing a role in national legislation and in solving the problems of the nation, that will show you the extent of the deficit in the awareness concerning the task of nation-building. It is true that expectations in the constituencies are high after the advent of democracy, and the eyes especially of the rural people are mainly fixed on their MP in this regard. It is said that while during the fight against the panchayat regime, democratic politicians were fed by the rural people, who now expect their politicians to feed them in return, which is legitimate up to a certain point. Still, the main role of an MP lies in the national sphere, and it is also one of the tasks of the media in a civil society to bring this point across in very certain terms both to the politicians and to the general public.

Another area where the media have a most responsible role to play is that of public finance. A modern State can only function properly if its citizens contribute, according to their individual capacity as defined by tax legislation, towards the financing of national development. Nobody has a right to blame politicians or officials of corruption unless he has himself paid up what is due to the State, by way of direct and indirect taxes. I am well aware that in this country, tax evasion is not considered a crime, like elsewhere in the world, but a sign of brinkmanship. But how long do you expect honest taxpayers in the donor countries to make up for the failure of your own taxpayers to pay their share of the cost of your own country´s development? How can you expect foreign taxpayers to willingly pay for the construction of hydropower plants in Nepal, if your own citizens and institutions are not prepared to even pay their electricity bills? Here, I guess, the media have a tremendous task ahead of them, namely to contribute, as best they can, to educate citizens to become responsible members of a democratic and civil society. (Concluded)

(The author was a former Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Nepal)

Nepal India relations and Mechi Bridge

Indo-Nepal friendship can be traced out since the dawn of civilization. The "Skanda Puran" in its "Hinwatkhanda" has mentioned a radiant hymns "Satye satyawati chaiba tretaya tu tapavanam dwapare mukti sopanam kalau Nepalika puri". It means that in "Satyayuga", the golden age Nepal was known as a place for pilgrimage. In Treta yuga, the age of silver, Nepal was called the holy land of mediation and penance. In the age of "Dwapar", the copper age Nepal was commonly known as the ladder to the zenith of salvation and in Kaliyuga the age of iron the sovereign Himalayan Kingdom is called Nepal.

Hindu mythology and the ancient documents like the great epic The Ramayana and Mahabharata has elucidated the pious matrimonial relation with Shri Ram and Mata Janaki. During the crushed of "Kurukhetra", Nepalese King "Yalambar" fought in favor of Pandavas. This was a sanction of harmony between two countries in grass-root level and extended the friendly relation of living together, working together and helping one another.

During the medieval period of history the great emperor "Chandragupta Maurya" took birth from a Nepalese queen as mentioned by "Kautilya" widely knows as "Chanakya". "Kalhan", the great poet of Kashmir has nicely elaborated the upholding relation between two countries in his famous epic the "Rajtarangini". The Alahabad Prashanti shilalekh is an another milestone of this context. The royal visit of emperor "Ashoka" with his daughter 'Charumati' and their effort in highlighting the Bhuddism is a glowing example of our age-old friendship and fraternity.

Our two countries have jointly over ruled the colonial domination and developed an affinity in social cultural and religious predicaments to tight the value system of vedic polity. Not a single Nepali can forget the chastity of 'Chardham' not the people of India can ignore Pashupatinath and Lumbini.

Nepal lies to the north of India surrounded by the panoramic peaks of the Himalayas as mentioned by an ever born dramatist Kalidas. The great sub-continent was called Aryawartya and imposed with sanatan culture and sanatan dharma. The pivot of Indo-Nepal relation is the cultural assimilation and an emotional sentiment of brotherhood. After redeeming the independence of India, Nepal came to the close relation with the ferverent leaders like Mahatma Ghandi, Jawarlal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prashad and the door of bi-lateral cooperation, peaceful coexistence, the panchasheel were opened and welcomed.

A country whose boundary is determined by land and mountains but not by seas is called a land-locked country. It indicated that our country is surrounded on all sides by land is a land-locked country. We do not have access to sea. We have to go through India or Bangladesh to reach the nearest sea which is nearly 500 Km. away from our eastern border. For this reason our trade and transit is at the proximate point of diminishing stage. It is ubiquitous that Nepal has a total area of 147,181 sq. km, which is 0.9% of the land area of the earth and Nepal is about 22 times smaller to India. This geographical position of a neighboring country shall always a matter of deep concern for India is genuine and legitimate as our aspirations evoke these friendly feelings.

The SAARC region, share many things in common. We live in proximate geography, we have cultural similarities. Our people share similar religious practices, socio-economic and political patterns etc. Our political culture despite varying degree of political development is by and large the same. Above all, the destiny of Nepal, a recipient and least developed countries is an asymmetrical to a real friend like India. As a custodian against colonialism, disarmament and a pioneer of Non-Alignment Movement, Indian friends and scholars should extend their benign co-operation and high sound to the peaceful tiny Himalayan Kingdom for her arduous necessities.

After independence in the middle of the present century India has played an important role in the various fields of Nepal's activities. The relation of free India with Nepal became all the more close; both the countires have revived their old relations. Treaties were made between two countries. This outlook of active cooperation should come into practice on the ground of mutual understanding which may impair the friendly relation more concrete. It is sorry to say that almost the terranian people of Nepal which parts are adjoining with Bihar are facing a lot of troubles without any reason by the transportation, women trafficking and other local problems some times create nuisance among the people of two sides. Vigilance on the part of both the governments to nullify these unwanted situation is the need. The homogeneity of bilateral public interests is essential and it should be safeguarded by the joint venture of two sides. All round development of Bihar can change the fate of underdeveloped border areas. The total development of Kishanganj is the vice-versa of Jhapa. To promote the welfare of two sides Galgaliya railways station should be more developed and an interlink relation with Bhadrapur is necessary. The pheasibility of dry port of Galgaliya and Bhadrapur should be given priority. The most vital factor is "Mechi Bridge" to lay the foundation stone of an al-round development of entire Bihar and eastern Nepal. The govrnment of India is co-operating to construct nearly 400 Km of road and approximately nine bridges from Rauta to Bhadrapur in Nepal where the most prior Mechi Bridge has not been mentioned.

India and Nepal right from the ancient period had a glorious position in the world. India aimed at lifting countries to higher levels so she was assigned the honored place of the sub-continent at that time. This should be continued even after times to come.

(Text Courtesy: Dilli Ram Nirvik, Journalist, Jhapa)

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