As the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist
(UCPN-M) is debating a ‘media policy’ clearly against a free media, there are
signs that Nepali journalists might come under increased attack.
The draft policy not only talks of “neutralising”
media critical to the Maoists, but also says “we must get the neutral ones into
our fold”. In a context where more than two dozen journalists have lost their
lives to Maoist as well as state violence, this news is chilling.
The national daily from Kathmandu that scooped
the draft policy aptly commented that the Maoists would be using the media as a
support rod, as a tool for defence as well as offense. The draft also says that
it would use the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) — an umbrella
organisation of working journalists — in its mission. It also plans to increase
its proximity to journalists, particularly editors, so that the media does not
oppose the party.
All these moves need to be seen with how
pro-Maoist trade unions obstructed major publications in the past. The UCPN-M
has stood firmly against the independence of the judiciary, and its top
leaders, including Prachanda, used rallies and other platforms to warn the
media that criticising the Maoists will not go unnoticed. Apart from issuing
such threats, the party now owns print, radio as well as television channels
which are used as ‘propaganda machinery’, as well as for the vilification and
denouncement of its enemies and critics.
With the latest Maoist declaration that it would
start a campaign asserting national independence and sovereignty, the party
machinery is inventing more enemies and branding them as “local agents” of
“hegemonic and foreign forces”. While the Maoist still say officially that they
respect media freedom, their notorious youth wing, the Young Communist League
(YCL) has circulated an issue of its weekly bulletin Lalrakshak identifying
‘foreign agents’ and ‘enemies’ of the revolution.
Indian Express
Feb 06, 2010
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