Vishwa Prakash’s question to journalists: Are you all safe?

Vishwa Prakash’s question to journalists: Are you all safe?

KATHMANDU: Senior Vice President of the Nepali Congress Bishwa Prakash Sharma has questioned journalists about their freedom and security, saying the situation of pressure and insecurity on journalists and media is increasing in Nepal.

Speaking at a press conference organized by the Nepali Congress (NC) on the latest political developments, Sharma stressed the need for journalists to be able to express their dissent and dissatisfaction without any fear.

He said, “At this time when journalists are unsafe, whether it is standing in front of the opposition, in front of Singha Durbar, in front of Baluwatar, standing in front of the Prime Minister, I expected that the journalist friends were putting their dissent in a frank manner. I did not see a black band on any of your hands. So I want to ask you, first of all, are you all safe?”

Leader Sharma said that journalists and media houses should have raised questions continuously on the incidents on the media but there has not been enough follow-up on them in recent times. He recalled the incident of parking a vehicle on the media house and raised questions about the status of the investigation and the fact that the facts were not made public.

He said, “We asked, why was the car parked in front of the media house? You stopped writing follow-up news. Behind the matter of bringing that vehicle, the ruling party also instructed the government, to investigate, to get the facts. Did the facts come? Where is the investigation file? Where is the fact? Where is the RSP who gave that directive? Where are the friends of the media who published that news?”

He said that the pressure and interference on the media would have an impact on the entire democratic system. He said that the press freedom would be weak and democracy would also be weak as the media is the medium to convey the issues raised by the opposition parties to the general public.

“Our voice will reach through you. But if the medium of presenting your voice is weak, if the media is weakened in a democracy, if it is constantly harassed, then it will not be democracy in the true sense,” he said.

Sharma said that the free and fearless press is the main basis to measure the state of democracy in any country. Stating that holding elections alone is not enough basis for democracy, he stressed that journalists should be able to write and speak without fear.

“The basis of whether there is democracy in any country in the world or not is the basis for the election to be held there.

The strongest basis and standard of determining whether there is democracy in any country or not is whether the press of that country can write fearlessly or not. He said that journalists should be able to clearly express their dissatisfaction and dissent not only in front of the opposition but also in front of the government and the government. Wishing that the situation of weakening the Nepali media should not come, he urged the journalists to stand fearlessly in favor of their professional religion and press freedom.

Sharma also recalled the important contribution of media in Nepal’s constitution, peace process and struggle to establish a federal democratic republic.

He said, “It is not only the political parties that have fought in the forefront to establish the constitution made in Nepal, the peace process and the federal democratic republic that Nepal has achieved. Expressing my respect to the media on behalf of the Nepali Congress Party, I put this question to you. ’