Terrorist Rampage at 'Charlie Hebdo'

Rabin Man Shakya

In a blatant attack on freedom of expression, two Islamofascists assaulted Charlie Hebdo's Paris office last week killing scores of people including eight journalists. Thus, Charlie Hebdo was drawn into the maelstrom of terrorist assault. It was the deadliest single attack against a news and cartoon magazine in the history of the world journalism. Why should journalists suffer fatal and ferocious terrorist assaults merely because of what they write or because of certain cartoons they print?

And, meanwhile, according to news reports, a leader of Yemen's al-Qaeda  branch has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks by two gunmen that left 12 dead at the weekly publication, saying in a video posted online that the slayings came in 'vengeance for the prophet.' It is to be noted that the newspaper had received repeated threats for lampooning Muhammad. Paris has been subjected to repeated Islamofascist attacks. Charlie Hebdo's office was firebombed in 2011 as well causing damages to its building and its computers.

Charlie Hebdo is a French satirical weekly magazine which does not care about the religious emotions and blasphemy. Going by the history of French journalism, Charlie Hebdo was launched in 1970 as a successor to the Hara-Kiri magazine that was banned for making mockery of President Charles de Gaulle's death. Well, in satires and mocking, Charlie Hebdo does not spare anybody, any political party and any religion. But the beleaguered magazine had to cease its publication in 1981 and was relaunched only in 1992.

Despite fatal terrorist assaults, Charlie Hebdo continues to express its views more freely than ever, undaunted by the ferocious attacks. The terrorist rampage that killed eight journalists of Charlie Hebdo  did not, however, deter the publication to go ahead with more journalistic works: Three million copies of Charlie Hebdo were printed and sold out after the terrorist assault. Given the overwhelming sympathy of the people, the circulation of the Hebdo, it is believed, could reach as many as five million copies.

Terrorist rampage by the Islamofascists at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris can not be justified in any words. Assaults on the media outlets should not be condoned and tolerated under any circumstances or pretexts. The international community should be serious about the terrorist attacks and culture of impunity in relation to catastrophies  of fatal assaults on the Fourth Estate. The most important thing is to create self-awareness about self-security. The journalists are vulnerable to all kinds of assaults and intimidation especially when they do reporting or cartooning which are not liked by the Islamofascists and terrorists. No cartooning on Muhammad justifies a terrorist assault on a media outlet. No words excuse brutal assassination of innocent journalists.

The al-Qaeda and ISIS activities had posed and are still posing a serious threat not only to the French and Western journalists but also to the entire human civilization. There is no doubt that beheading of journalists, ferocious terrorist assaults and threats against journalists have increased in recent times. 

History of Nepali Journalism

Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former Lecturer of Journalism at Peoples Campus, RR Campus, TU.

The history of origin and emergence of the Nepalese press is profoundly interrelated with the activities of the Nepalese immigrants in British India. Nepalese journalism's closed doors or 'cul-de-sac' was opened for the first time in Nepal's journalism history with the publication of Gorkha Bharat Jeevan in Varanasi, British India in 1886. It was a landmark event in the chronicles of Nepalese journalism. Absence of conducive political conditions and specter of Rana regime's repression - these  were some of the reasons that prompted some Nepalese intellectuals to embark on 'magazine publication venture' not from within the territory of Nepal, but from abroad.

It is to be noted that the coup d' etat  orchestrated by Jung Bahadur Rana in 1846 paved the way for brutal and repressive hereditary Rana prime-ministership which lasted for more than a century (1846-1951). Except for the 'Mulki Ain' there were no press laws and regulations during the notorious rule of Rana generalissimo. More often than not, the words coming from the mouth of the Rana prime minister used to be the law.

However, the founder of the Nepalese journalism is considered to be Moti Ram Bhatta, who brought out the first Nepali monthly publication "Gorkha Bharat Jeevan" in the year 1886 AD. Since "Gorkha Bharat Jeevan"  was the first and pioneering publication venture by the Nepalese in British India, there is no doubt that this magazine championed the cause of enhancing and enriching the Nepali language. Although the first monthly literary magazine was launched by Moti Ram Bhatta, the editor of the magazine was Ram Krishna Varma. Gorkha Bharat Jeevan's publication, however, gave an impetus to other Nepalese intellectuals in British India to  go ahead with other publications.

A monthly magazine 'Gorkha Khabar Kagat' was published in January, 1901 in Darjeeling and was edited by Ganga Prasad Pradhan. Likewise, another Nepali literary monthly 'Upanyas Tarangini' was launched in Varanasi in 1902 and was edited by Sadashiva Sharma. The aim of the magazine was to publish novellas  in Nepali language. Other monthly magazines which were launched in Varanasi were "Sundari", "Madhavi" and "Udaya" all published in early 1900s. The pages of the weekly "Gorkhali" edited by Surya Bikram Gyawali in Varanasi in 1915 for the first time voiced  for the restoration of civil liberty in Nepal.

In Indian town of Calcutta, a monthly magazine "Buddha Dharma" was published by Dharmaditya Dharmacharya. It was the first publication in the history of Nepal Bhasa journalism. Meanwhile, Thakur Chandan Singh of Dehradun had brought out three weeklies - The Himalayan Times (1926), Gorkha Sansar (1926) and Tarun Gorkha (1928).

Jung Bahadur Rana upon return from his landmark Britain visit had brought with him a hand printing press (Giddhe Chhapakhana) in 1851. It is true that no newspapers and magazines were published in Nepal during Jung Bahadur Rana's regime, Nepal's first newspaper "Gorkhapatra" had to wait for liberal Rana premier Dev Shumsher to be published on May 6, 1901. This newspaper first published within the territory of Nepal was brought out still in the epoch of feudalism in Nepal. The newspaper continuously served the interest of feudal institutions headed by the hereditary Rana premiers until 1951. The authorization orders of 1901 issued by Rana prime minister Dev Shumsher clearly point out the fact that the first editor of the Gorkhapatra was Pandit Nardev Pandey. It is to be noted that the Gorkhapatra did not print the name of its editor for decades during the Rana autocracy. The Rana generalissimo handed over the Giddhe Chhapakhana and Litho Press to Nardev and authorized him to publish Gorkhapatra under the supervision of Lt Col Dilli Shumsher Thapa

The Gorkhapatra's publication during the Rana period is a testimony to the fact that some kind of liberal moves and reforms were brought out in fits and starts. The launching of the Gorkhapatra became the raison d' etre  of the emergence of journalism in Nepal. It will not be an exaggeration to assert that the Gorkhapatra is the newspaper which is the quintessence of journalistic history of Nepal. Well, the Gorkhapatra was a harbinger of 'little change' or reform during the notorious Rana autocracy.

However, liberal premier Dev Shumsher's rule was very short-lived and was forcefully replaced by the more hardliner Chandra Shumsher whose regime lasted for 31 years. It was during Chandra Shumsher's regime that Pundit Nardev was effectively replaced by Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh (his brother-in-law and petty king of Bajhang). But the very thing that the Gorkhapatra was published during the rule of Rana Prime Minister Dev Shumsher is a testimony to the fact that he was a liberal Rana prime minister.

However, the first magazine published within the territory of Nepal during the Rana regime was "Sudha Sagar" which was printed at Pashupait Press in 1898 in Kathmandu. The other notable publication was 'Sharada' monthly magazine launched in 1991 BS by Riddhi Bahadur Malla. Similarly, 'Udyog' fortnightly magazine (1992 BS), 'Gharelu Ilam Patrika' (2004 BS), 'Shichhya' fortnightly (2004 BS), 'Kathmandu Municipal Patrika' (2004 BS), 'Nepal Shichhya' monthly magazine (2005 BS), 'Aankha' (2005 BS) and 'Purushartha' (2006 BS) are other publications brought out during the Rana regime.  No doubt, these publications published in Kathmandu merely played the role of cheerleaders for the Rana oligarchy. Other two remarkable publications during the Rana regime were 'Sahitya Shrot' monthly magazine (2004 BS) and 'Jagaran' weekly newspaper (2007 BS) both edited by progressive litterateur Hridaya Chandra Singh Pradhan.

In this way, the trajectory of the Nepalese publications during the Rana period - it is sad to note - is marked by lapdog journalism plus literary writings, with some exceptions, of course. However, Rana autocracy's downfall at the hands of the popular upheaval in 1951 had stunning implications in the modern history of Nepal and opened the door for liberal journalism which, again, was short-lived.


*Shakya is also State Education Director, NRNA-USA, Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA.

Portland's Nepa Chhen Welcomes the New Year 2015 with Various Activities

Rabin Man Shakya
Advisor, Nepa Chhen, Portland, Oregon, USA

Different people and different organizations celebrate the New Year in different ways and styles. Nepa Chhen, a non-profit organization of the Nepalese community in Portland - which champions the cause of enhancing Nepalese arts, culture and traditions and which aims to build a community house - welcomed the New Year 2015 by organizing a reception program on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2014 at Nekusing Memorial Theater in Portland, Oregon.

Every new year brings new optimism, new hopes, enthusiasm, happiness and cheerfulness. The new year festivities of the Nepalese community in Portland was a happy confluence of wining and dining as well as lots of music, dance, poetry recitation, food contest and other fun, such as, bingo game - a part of fundraising for the Nepa Chhen. The Nepa Chhen's new year reception was attended by 160 people from the Nepalese community, unprecedented, of course: there were Nepalese from Portland, other parts of Oregon, from other states and some have recently arrived to the US from Nepal. On the occasion, Nepa Chhen officials wrapped khata on the new community members of Oregon.

The celebration of the New Year 2015 in Portland, Oregon by Nepa Chhen is a testimony to the fact that Nepa Chhen serves as a broader platform that accomodates the interests not only of the Newars, but of Nepal's different other ethnic communities as well. It is to be noted that Nepa Chhen is going to organize a program on Feb 22, 2015 to celebrate Lhosar New Year.

Actually, Nepa Chhen is the embodiment of Nepalese feelings and emotions in Portland. And the pattern of the presence of participants at the New Year's festivities clearly demonstrated the fact that diversity factor of the Nepalese ethnic communities in Portland was taken care of.

Well, judging by multiple activities and programs carried out by organizations like Nepalese Association of Oregon (NAO) and Nepa Chhen (NC), these organizations have been playing a significant role in the community's trajectory for enhancing the Nepalese brotherhood and fraternity.

Rastriya Samachar Samiti: Still Alive and Kicking

Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former Assistant Editor, RSS

Despite the incessant onslaught of Internet, social media and digital journalism, the luster and relevance of news agencies have not faded out so far in the world. But, at a time when the number of newspapers, radio stations and TV channels are growing by leaps and bounds in Nepal, there is status quo when it comes to the news agency journalism in Nepal.

Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) - the national news agency of Nepal is the only wire service that has been gathering news stories and selling them to subscribing Nepalese media organizations, such as, newspapers, radio and television broadcasters. For that matter, Nepal's neighboring countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can boast of, at least, two or three news agencies each.

So, is the RSS  the first news agency of Nepal ?  Nope. Going by the history of Nepalese journalism, the coup d' etat orchestrated by late King Mahendra against the parliamentary government with the Nepali Congress in power in December 1960 and the restrictions imposed on press freedom put the Nepalese press in an awkward as well as vulnerable situation.

The Rastriya Samachar Samiti Act 1962 gave the Panchayat regime the authority to dissolve the two independent news agencies namely Nepal Sambad Samiti and Sagarmatha Sambad Samiti. It is to be noted that Nepal Sambad Samiti, the first news agency of Nepal was created on Poush 1, 2016 BS with the objective to enrich the Nepalese newspapers with a wide variety of news events happening across Kathmandu Valley and beyond. Sagarmatha Sambad Samiti - the second news agency of Nepal - was established on Baisakh 30, 2017 BS.

These two news agencies of Nepal were short-lived and were replaced by Rastriya Samachar Samiti in 1962. Late King Mahendra's press secretary Renu Lal Singh was appointed the chairman of the RSS, and was made directly responsible to the King.

More often than not, the small-scale newspapers have to rely on the news stories distributed by the news agencies. Even, reputed American newspapers like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today which have extensive news gathering resources of their own, also sometimes use the stories disseminated by the news agencies like the AP and the Reuters.

Speaking of my association with the news agency journalism, I was involved with the RSS as an assistant editor at the English Desk for five months in 1992. I still remember Mohan Bir Singh Bajracharya, Jaya Shumsher Rana, Indra Bahadur Shrestha and late Ram Pradhan who were the senior editors at the RSS English Desk at that time. These guys, in fact, were the pillars of English language news agency journalism  in Nepal.

When I was in New Delhi in 1994 for five-months Non-aligned News Agency Journalism training  provided by Indian Institute of Mass Communication, the participants of the training program were taken to a day long 'excursion' to the Press Trust of India (PTI) and United News of India (UNI), the government of India owned news agencies.

And in 1984 still when I was a journalism major, I had an opportunity to visit the headquarters of TASS news agency in Moscow. Similarly, in Minsk, the capital of Belarus we, journalism students of Belorussian State University were taken to Belta - Belorussian Telegraph Agency - in 1982.

Even though RSS is the only news agency of Nepal, it  still definitely can not be compared to the news agencies in the former Soviet Union and India in terms of resources, infrastructure, equipment and professionalism.



*Shakya is former State Education Director, NRNA-USA Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA.

Nepa Chhen and IOFTC's Interaction with Maskey

By Rabin Man Shakya
Advisor, Nepa Chhen, Portland, Oregon, USA

 Nepa Chhen (NC) and International Open Friendship Taekwondo Championship (IOFTC) jointly organized an interaction program with former vice president of National Sports Council and  vice president of Nepal Olympic Committee Sita Ram Maskey at Nekusing Memorial Theater, West Coast Hollywood Taekwondo in Portland on Wednesday  December 17, 2014.

Nepalese dignitaries keep coming to the US on personal or official visits. More often than not, they visit prominent US cities like New York, Washington, LA, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago etc. But Sita Ram Maskey was in Portland for a few days and the Nepalese living in Portland had an opportunity to interact with Maskey..

Officials of Nepa Chhen and IOFTC wrapped khata on Maskey and his spouse at the beginning of the program. Nepa Chhen and IOFTC officials also presented calendars, newsletters and IOFTC publications to Maskey.

The interaction focused on the political situation in Nepal, dual citizenship for non-residential Nepalese (NRNs) and ethnic diversity issues, among others.

From interaction with Maskey, the Nepalese Portlanders came to know about his life full of struggle. Before the first Jana Aandolan in 1990, Maskey was a school teacher active in the Nepal National Teachers Association and was arrested in conjunction with the milk protest demonstrations. Maskey was sent to Bhadragoal jail in Kathmandu to serve a nine-month detention order under the Public Security Act.

On the occasion, throwing light on the grievances of many ethnic groups and communities, Maskey said that ethnic groups have come out quite strongly in recent years, which is natural given the uni-cultural society that the Nepalese people have been living in.

On dual citizenship issue, Maskey said that it is very important to the Nepalese living abroad and the Nepal government should figure it out sooner the better. His remarks on the dual citizenship held the most interest among the Nepalese Portlanders given that this burning issue, it looks like, is going to take a backseat.

The interaction program was followed by  Nepali songs program and Nepali style dinner. 

Nepal's Media Education Making Tremendous Strides

By Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former Lecturer of Journalism at Peoples Campus, RR Campus, TU.

Are chaotically changing Nepal and its people still enthralled with the changing media landscape despite  the boom of social media and digital journalism?  Well, judging by the increasing number of newspapers, radio stations and TV channels in Nepal, the answer will, likely, be "yes".

At a time when journalism industry is on the decline in developed countries like the US and Canada, the scope and relevance of the mass media like newspapers, radio and TV journalism are still on the rise in countries like India and Nepal and herein lies the relevance and significance of journalism education.

It goes without saying that journalism education is gaining more quantitative growth than the required qualitative development. There is no doubt that qualitative and skill-oriented journalism education is the quintessence of rapidly growing Nepalese media industry.

Well, there is no doubt that tremendous strides have been made towards the development of journalism education in Nepal. In fact, journalism education started in Nepal with the launching of two-year IA classes in journalism  at the Ratna Rajya Campus 1976. Later, IA classes in journalism were launched at the Peoples Campus as well in 1986. By 2002, the number of colleges offering journalism in higher secondary level in Nepal was 22 while that number reached 245 in 2011.  At present, there are five colleges which provide MA courses in journalism.

Likewise, enrollment of journalism students is also on the rise. In 2003, the number of journalism students in the plus two colleges was 493, while that figure was 5989 in 2011. No doubt, nation's oldest Central Department of Journalism under Tribhuvan University has been playing a Zeus-like role in the trajectory of Nepal's journalism education given its historical legacy.

Legacy is big for an institution like the Central Department of Journalism which has built the reputation of so many journalists in Nepal. But the high profile legacy also underscores some of the pitfalls of the Department. This is the Central Department which boasts of two professors of journalism. This is so far the only Department which is legally entitled and supposed to create Ph. Ds in journalism. But as of now, paradoxically, no teaching staff is still  a Ph. D. in the Department. Both the professors do not even have  Masters Degree in Journalism, much less a a doctoral degree. However,  I do not doubt about journalistic capabilities and credentials of the teaching staff of the Department.

One of the palpable problems of media education in Nepal is the lack of basic equipment and infrastructure. The precondition for qualitative journalism education is a commitment to developing an appropriate teaching and learning atmosphere,  where media educators, students, learning materials and equipment are properly mobilized.

The theoretical journalistic knowledge and lessons provided in the colleges do not still work in tandem to meet the ground realities of practical journalism in the media industry. Similarly, courses of study of journalism have to be amended to suit the changing scenario  by including contents on digital journalism and social media. It is not that the concerned authorities have ignored the problems in this respect, but it looks like they are moving ahead in the snails pace.

More focus should be accorded to practical reporting, practical editing and practical headline writing.Not just chapters, there should be separate and comprehensive course on editing and reporting. Likewise, journalism classes should be divided into Nepali language journalism and English language journalism.




*I value your opinion. Please provide your feedback by posting a comment below.
**Shakya is also State Education Director, NRNA-USA Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA.

Gorkhapatra: Grand Old Lady of Nepalese Journalism

Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former Lecturer of Journalism at Peoples Campus, RR Campus

The Nepali newspaper "Gorkhapatra" is called the Grand Old Lady of Nepalese journalism and rightfully so. The first Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana upon return from his Britain visit had brought with him a hand printing press (Giddhe Chapakhana) in 1851. The Ranas came to power after Jung Bahadur Rana successfully orchestrated a coup d' etat in 1846. The autocratic rule of Rana oligarchy lasted for more than a century (1846-1951).

It is true that no newspapers and magazines were published in Nepal during Jung Bahadur Rana's regime. Nepal's first newspaper "Gorkhapatra" had to wait for liberal Rana prime minister Dev Shumsher Rana  to be published in 1901. But Jung Bahadur Rana had laid the foundation for printing activities, even though it was limited to printing of government notices and orders.

On May 6, 1901 started the publication of the newspaper Gorkhapatra. This newspaper first published within the territory of Nepal was brought out still in the epoch of feudalism in Nepal. The newspaper continuously served the interest of feudal institutes headed by the hereditary Rana premiers  until 1951. The authorization orders of 1901 issued by Rana prime minister Dev Shumsher  clearly point out the fact that the first editor of  the Gorkhapatra was Pandit Nardev Pandey. It is to be noted taht the Gorkhapatra did not print the name of its editor for decades during the Rana regime.The Rana generalissimo handed over the Giddhe Chhapakhana and Litho Press to  Pandit Nardev and authorized him to publish Gorkhapatra under the supervision of Lt Col Dilli Shumsher Thapa .

The newspaper Gorkhapatra was launched at atime when the Nepalese people were not only deprived of civil liberty and of the right to form social and political organizations but all those means of mass communication (books, radio, cinema, libraries) that might make them politically conscious of their legitimate rights were also prohibited  at that time.

Nevertheless, the history of code of conduct (or censorship ?) for journalists goes as far back as the history of the Gorkhapatra itself. An ordinance about "what to print  and what not to" in the Gorkhapatra was issued by the then Rana prime minister.

Initially, the Gorkhapatra was a weekly newspaper. In 1943, it became a bi-weekly, in 1946 a tri-weekly and only in 1962 with the establishment of the Gorkhapatra Corporation, it became a daily newspaper.

Gorkhapatra has an unprecedented historical significance. The newspaper has witnessed a number of vicissitudes and political upheavals in the nation ruled by Ranas, Shahas and different political systems like Parliamentary systems under monarchy, Panchayat system and Parliamentary system under the republican structure.

The Gorkhapatra is a unique newspaper in many respects. Besides being the first newspaper in Nepali language, it also is the only newspaper which publishes news and other materials in different ethnic languages of Nepal.

The Gorkhapatra or the Gorkhapatra Corporation is a journalistic institution which have produced journalists like Bharat Dutta Koirala, Gokul Pokhrel, Lal Deosa Rai, P. Kharel, Dhruba Hari Adhikari and so on who are considered as founding pillars of journalism education in Nepal. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to assert that the Gorkhapatra is a newspaper which is the quintessence of modern Nepalese journalism.

Despite its past glorious legacy and heritage as the grand old lady of the Nepalese journalism, today the Gorkhapatra is facing a journalistic reckoning, as it has to confront and compete with more professional and technically more equipped private sector broadsheet dailies. In fact, the private sector newspapers vs official media dichotomy had emerged right after the People's Movement in 1990. Today there is a sense that despite historical legacy and heritage, the Gorkhapatra's journalistic trajectory and destiny are still uncertain.



*I value your opinion.Please provide your feedback by posting a comment below.
**Shakya is also State Education Director, NRNA-USA Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA.