Freedom of Expression

Picture from Internet

Of all the people on earth, journalist are among those who would like to practice freedom of expression more than anyone. No doubt, they advocate, practice, fight the concept of freedom of expression. But lets see how much they have got what they fight and stand for for fiercely.

May the corrupt rot :  Couple of years ago this is the slogan popularized by BBC journalist Rabindra Mishra. Mishra is famous for his scoop that gives him 15 minutes popularity was sporting T-shirt that read the slogan “may the corrupt rot.” He is that kind of journalist who always picks the topic that angers the public. It's not this easiest way to win the likeness for his choice ? But I would like to ask Mr Mishra  is practicing cursing to those who are in power position is freedom of expression ? There has to be someone in our society with clear conscience to tell  him, you got the concept totally wrong.

Let me be honest I started liking the eloquent Mr. Laxmi Guragai, Ex-editor of Gorkhapatra and his series of articles in Samhita that was published in 2072 - 2073. I enjoyed reading all of it and still even after reading Mr. Krisha Shrestha, another ex-editor of Gorkhapatra who exposed the lies of Mr Guragai with sufficient evidence. In the issue of 2073 Ashoj senior journalist lies, Mr Shrestha colleague of Mr Guragai helped us to see the real side of veteran journalist and the truth in his posted materials in Samhita. Mr. Guragain scuffed too much and tried to bend the news in his favor when the reality was different. Thank God, Samhita gave space for other veteran to cut the lies of veteran who misused the space provided by Samhita. This reminded me of a  movie the glass shattered. Here in this movie they talk about a guy who fabricated the news to be popular and enjoyed the name and fame until somebody busted his lies. I think Guragain had not seen than movie. How long you can soak in the pride of lies ?

We all know about how the journalist of charlie Hebdo was killed in 2015 April by some irate and irrational Muslim brothers. What the young Muslim did was very barbaric and irrational. There is no doubt. However, no one should provoke anyone to that extent that they would like to end the matter with gun. There are some opinions that better be kept unexpressed in the head, if it do not do greater good for the society. Freedom of Expression should not be [practiced if it may cause tragic accident. We should be sensitive to others views and believe also. And if such views and beliefs matter to a greater mass than practicing such expression may be avoided.  What Charlie Hebdo journalists and cartoonists did can not be viewed as freedom of expression but it's the malpractice in the name of freedom of expression.

In the name of freedom of expression there should not be war or crime in our society. Instead we must use our pen and brain to end the war and crime from our society. If such barbarism can be stopped then that would be wise decision than the freedom of expression.

Many of our journalists have habit of filling whole pages without naming a single person or organization. As if what he knows whole nation knows about it.  Such journalist lives in small society. One such example is Darshan Sharma on Samhita 2073 Ashoj issue. He is talking about a mal practice in our media but he did not mention the name of media house he is talking about. Spilling beans is also not the work of journalist, they should go and write suspense novel. Because we don't like fiction or suspense but like to read bold media men who would tell us story that happened in our society.  Freedom of expression is more than art of oratory more than captivating way of taking and filling pages, it is not the loud opinion. All the expression in media men must have conscience, authenticity and sense of responsibility backed by audacity. The written thing must have direct and positive impact in our society also. If the practice of freedom of expression is chaos, crime or barbarism then I would keep a loud mum if some come forward with a gun and then crush such strong pen managed by journalists like Sarb and Riss.

Logical Error - II

Guna Raj Luitel

Logical Error - I

In the beginning of 2015, March the Kathmandu valley was shaken when there was an acid attack. Before they were successful to nab the culprit, whenever police tried to enter into the interrogation with two school girls who were victims, constantly denied having been in any kind of relationship. After three weeks of hunt, the man who committed crime was finally inside the police net. It was revealed then, it was the revenge action, like it happens in 99% cases of acid attack.

The young man was rejected by a girl so he thought of mutilating her with acid, with a motto : if I can't have you no one should. Just then a brilliant journalist named Mr. Gunaraj Luitel wrote a very good and convincing article in Setopati twisting the whole topic into the caste discrimination due to rejection in romantic affair instead of criminal charge. It was a well written article  with a very convincing smooth and gripping storytelling but defensive in its core. Outwardly he was focusing only about how rooted our caste discrimination in our society. He gave us the whole lot of different angle of the story. In his article he tried to tell us  how good son Jivan BK was, how loving and responsible brother he was and how caring boyfriend he was before his lie was busted. The journalist did not see anything wrong carrying a relationship based on a lie but his sympathy rested purely to the young man who was rejected.  How the loving man converted into a criminal when the girl came to know about his true caste which he had kept secret for long time when relationship have started and lasted until the lie was a secret.

Sure, nothing remained the same when his lie was exposed to girl and then to her family. Mr. Luitel who had already been Editor of the Annapurna Post before had joined Setopati team then was trying to take the job of defending the culprit with his powerful pen and brain instead of seeing the truth from the justice angle. Revenge can never ever reduce a criminal instincts and how come  Mr Luitel can think and then pick his pen for the criminal under the assumption of another mistake can do the first wrong right ! ? !

That brilliant article was way off the track in whole different direction which diverted the mass to feel sorry for the man than to demand for the punishment under the criminal act. Even Though, all the thirteen national dailies have carried editorials in unison demanding the strong punishment for the acid attacker.  Acid attack is a criminal case and punishable act and caste discrimination is social offence and a lot less punishable compared to acid attack.  Social offence and crime is a whole lot of different issue. But the seasoned Journalist was trying to convert it battle of sex   over the VAW cases rather than siding with justice.

Now, Mr Luitel is Editor in Nagarik but whenever I read him that always make me react strongly. In another case when I read him in on on his facebook status that read like this, nowadays children learn to protest ever since they come out from the womb. to prove his case strong he had posted the picture of seven years and younger children who were used by some NGO in Nepalgunj some time back  to protest for child rights. No wonder that made me write on his comment post, ‘have you been hit by a baseball bat on your head and bumped on the sharp edge of pillar before you wrote it ? some time latter I read in social site that the NGO[s] were being prosecuted for using young children nude most of them wearing black goggles also to pull the attention of authority. I am not going to believe this, that  his angle and my angle are way too different and will clash all the time. His angle do have power to divert mass attention to the wrong direction and  I see a logical error in his conviction.

I keep reading in media that our mainstream media are biased about the issues that are related  to women. Be it her basic rights, gender issues and equal rights, VAW cases; they are simply scared to open talk about it. They view women right activists merely as people who work only to earn dollar, as if, this is not our society’s problem but these issues should be of INGO or NGOs.  Realizing this, to become the collective voice of women journalist Sancharika Samuha was established around 1998. Sancharika Samuha runs a TV program under the name of Samakone which is a funded project by a Norwegian Embassy. No wonder woman's right issues are viewed by men and women in our society as a borrowed concept. They also argue our society do not need such drastic changes as women rights activists fight or demand for.

Couple of month ago, I read an article in Nagariknews by Mr. Subash Ghimire, editor Republica, how an ex-president of Harvard had to resign from his position in 2005 after his controversial speech saying one reason there are relatively few women in top positions in science may be "issues of intrinsic aptitude." The remarks were made at a small seminar on January 14. When The Boston Globe reported on the remarks -- and the anger of some women who heard them -- the comments became the focus of an international debate.

Nirmala Sharma, President SAS

After reading this piece of article, my mind reeled back to the time when Mrs. Nirmala Sharma, President of Sancharika Samuha appointed Mr. Gunaraj Luitel as an editor just after he wrote that contradicting article on Setopati. Where he converted the whole episode of acid attack - a serious form of crime against VAW - into a caste base issue. There was no voice raised by a single women right activists against that article. On top of that, there was this appointment; to tease the women right activists as well as journalists of this country. That appointment made me think real hard. I also did not get a chance to read or hear a buzz within Sancharika Samuha on its online site. How come, we don't have a single journalists working within or outside of Sancharika Samuha to raise voice against that appointment ?  I really wonder why ?

Had it been in any other country, chances are very high that Mrs Sharma would have to resign from her position for such appointment. This appointment is the mocking of women rights, abuse of power and keeping her sight way out of track when the real action was needed from her establishment Just then, she sided with the journalist who diverted the whole discourse in media. It diverted people demanding punishment for culprit to suddenly sympathizing him as the ‘poor man’ was rejected due to his lower caste. Why no  journalists [ does she really has to be a female/journalist ?] raised their voice, when Sangita the victim and the Jiban BK case was so swiftly overturned  by the power of pen of a seasoned journalist who has so strong pen and opinion.

When I read that article, I was stunned. His appointment was equally stunning, but, may be that was not enough. What is more interesting to pay attention here was, Mr. Luitel left the team of Sancharika Samuha in less than 35 days to join Nagarik as its editor around May 2015. No other person could find better way to slap on the face of feminist journalists as well as women right activists than Mr Luitel, which he did with his two act, back to back. I really wonder why, no one raised a voice about this also ?  And how come Mrs Sharma can ignore the whole episode and yet appoint him as the editor of a Sancharika online which main objective is to raise voice for women's rights ? How come the mutilated face of Sangeeta Pulami Magar did not haunted the President of the Sancharika Samuha when she shook hands with the journalist who diverted the whole discourse in  media.

Was that because the journalists [all female] in Sancharika did not wanted to lose friendship with Mr. Luitel. Or this also could be, they wanted to keep the road open for future posting when they leave this alternative media to join mainstream media ? Can these journalists be trusted to raise voice for women’s right, when the voiceless need them to raise voice for them ? I seriously doubt so.

You may want to call  it freedom of speech, some of you may call it perspective. We know it very well, there is vast difference between a perspective and a logic, and when a logic goes in the wrong path then the accident happens in society. Therefore, I call it logic lost. And when people think of limited people's benefit over the mass interest, then the logic will always be lost.

Note : This article has already been published in Samhita, Chaitra 2072 [March-April 2016]. This is a trimester magazine published by Press Council Nepal.

Logical Error - I

Recently, I met a  brilliant young man who accidentally introduced me to the combination of word logical error, which he faces in his computer programming. In this case, every code is right but nothing works in programming. Hearing that something clicked in my brain because this is what I have been failing to get in media by many of our well experienced journalists,  not just the fresh one who lose sight from the main topic. When pointed out they argue back this is what is his or her perspective.

Long time back, when I was working in advertising agency I have been clearly explained by an expert in this matter, the difference between literature and a mass communication. It is believed that in literature, if many people gets a different angle after reading a story line that is regarded as a plus point of the writer however, if a person can communicate one message to millions of the people exactly the way one is trying to convey, then that person is a successful communicator.

Me, not being a literary figure and not having keen interest in this field, I smell something fishy in many people being able to see one sequence from ten different angles. This simply fails to convince me; unless the writer, did not get it clearly and then have no option but to say, ‘yes’ you get it right to all those  people who read it and get it as they wish. Agreed, literature is not that simple like math equation which has just one answer and another answer makes it totally wrong. But, I would like to leave this argument here because in this article, I am going to focus on logical error in mass communication and how bad impact it can have in the long run if a journalist derails from the main topic.

‘He is dying and she can't afford the daily bills of the hospital’, a woman had approached Bijay Kumar as he was waiting to see a doctor for his Buddhist guru. The woman went on to plead him, ‘would you please request the doctors here to pull the plug from him, so that she [the dying man’s wife] can take him to her home where he can die peacefully’. Although, he felt sorry for the woman, he was confused with this type of request. In that very dazed state of mind, he went to talk to Dr. Makaju, the dean of the hospital in Dhulikhel. However, Dr. Makaju was not convinced with the kind of request Bijay Kumar entered in his office. The doctor even challenged him asking, who are you to tell me who will die or not ? After some talk hospital management agreed to keep the patient without it costing to the family and a letter was handed over to his wife, freeing her from the financial burden. This is a scene I picked from the book Khushi by Bijay Kumar.

He writes further down, seeing in the eyes of the woman made him feel close to seeing a god; who felt so thankful for being freed from paying hefty bills for her dying husband; she thought, would not survive. However, Bijay kumar fails to appreciate the adamant nature of Dr. Makaju and his colleagues for their determination to save the dying man and lifting the expensive method to keep him alive that cost hospital management for decision like this. This is the reason, the woman was ready to pull the plug from her husband.

Is poverty makes our journalist so blind  that he can't even see the logic from right angle ? Just because we are poor, does that mean we should always sympathize to the cruelty of poverty gripen steps our folks takes, like this woman was about to.  Sympathy to this woman fails to impress me because instead of trying to do everything possible from her might like knocking all the doors to raise funds so that; she can save her dying husband. She opted for the easiest way out and begs a famous journalist to pull the plug. Should we sympathize her decision to pull the plug from the machine who could live given a chance just because she has no money ?  How come he did not see the side Dr. Makaju saw and was fighting for even though patient like him will always be on waiting list. This also meant he was ready to bear the brunt of the high cost to keep alive a dying man, who is not even related remotely to this Dr. with a hope, that there is a slightest chance, he might live. How this is different than the man who smothered and then buried his two young daughters on the river bank, which we read some time back in our news ? When he was interrogated he cried foul saying that he was so poor could not afford the rising cost. Is not this a crime ?

At this point, I remember watching him in his famous talk show Dishanirdesh years ago. I can't remember the name of the Doctor, but then he was interviewing the Dean of Patan Hospital. At one point the doctor said, there are times when we see a patient we think will live because their sickness is not serious enough but then, they die and there are times we give up hope on saving some patient and yet they leave hospital in due course of time and live long enough to surprise us. As a doctor I am sure Dr. Makaju must have seen that fact, and worked at his level best to save the unknown man. Maybe this is the kind of patience who would have died despite doctors seeing all reports of of survival chance. How, I mean how come Bijay Kumar can derail from the main track and take a whole wrong path to find happiness ? is this because Dr. Makaju was a good fighter and challenged this hard hitting journalist compared to that woman who was begging with him ? his logic could be anything but I totally failed to get his logic.  I see  logical error in Mr Kumar's finding khushi in a potential killer's eyes.

But, what Dr. Makaju did for the woman and the dying man after his talk, reminded me a line from another book, The fourth Dimension by Dr. Paul yonggi Cho, a christian religious guru and international inspirational speaker. He writes in his book that word is GOD. That is the reason when Bijay Kumar had words with Doctors it raised the chances of saving a dying man. That’s why we in the media must speak and write because we do not know who, when, why, how and where our words might save lives.

Every country needs influential religious guru to guide it. Education, entertainment, economy boom in all sector or the media and government alone can not help to guide it to the right path; but we have gurus who find comfort in quietness of cage or beautiful places in jungles surrounded by rich and famous people than preaching the common mass. Bijay Kumar appreciates a famous Buddhist monk spending 30 years of his life in isolation in cage. This is so different than the religious gurus from west like Norman Vincent Peale, Paul Yonggi Cho and Loren Cunningham who travel relentlessly and speak in front of big mass  that will touch life and all of them have written many books that helps to offer some answers to the confused mass. Those books do have power to shape any society. I being a Nepali have not  got a chance to read a good book from our religious guru. Sure, we read here and there that they serve the rich and famous who have lost it in mid ways. I did not get it well, do we really have to be rich and famous like he writes in his book to meet them and hear their messages that teaches us how to live life ?  In the total mess of my country and society I yet have to see or read any religious guru[s] coming forward and uniting people. That is not the case in west. May be because we have journalist who see a good logic, when a wise [shepherd] monk finds a way out in isolation inside the cage and leaves the  mass to wonder what is going on in our society and what should we do to come out clean from such situation ?

Again, I fail to see the logic in his understanding. The result of this is very simple, just see where our country ranks in world map in many categories compared to developed countries where religious gurus keep preaching and  writing relentlessly to spread the message from God.

part II will be posted on next week.

Note : This article has already been published in Samhita, Chaitra 2072 [March-April 2016]. This is a trimester magazine published by Press Council Nepal.

The Untouchables - II

Maha Jodi

The Untouchables - I

Creative and Entertainment Industry and Media : recently, I have read a post by mysansar. That post was talking about the top ten NGO who gets donation from US company. In this list you can see the name of MaHa sanchar also along with other 9 company. this company is listed on 5 number for getting donation seven times with total of 500,600 dollar until  May last year. Hari Bansa is also a board member of the Antena Foundation Nepal which is the top most donation receiver in this list. How come our big and brilliant artist are on the list of donation from US ? Do we have all the people in this country who can do good work if only they get dollar money ? what if they were not provided those greens had they stopped working for the national ? This is a good slap in our entertainment and creative industry.

Trust me, like many of you I am huge fan of these two towering personalities of our country. You must have read his autobiography Harayeko Manche, where at one point you can read him do for nation don't ask for donation, but, the truth is; his company Maha Sanchar have made all the good programs with donation money ! Easy to preach hard to live that preaching.

I agree with you, when you say they made all the good programs, most of them has so strong social messages in it. In every society, creative people keep doing that to make money as well as responsibility to society. Here lets talk about movie made by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani. Producer like Vidhu Vinod always needs Director like Rajkumar Hirani as director and this Director needs Aamir Khan to tell his story to the society in a way they will listen and also make them good money. Audience will go to the movie hall just to watch him, knowing Amir is sensible actor who will not play in meaningless movie.  Three idiots has very strong social message, yet, it was not made with donation money. Instead, it went on to make new box office record with 350 corod, breaking all previous record  any indian movie have ever made before this. Bollywood movie Taare Zameen Par also has a strong social message, yet it was not made by donation money. Satyamev Jayate broke all Indian day time price for being so expensive. Yet it was not made by donating money and the social message it it had and the impact was so that it not only affected Indian society but around the world. So much so that Bill Gates wants to work with him for his project that is going on in India and the UN have appointed him good will ambassador. Amir Khan strongly believes when you do business everyone was to make money.

Donation made program breaks the channel of marketing and open competition in box office. Because big name like Hari Hasha and Madan Krishna name was on top of the donation program it broke that channel and competitive feel in the market. they were spending good money to make good programing but with donation money instead of investors money. they were winning the heart of public but breaking the cycle of distribution chain of marketing. Today, we can't see good program on our television is not because we can't compete with Indian channels but its because big stars lie Hari Bansa and Madan Krishna were so short sighted to see its lasting impact n our society. Are they scared of open competition o box office ? or they thought they are too big to compete with new creative breed of brains ?

One thing I have noticed in our media is, it keeps a loud silence on why Bhaskar Rajkarnikar is still allowed to run his TV station ? We have been reading in many media that Avenue TV not paying its staffs for six months, not to those just pretty face news anchors. Can we trust those journalist to be the voice of voiceless when they can't raise voice for their basic rights which is to get salary on time ? I keep meeting with people, who tells me that the staff of avenues are never paid on time and then there was man from electricity office to cut the electric supply from his TV station but he manages to call some number to stop it for a day. There were staff from his office, who were putting, not paid for the work they do on their facebook status. Fine, the staff will be fired soon but how come other journalists can't write about a media house which is exploiting journalists as well s suffering from cancer like disease. Are they afraid now he is a powerful man ? Why our mainstream media do not talk about Hari Bansha Acharya and his company lining up for donation from the US ? Why our media do not open debate on creative and entertainment industry taking donation from the same NGO from US ? Like Maha sanchar there is Nepa~laya, who is in the same list to receive donation ? Why journalists do not pick up their pen to write about the untouchables for their investigative work ? Why people in media can’t raise question against Kantipur and the one kg gold offer or 10 ten million bumper prize to its potential buyers ? Are they afraid to raise voice for rich, wealthy and powerful people in society unless they have to ‘bring them in size’ ? Not every question I have raised here, crosses the code of conduct, but its media’s work to show its public good way to future not leave them   like a crow to get lost in the foggy winter.

Unless we learn to touch the untouchables, in our news, media will keep losing the trust from public. In result, it will cost media house advertisement from corporate houses. But, instead of finding its answer, they turn to government to get the hundi from them.  Why don’t government use that huge money - more than 8 billion Rs** - annually to make the good program for the nation instead of distributing it to the media houses who want to survive on government money ? This way it will create more money from market and brilliant and creative people from industry do not have to line up for donation with foreign nationals.

References :

*http://www.mysansar.com/2014/05/12298/

China Harayeko Manche, Hari Bansha Acharya, Fine Prints

**Journo bring change within, Prateek Pradhan, Media and Ethics, Press Council Nepal

Note : This article has already been published in Samhita, Asar 2072 [June-July 2015]. This is a trimester magazine published by Press Council Nepal.

The Untouchables - I

Kantipur ad

Currently Kantipur is running an advertisements on its dailies. This advertisements intends to lures its subscribers by giving hundreds thousands [Rs one lakh], which will be given every week, one million [ten lakhs] which will be given every month, and then the bumper prize is, hold your breath, ten million [one corod]. If you are not holding your breath or you are not impressed yet all you have to pay  attention to the fact is that they are giving this big money for spending daily only  Rs, 15 on their newspapers. Last year, Kantipur have announced to hand over  one kg of gold as a bumper prize.

This monthly  and bumper prize is ‘feed to greed’ and this is what pressed me to think about it. How much a media house can lure to its potential buyers to sell its product[s] when the total annual cost of Kantipur and The Kathmandu post, cost only about Rs. 7,000/- [approx]. Even if, the law enforcement allow them to go 10 folds of its total cost, it will not come close to one lakh. The huge money is a bet to catch all the newspaper readers to read only Kantipur. Monopoly that to feeding the greed of mass do not follow any business ethics in itself.  How can a state can watch such advertisement carried out by a media house without a word ? So, the question is when will state step in and interfere on matter like this ? Is this the work of law enforcement or it falls on the press council ? because a media house is acting like a greedy ethicless corporate house. What should be the  their step to control it ?

Let me remind you of a news that was on Kantipur television, a couple of years ago. It was about a family that used to ran their fraud business near by the Pepsi Cola town planning. It was about an old man, who used to run a rice sales depot. That depot was selling rice to public on far lower rate than market. That rate was about 500 - 600 Rs. less per sack than the market value.  No wonder, all the people from many parts of Kathmandu flocked in, to get that rice. Then one family used to take about six sacks at a time hiring a taxi service because they were getting it as that low cost. When Kantipur ran that news, I see this nice old man who looked like saint then, refuted it being fraud or being involved in fraudulent act in his business. He was saying, all they were doing was a social work because they could do it. That old man was so unsuspecting in any way, even to doubt, that he could be involved in something like that kind of big fraud. He had a long white beard which made him looked like very honest and respected man.

That news worked like a free advertisement for them, because when I had visited that place immediately, there were people waiting in long line to get the rice. Staff were busy doing their work and hardly had time to indulge the new customers and their questions. We have to get all the information from the people, who were on line. In a nearby depot, people were busy carrying the rice sacks which its customer were loading in taxi or on their backs. The depot was about to be run out of rice sacks in just couple of hours. Huge, trucks loaded with rice used to unload about three times in a day, in this family’s two depot. One of it was inside the town planning and the other was out of the Planning are just near by the sun city apartment. They were also talking about starting same service on gas cylinder also. After that, just about couple of months later, when they collected HUGE annual sums from thousands of households from Kathmandu valley, one day there were no trucks loads of rice coming and going in that area. I also heard, there were huge bill to be paid to the rice factory from where they used to order  the rice which they sold at subsidized rate.

I also remember, another news reported in  Kantipur, about a man - who was the agent here to sell those products from India. He sold Dhanalaxmi barsa to the superstitious people here in Kathmandu and other big cities in Nepal. At first, our naive people bought some items; sometimes it was rings and sometimes stones. Hoping, buying such goods will shower money in their life within weeks or months. Until one day, they realised they were duped. So, these very naive people went to police station to file a case against that agent.

If those are the case of fraud, then how come Kantipur should not be not charged with fraud ? Because this offer also open for millions of people and only hand full of people will get it. And if anyone wins it, no one knows, who won that big bumper prize. Some corporate insider say that, like the reality TV shows are scripted one, those bumper prize winners are also bought on couple of hundred thousands Rupees, to keep the mouth shut about such big prize.  Otherwise, why Kantipur does not give us the follow up news of those winners how do they spent such huge lottery  ? or why such winner vanish overnight ? How come we don't read about them in that other newspapers ?

So, who will say Kantipur what you are doing is lacking ethics in its core value ? Because its a media house, what it does will be copied by other corporate houses also. So, when you try to make a rule for them, they will ask you back, how can this is wrong when I do it and why its not wrong when a media house is doing it ? There will be more copycat to feed the greed to public, offering them big money to sell that cost about 15 Rs to one family a day. So, my suggestion to the - press council - is not to let them exceed those prize money to 100,000 [one lakh] maximum or they should be prosecuted for violation of ethics.

Editorial Conscience : About two years ago, I read a poem Rabindra Mishra had praised and appreciated. It was a ‘curse poem’. There was something in its core nature, I failed to appreciate it even if it was written by the sr. writer Jagdish Ghimire. He was so fed up with bandha callers then, he wanted to transfer his cancer [ along with other trouble of his] to those bandha callers for calling bandha endlessly. Agreed, bandha is not good itself but a sick person wanting to transfer his disease to other sick people [ bandha callers ] of the society ? Does this mean if one does bad the others even worse can  make it right ?  But Mr Mishra liked this poem so much, he shared it again on his social networking site. This really made me worry. Because he has huge fan following and he is spreading a negativity to this society at free of cost. But, worse I came to know later on, that this poem was already published in Nagarik and so he was just sharing what he liked to vent his frustrations or to show his support to the dying writer.

In a society like ours, which is so deeply gripped in superstition, a senior writer use all his creative brain to infuse all the frustration of his life - the writer was diagnosed of cancer and was given time to die six years before - in that small piece of poem stunned me. Fine, he can pour out his frustrations in that piece but how come a national dailies editor could not see its lasting and negative impact in society. Curse, is a slow poison and we can not get over from its lasting effect. Other thing what made me wonder is how come  he could not think of passing good thought and positivism in society before he die ? Instead he just wanted to transfer his disease to all the bad doers ! who gives him that right ? Sadly the writer died with his cancer and I have not read any news yet, that he was successful in his death wish to transfer his cancer to anyone.

As a responsible citizen of this nation, this poem finding its place on the national daily made me so infuriated with editor. Did he discuss it with his team before they decided to publish it ? Do we fail to see the bad impact because the writer was a respected person in society or they felt sorry for his condition ? or this was approved by the editorial team ? When it came out it found a huge fan like Mr Mishra. This raised another question in my mind, is media means the acceptance of bad my majority or the conscience of 2% people of the society, that shapes the thought of majority of the mass ? I have written a lot about it on my social networking site, still I would like to take the risk of repeating myself ; I wish Mr Pradhan - the editor of Nagarik - have kept his right to disagree with majority for it having a very bad vibe in its core.

Part two will be on next Sunday post

Note : This article has already been published in Samhita, Asar 2072 [June-July 2015]. This is a trimester magazine published by Press Council Nepal.