MEDIA COUNCIL BILL TO MAKE MEDIA ORGANIZED, DISCIPLINED: SURYA PATHAK

KATHMANDU, May 20: Main opposition party Nepali Congress leader Dr. Dila Sangroula has said that the government has brought the controversial Media Council Bill aiming to bring the power of media under their control.

“The government is afraid of media and their power. Lately, the media have exposed many corruption scams. They have written about government’s inability and Nirmala’s rape and murder case,” said Sangroula talking to Rishi Dhamala in a television talk show Janata Janna Chahanchan on Sunday.

“But the government has not been able to stand the media stories, reports and exposures at a time when the government has not been able to work as per their promises and people’s expectation. Thus the bill has been brought aiming to control the media, she added.

However, ruling Nepal Communist Party leader Surya Pathak, another guest of the program, claimed that the media bill has been brought to make the media more organized and disciplined but not to control them.

Pathak also claimed that the bill has been brought as per the spirit of the constitution. “The opposition NC is making unnecessary drama over the bill,” he added.

Sangroula argued that the opposition is protesting the bill to prevent the government from restricting press freedom.

According to her, the government introduced the media bill trampling the spirit of the constitution.

“The bill is a weapon to put an end to democracy, to control the media and to hook the press freedom,” she added.

She expressed dissatisfaction over the removal of ‘media as an autonomous and corporate body having perpetual succession’ mentioned in the preamble.

“The new bill also allows the government to sack chairperson and members of the council on the basis of the information and news he/she disseminates,” Sangroula vented ire.

“The government has already attacked rule of law, ideal state, free judiciary and human rights. Now the government has turned to the final and the most important organ…which is press freedom.”

Pathak argued that the phrase ‘controlling the media’ has not been mentioned anywhere in the bill.

“..for the development of healthy and dignified journalism.. for the free regulatory role…Nepal Media Council has been established…,” he said, reading the bill.

Sangroula interrupted Pathak saying,”…it is obvious the government is bringing the Media Council under the government shadow…”

“They have written ‘freedom’ but have also brought the provision that allows suspension and sack of members at any time, fine up to 1 million (NRS) and jail sentence to media person for publishing offensive contents.”

“Can a journalist afford the fine of such a huge amount? It’s a provision to send a media person to jail,” he argued.

“Can the government fire one who cannot work efficiently? … or sack one who is mentally challenged?” asked Pathak.

“The opposition has raised concerns over the provision of fine in the bill. The clause can be discussed,” he said. “Justified demands will be addressed.”

“About democracy… democracy does not mean one can speak whatever he or she likes. It’s about occupational ethics…” he added, “for example, if someone publishes about someone and if the report or the story proves to be factless… should not he be punished?

“The government should withdraw the bill,” pressed Sangroula.

“No, the government won’t. The bill will not be withdrawn on the basis of NC’s pressure,” insisted Pathak.

“It’s not only about NC. Journalists, civil society and human rights activists have hit the streets protesting the bill,” Sangroula argued.

“The bill is a symbol of government ‘s orientation toward totalitarianism,” she added.

Sangroula warned that the NC will not remain silent if the government tries to pass the bill forcefully.

See the video: 

By Hikmat Bahadur Nepali

DULLU, April 29: Normally the period in between mid- March and mid-May is marked by hotter days. But this time, it appears as though the monsoon has arrived before the time.

Unexpected things would obviously make people plan differently. Obviously, the nomadic Raute people who were residing occupying the area of a local river shrunk in winter shifted to a bit far fearing the river could expand due to rains.

This small group of indigenous people, as recognized by the government, is inhabiting on land some 200 meters away from a dam of the local Beteni River at Gurmakot Municipality-13 in Surkhet.

House of Representatives member Dr. Dila Sangraoula visited them recently.

Their leader Surya Narayan Shahi took time to share problems and challenges that the Rautes are facing in meeting their very basic needs with the woman lawmaker.

“Monsoon is just ahead of us. The community is distressed by the food crisis. The monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 is hardly sufficient for addressing their minimal survival needs,” he apprised the lawmaker.

The local government-Gurans Rural Municipality, Dailekh, for the first time decided to provide the permanent identity cards to the Ratue people and Rs 2,000 monthly allowance per head.

“On this backdrop, we need tents and food from the government,” the Raute tribal headman stressed, urging the government on behalf of the lawmaker to make arrangements towards that end.

Traditionally Rautes are adept at making artistic things out of wood and they sell them for livelihood.

Upon observing the lifestyle of the Raute people closely, the lawmaker reached to a conclusion that the nation had already entered a new era, but the conditions of these nomadic people have not changed for progressive causes.

Pointing out the need of protecting Raute, a nomadic indigenous ethnic group, she said that it was necessary to make arrangement of education, health and employment to Raute by developing a new settlement for them.

Urging the government to take a concrete step to bring change in Raute community, Sangraula said, “The community should not be left in this stone age.”

She said that emphasis should be laid on education to socialize the Raute, saying a campaign should be launched to socialize them.

There are now 46 households and 146 people in Raute settlement. Earlier, the Raute, who cooked their food after killing wild animals like monkey and macaque have now been facing problems after they could not find wild animals easily.