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| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 08:22 AM
Students burn The Himalayan Times KOL Report KATHMANDU, Jan 29 - A group of irate students burnt copies of The Himalayan Times for publishing a news report that said Lord Buddha, was born in the Indian state of Orrisa. The students burnt the newspaper The Himalayan Times in Kathmandu and Hetauda Thursday after which they also called upon all the people to boycott the newspaper. Students of Trichandra College in Kathmandu burnt the newspaper saying it as a direct incursion on Nepali nationality and sovereignty. Students chanted slogans "Gautam Buddha is ours, we love our nationality".(snn) |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 08:54 AM
Either as a reader I am really dumb or The Kantipur Publications is playing with fire . . . If Nepalis or Nepalis of Indian origins start getting harassed or killed on the streets of Kathmandu and other towns across Nepal tomorrow -- just like they were in the riots during the infamous Ritik Roshan Kanda in December 2000 -- I, for one, am going to hold the editors and the publishers at the Kantipur Publications morally responsible. Today is January 29, 2004. The Himalayan Times daily newspaper had reported on a scholarly quibble regarding the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. That was in mid-November 2003 -- 10 weeks ago. If controversies had resulted because of this particular news account, they would have come about THEN, in November. Why the hell would Kantipur Publications, under the guise of Media Society, dig up this story NOW and feature it prominently on page 2 today in an obvious attempt to portray The Himalayan Times as an "anti-national" newspaper? Since when did our collective national pride start dependng on what private sector newspapers print and do not print? My point is this: The ONLY way these students could even THINK of burning copies of the Himalayan Times today for something it printed 10 weeks ago is because of the MISLEADING full-page ad in today's Kantipur put out by some entity called The Media Society. What kind of a society is this Media Society ifit could NOT even list the names of its members in public? Let me make this clear: As a reader, I am NOT a supporter of The Himalayan Times per se. But if the Kantipur folks are reading this Sajha posting, I want you guys to know that your methods of attacks, your methods of squashing market-based competition and your methods of using -- NOT patriotism but -- stupid jingoism are really khattam and shameful. If you disagree, let's hear your arguments in this public forum. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:20 AM
The Himalayan Times daily English newspaper started a little more than two years ago. It started selling at Rs. 2 per copy. Pretty soon, by all accounts, it started doing very well, eclipsing The kathmandu Post and other newspapers. Three weeks ago, The Kathmandu Post slashed it newstand price by 62 per cent from Rs. 4 to Rs. 1.50 per copy. Last Saturday, The Himalayan Times struck back -- slashing its newsstand price by 50 per cent to Rupee 1 per copy. (BTW, all this stuff was the basis of my Nepali Times column last week. In that, using very basic game theory, I tried to explain Kantipur Publication's business strategy.) **** Now, Kantipur Publications wants to take the game to the next and the more dangerous level by playing the "jingoism" card. To that end, it appears that it has now begun instigating riots against its rival The Himalayan Times for: a) having an Indian investors, (as though that were a really bad thing!!) b) for printing news about a scholarly quibble about the birthplace of Buddha. The news item appeared 10 weeks ago. But the riots are starting now, with Kantipur Publications fanning the fire. ******** Like I said, if this very dangerous and -- NOT patriotic but -- "jingoistic" thing takes a big form tomorrow, and if people start getting killed on the streets (just like they did during the stupid Ritik Roshan Kanda), both Prateek Pradhan and Narayan Wagle, along wth their bosses -- the Gyawalis and the Sirohiyas -- should be held morally responsible . . . and you've read this first here on sajha.com oohi "proud of Nepali cosmopolitanism but deeply SUSPICIOUS of Nepali jingoism" ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:45 AM
What follows is from The Himalayan Times. This was published on November 15, 2003. My question: Is this story worth burning the papers 10 weeks later? oohi ashu ktm,nepal ************************* Scholars argue Buddha was born in Orissa Jatindra Dash Bhubaneswar, November 14 Was Lord Buddha born in Orissa and not in Lumbini, Nepal, as has always been believed? Scholars who hold the view that the founder of Buddhism was born in Orissa spoke at a two-day seminar on Jayadev and Buddha. The scholars gave several reasons to back their claims. Presenting circumstantial evidence, Satyakam Sengupta of Kolkata's Rabindra Bharati University said Buddha's teachings were in Pali and not in Prakrit or Sanskrit languages. And Pali was prevalent in Orissa then while it was never used in Nepal, he said. Also, about 3,000 edicts, including those of Asoka and the remains of stupas, are being found in Orissa, which has to its credit ancient Buddhists sites like Ratnagiri and Udaygiri. In contrast, there are hardly any sites in Nepal to indicate that Buddhism was widespread there, Sengupta said. The turning point in Buddhist history came with Emperor Asoka's conquest of Kalinga, as Orissa was known in that period, in 261 BC. A stone pillar inscription of Asoka discovered at Orissa's Kapileswar village located just outside Bhubanesewar in 1928, and now in Kolkata's Ashutosh Museum, points to the Buddha's birthplace as Orissa, said Chandrabhanu Patel of the Orissa State Museum. Patel headed a team of 15 researchers last year to decipher the inscription and first claimed Orissa as Buddha's birthplace. While historians say Buddha was born at Lumbini in Nepal, a village near Kapileswar named Lembei could well be his birthplace, Patel said. The ancient name of this village was Lumbini, he added. The inscription says that Asoka exempted Lumbini village from all taxes in 240 BC because Lord Buddha was born there, Patel claimed. Patel said researchers also found four sculptures of Asoka on the premises of the Kapileswar temple representing four stages of his transformation from a king to a sage. He said Lord Buddha's relics in gilded stone caskets were found during an excavation at Lalitgiri in Orissa's Jajpur district in 1985. This is not the first time Orissa has made such a claim. Historian Manmathanath Das, considered an expert on Buddhism, had earlier said: "I have studied Buddhism in depth. Although all available literature points to Nepal as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, there is not much archaeological evidence to corroborate this." |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:49 AM
The reason I am drawing a parallel here between this and the Ritik Roshan Kanda is that the RRK too had started by students' burning Ritik's photographs and video cassettes of his movies BEFORE the whole thing tipped, and took an ugly turn -- leaving several Nepalis dead. Thr cruel irony was that the actor had NEVER said the things he was alleged to have said. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Biswo | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 11:59 AM
It's shame. TKP should stop playing jingoism for its petty self-interest. It is not good for our country. It won't let our kids live in peace in future too. No one takes the words of some obscure Indian researcher from Orissa that seriously, so we shouldn't blow out of proportion his findings about Buddha's birth controvery.Among a billion or so Indians, there will always be some maverick, ill informed Indian "intellectual" who will come up with some damning thing about this, and we can't protest all time. I am not sure if I am 'against' foreign investment in media. But having seen since long how Nepal's particular class of rulers used anti-India sentiment to continue their own ill gotten power, I find it nauseating that TKP is doing the same. TKP is a fine newspaper. It should rely on its reporting. |
| acharya | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 12:10 PM
TKP is a pussy. |
| Neural | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 12:13 PM
oh!!! deregulated NEWSPAPER market ..... or shall we call the market of P=MC ???? ...However, -ve impact :( |
| noname | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 06:16 PM
1. Looking at another thread posted in Sajha by rat-a-tat (http://www.sajha.com/sajha/html/openThread.cfm?forum=2&ThreadID=13862), it appears that it was not TKP only, but many of the broadsheet dailys published the same advertisement under banner of Nepal Media Society. So, singling out TKP only for digging up the issue may not be justified. The price was is on our side, my thumbs up. However, 'unauthorized funding', if any, to one paper may push another paper 'with legitimate source of funding' to extinction. 2. Look at the double standard of The Times of India. In their August editorial http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/116909.cms they flayed foreign investment in Indian media. How about their, can anybody confirm this issue, whether or not THT is published by ToI group ?, investment in Nepal ? 3. Regarding the foreign investment in media, yeh, direct investment may be possible to control, provided no pulling strings by Indian authority. However, when Channel Nepal was not allowed to broadcast, it aired programmes from Thailand. THT may be published from Rakshaul, and brought to KTM within hours. Is it possible to control this ? I am not sure of international practice, but IHT, a sister publication of NYT, is published from France. ********* Dear San, I typed a long comment on this matter. When I clicked submit, I got the message that my sesssion has expired. I went back to no avail. How long can we stay without expiring the session ? Thank you. Regards noname ************** |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 07:05 PM
Though the so-called Media Society apparently also has publishers of other newspapers as members, it's Kantipur's publishers who are calling the shots there. They are using this argument of "let us help save Nepali newspapers from foreign ones". Their reasoning is that non-Nepali newspapers are not "patriotic", and to support that reasoning they have brought a full-page ad to whip up the Buddha controversy . . . (based on a report that was pubished 10 weeks ago) and which has aleady led to students' burning copies of the Himalayan Times. My concern is this: Having witnessed how Ritik Roshan Kanda unfolded in December 2000, first with newspper reports of what Ritik had said about Nepal and then with students' burning stuff in the name of patriotsm and then to deaths of innocent people soonafter, I, for one, am urging Kantipur Publications not to play with fire for its own selfish gains in these politically volatile times by fanning the fire of some kind of mass hysteria. In this country, it's UNFORTUNATELY very easy to whip up mass feelings about raw and crude patriotism, which has in recent times ended up KILLING innocent people. None of us want a repeat of that, do we? My other questions: 1. If so-called foreign media are so bad for the preservation of culture and so forth for Nepal, why not go one stop further and ban all the 78 satelite channels too? After all, the audio-visual media are more powerful than the print ones, right? THT at least has Nepali partners who have inveted their own money too. 2. Kantipur Publications has been LOOKING INTO the funding sources of its rival The Himalayan Times for the last two years. As of today, they have FAILED to uncover any funding irregularity.Their argument is that THT took advantage of a legal loophole. But any lawyer will tell you that taking an advantage of legal loopholes is PERFECTLY legal! By now, The Kantipur Publishers should either say that they have LOUSY investigative journalists who can't figure out the money trail that funds THT or simply to learn to adjust in the real world in which fierce competitions are facts of life. 3. The Himalayan Times has been quite successful in making money from Nepal-based advertisers. And that makes sense. Any local newspaper -- no matter how funded -- can only survive if it gets ads from that area. THT's successfully competing for Kantipur's ad revenue is what' driving Kantipur Publishers mad. Finally, I am neither a friend nor an opponent of both Kantipur Publications and THT, though I know the top people working at both places quite well. My only urging is: play with logic and evidence, and don't play this nationalist card, which is only darkly reminiscent of Panchayati hangover and it does no one any good. oohi "Happy Saheed Diwas to you all" ashu ktm,nepal |
| kaichi | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 07:20 PM
Why is Nepal's nationail pride being held hostage by some Marwari Media Cartel ? Since when does Sirohiyas ( owners of Kantipur ) and Dugars ( Owners of Nepal Samachar Patra) and Shahs ( Onwers of Space Time) dictate national sentiments of an already troubled nation. Aren't these characters with homes in Rajsthan, Dubai and Karachi foriegn enough. Nepal is a soviergn nation and all Nepalese should heed to larger national interest and not the dirty games of dirty Marwari mind. |
| Spark | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 08:31 PM
The news tried to spark but didn't flame the nation. probably stale news. the price war between tkp and ht is a positive one. |
| kalekrishna | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:02 PM
Well, the bhede tal of we Nepalese to be mob frenzy, damege, demolish with out considering the consequences are utilized to the hilt by opportunistics in various forms. A protest for one reason gets violent and the targets become comunal and damaging to the whole social fabric knit wear. It was a cleaver ploy to ignite the already heated students to create havoc in a society, and adopt pressure tactics. It is irony that "Responsible journalism" is the only savior from our current turmoil, and the withhelder of our basic rights and democratic values. But, alas, with unethical and dangerous dirty bussiness tricks being used, it is no surpise that we are spirrling downhill as a nation. A nation whose youth, without cohering ability, easily cowed by rumors, blindly pursuing violence for selfish reason, will need a real revolution to be back in the track. Who else to turn to, but to the most trusted uhi--Lord Pasupatinath (in recent times he too seem to have migrated to his heavenly abode). KK |
| Biswo | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:10 PM
Ashu: I believe that there should be some control imposed upon foreign investment . It is because they can do predatory pricing, assuming they have resources and willingness to do so initially, and drive local competitors out of the market.The most common form of restrictions for such investment would be to require that [for example] i) Nepali control a certain fraction of total share in such businesses ii) Nepali control retail market/marketing operations iii) Government establish some sort of oversight commission to prevent antitrust actions (like US government's committees on Microsoft, AT&T etc.) So, just because we can't control satellite channels doesn't mean we can't control other forms of business whose marketing is based on retail selling within the country. Any government should try to foster healthy business rivalry while attempting to attract more investment. On the other hand, it is really repugnant to see Kantipur's editorial lumping everything, from foreign investment to Lord Buddha, to justify their foolish treatment of this issue. It is plain rivalry that's going on there, and everybody knows this. Students are being made pawn in this business rivalry, and if a single soul loses his life because of this incident, no conscientious person will really forgive the instigators of the whole hoopla. |
| Suman Pradhan | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:14 PM
While I'm no fan of The Himalayan Times, as someone who was associated with Kantipur Publications from the very beginning to until last October, I feel sad to see that both Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post have stooped to such low levels to win a point against their rival publications. The whole affair could have been written off as comical if not for the serious implications. The advertizement in question is a blatant attempt at whipping up cheap jingoistic sentiments to win what is essentially a commercial fight. This is a very short-sighted strategy which is bound to do more harm than good for Kantipur Publications. The Nepal Media Society, in whose name the ad was published, is a cartel of newspaper publishers who want to keep the ad pie among themselves. That may be fine since there are many other trade groups who do the same thing. But the media society seems to be taking this a bit too far by trying to instigate riots. Though the issue of foreign investments in Nepali media is a serious one, it needs serious and thoughtful discussion, not a ham-handed attempt to instigate riots, as the newspapers are doing today. Ashu talks here of the Hrithik Roshan episode. I was the news editor of the Post at that time, and I can vouch that the Post and Kantipur both in no way tried to fan the flames. In fact we were the first to report that Roshan himself had denied making such comments, and that the riots were rooted in rumours rather than facts. To see the two newspapers, along with the others in the media cartel, to stoop to such lows today is really disheartening. The entire episode raises several issues - 1. Singling out THT on reporting the Buddha controversy is akin to shooting the messenger rather than the message. THT after all only reported on the seminar in which the claim of Buddha's birthplace was made. 2. Inviting the government to interfere in media companies, no matter what the context, is a prelude to inviting censorship. I hope everyone, including the Nepal Media Society, realizes this. 3. THT may have used legal loopholes to get foreign investments, but there are civilized ways to counteract this trend. The Press Council and the courts are available to investigate such matters. Why doesn't anyone make use of them? In the end, I empathize with the journalists working in TKP and Kantipur. It must be hard for them to defend what thier corporate side is doing with the ad space. I know many journalists there don't like this sort of cheap warfare. Instances like this undoes many of the fine and good things done by the Kantipur and TKP in the past. Let's hope that sense prevails before the rioting gets out of hand. well wisher of Kantipur Publications Suman |
| ashu | Posted
on 29-Jan-04 09:49 PM
Biswo, This whole episode is NOT about calmly and seriously thinking about ways and means to get FDI into Nepal. That could the subject for another Sajha discussion some other time. An aside: It so happens that I am working with FIN -- Foreign Investors of Nepal -- at the moment, and later will bring their perspectives to help sharpen the debate on the issue of FDI i Nepal. MEANTIME, my attitude is that all "reasonable" Nepalis should URGENTLY do everything they can to quash down this breed of jingoism before it gets out of hand and before people (mostly young people) start getting killed. We have all witnessed that RRK before -- and, with that as an example, cannot, in good conscience, AFFORD to take another chance at letting this Media Socity to stoke the fires of ever-so-fragile sense of Nepali jngoism. Suman, Your posting is quite sensible. Adversity strengthens character, and this is why your ex-colleagues should muster courage to tell their bosses that enough is enough, and try to look for ways to legally beating THT in the marketplace. If they keep quiet and try to justify their their being quiet to some sort of corporate bullying from within, then - let's face it -- they are nothing but spineless hacks, and spineless hacks deserve neither sympathy nor empathy. A newspaper business is driven by talented people, and once are unhappy or once they leave, it's the publishers who suffer with empty pressrooms, khattam contents and quiet printers. My point is: your ex-colleagues, all talented people, have MORE collective POWER than they realize and care to exercise. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| askme | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 12:45 AM
I told you maman so many times... India and Indians SUCKS....... I think worst country and people I have ever come across, I have visited more than 6 countries...... no one will beat India in this field... INDIA SUCKS |
| Biswo | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 06:22 AM
>MEANTIME, my attitude is that all >"reasonable" Nepalis should URGENTLY >do everything they can to quash down >this breed of jingoism before it gets out >of hand and before people (mostly > young people) start getting killed. I agree with you in this. Do you have something in mind? Count me in. We can certainly give "counter-advertisement". It will be shame if we again see some people being thrashed in the street just because they live in some particular region of Nepal, or they have relatively darker skin. I also think we never really exorcised the ghosts of Rhitik Roshan Kanda properly. People were killed, humiliated and beaten, and internationally, our image plummeted. And suddenly, this thing was forgotten as if nothing happened. At least, some one should have been punished, someone should have been held accountable. It again and again makes me think about post Franco Spain that never dealt with the Franco era oppression, and have very difficult path even now. I think we need to talk about RRK more in media, we need to tell our kids what hatred means, what bigotry means, how it harms us. Communal hatred, as well as jingoism, are like a ride on tiger. You can't handle it properly, you will go nowhere, and you can't come down without reasonable probability of being harmed. I think this burning of newspaper would water down soon if media (esp Kantipur) don't give it prominent coverage, and blow it out of proportion. A lot of journalists there will definitely regret doing this in the future. Also, thanks Sumanji for your insider's perspective. It's pity that a lot of reasonable and knowledgeable people left Kantipur Publications AFTER making it so influential. |
| nsshrestha | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 02:38 PM
Indian Express NO LONGER WILL MIDDLE CLASSES SUFFER UNDEMOCRATIC POLICIES AND MONOPOLIES Print Opens Up, Finally P N Vijay The matter of permitting foreign investment in print media had been engaging the attention of the government for quite some time and I am delighted that, at last, a decision has been taken in its favour together with some safeguards to protect national security. This is a welcome departure from the earlier policy of banning foreign investment in print media, which was myopic and went against the interests of millions of Indians while serving the vested interests of a few. Till 1991, our country followed a policy of protection which led to India remaining one of the poorest and most illiterate nations of the world. We decided to reform our economy and the Rao government, with strategies evolved by Dr Manmohan Singh, dismantled many restrictions on foreign investment. The NDA government has taken this policy further and thrown open foreign investment in practically all areas, removed industrial licensing, and is in the process of getting out of loss-making public sector undertakings. So, by removing this last vestige of the socialist days, we are being consistent and logical in our adherence to a free economy and polity. This inconsistency had become even more glaring once we permitted access to the population of foreign television channels and internet. There are more than 40 million cable homes which have access to 100 per cent foreign controlled media. There are more than a million internet users who can access any site. Through these TV channels and internet sites, millions of Indians are seeing and reading foreign material daily and this has not, in any way, adversely affected the country. In fact, our main English newspapers — through news-sharing arrangements — carry articles from leading international newspapers, including tirades put out by the Pakistani media for our consumption. So if the policy of banning foreign investment into print media was aimed at ensuring that our people are not influenced by foreign media, then it never served the purpose. What the erstwhile faulty policy did was that it worked against millions of ordinary middle-class people by putting foreign publications out of their reach in terms of price. Under the old dispensation, it was not that foreign publications were banned in India. It was just that they could not be printed. They are freely imported and we can all access them. In fact, like many of us, I read Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Economist, Scientific American and National Geographic every month. I read them on the same day as the rest of the world or the next day. But the middle classes cannot read them because they are, at present, too expensive. In other words, the old policy was most undemocratic as it was loaded in favour of those who have money. Interestingly, the old policy reduced opportunities for the people who work in the media. Wherever there is the presence of foreign companies, employees get better paid and have better working conditions. Our journalists are badly paid because they have nowhere else to go except to the same few companies. On the other hand, our television media sees better terms of service because they can also be employed by foreign companies. What the policy did serve was creation of monopolies. In the past, we used to have many newspapers and periodicals, which reflected many shades of opinion. But now that the field is left to a few newspapers without any powerful competition, they have practically eliminated all others. This has been done by predatory pricing — the pernicious practice of pricing a product way below its cost price so that it stifles competition and reduces the freedom of choice for the consumer. Many of the beneficiaries of the old policy indulge in this practice. As a result, many good magazines and newspapers have either closed down or are about to. These monopolies are worried that their monopolistic position will be threatened with foreign investment. Monopolies are bad, but in the field of information, they should be prevented at all costs. There is the argument that entry of foreign investment into media will destroy the Indian culture, and this is the one which I find most ridiculous. In Delhi, the daily English newspaper scene is dominated by two dailies which carry a liberal doze of the female anatomy, probably better placed in adult publications. I am sure this is good for sales as are the small advertisements giving long-distance numbers for adult telephone calls. I am no puritan and, if these publications do not violate our national obscenity laws, they should continue to do what they are doing. But the point is, the beneficiaries of the old policy were in fact unconcerned about our cultural values even while they held out the argument of protecting our culture from foreign influence. Finally, there is the bogey that national security will be in danger. This is unfounded for two reasons. We have allowed 100 per cent foreign investment in many sectors where potentially the need for security is far greater. For example, foreign power producers can have 100 per cent ownership in power plants. If an American owner decided to shut down a power plant during a war, that can do more harm to the country than any newspaper article. We have allowed large foreign investment in telecom, which is most sensitive to national security. We have done these with adequate safeguards. In the same way, even after we allow foreign ownership in the media, we will still have censorship laws that will not let national interest be jeopardised. It is nobody’s case that we should do away with such laws. The present regulation has also built in further safeguards in terms of composition of the board, editorial content to be controlled by Indians etc. These are more than adequate. It is time to toast Sushma Swaraj. With one stroke she has made it possible for simple Indians to share what the rich already have; for knowledge-hungry students to equip themselves better as they enter the arena of life. The last surviving bastion of the old socialist thinking has been laid to rest. |
| ashu | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 06:40 PM
FYI only. Please reach your own conclusions. oohi ashu ktm,nepal ********* The cat is out of the bag! Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, January 30 The sordid campaign being run against The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post is orchestrated by none other than Kantipur Publications. A drama enacted by Kantipur Publications at Kalanki around 2.30 pm was more than proof of it. We are happy to confirm what we have always believed; that, neither the students nor people have anything to do with the slander and attacks mounted against us. Incidentally, today’s fabricated skit was beamed by Kantipur Television as the Gospel truth. Viewers were shown clips of ‘irate citizens’ burning copies of THT and AP as revenge for hurting national pride. The anchor judiciously ‘informed’ viewers of the ‘pitfalls’ of reading THT and AP. We, therefore, think it is time to set the record straight. From concerned citizens present at Kalanki, we got a blow-by-blow eyewitness account of Kantipur Publications's malignant attempt to whip up a false sense of 'national outrage' against us for its own nefarious ends. Around 2.30 pm, while people browsed at news-stalls and others shopped in the markets close by, a white van bearing the Kantipur Television logo screeched to a halt. Six youths, obviously roughnecks, spilled out. One toted a video camcorder. Another, clutching a cellphone, headed for the news-stalls to tell the owners in a loud voice not to keep copies of THT or AP "at any cost". The rest, carrying banners, fanned out on the kerb. The four policemen, on duty in the vicinity, strode up to warn them against creating a ruckus. The youths began wheedling them, saying, "Please don't worry. We'll merely hang up some banners, burn copies of THT and AP. Then we'll wrap things up in minutes and depart peacefully." The policemen refused to relent. Suddenly, one youth snatched copies of THT and AP from a nearby stall and dumped the lot on the road. Another whipped out a lighter and set fire to the bundle. Even as the police were warning them not to carry things too far, the youths kept skipping about and managed to hang a banner declaring a boycott of THT and AP. Mr Cellphone then dialled different numbers, one after another. In an audible tone, he urged several persons allegedly belonging to various media houses to "come and join in the fun". All the while, the camcorder man busily recorded the proceedings. Amazed bystanders and people watched the drama but none had a word of encouragement for the Kantipur gang. After the pile of papers burnt up, the youths hurriedly pulled down the banner. Shouting and gesticulating wildly, they hopped into the van and drove off in a flurry of smoke and dust. We remain where we are, in the forefront of the field and ever ready for competition. |
| ashu | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 06:47 PM
FYI only. ******* Attempt to instigate students against THT deplored Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, January 29 The orchestrated campaign against The Himalayan Times by a cartel of media organisations evoked strong condemnation from a cross section including the political class, intelligentsia and student outfits. Leader of Nepali Congress Sujata Koirala said that the protesting students were not involved in vandalism. "The student movement is targeted at regression. We have no such plans to burn newspapers and resort to vandalism. We don't know how it happened," she said. Spokesperson for CPN-UML Pradip Nepal said it was unbelievable that the students attacked the press. "The present government itself is based on intolerance and what happened to THT office only portrays the prevalent situation in the country," he said. Politicians and student unions affiliated to different parties have described the efforts to undermine The Himalayan Times a deliberate and malicious attempt on the freedom of Nepali press. They also condemned the stray incidents of violence as part of an orchestrated campaign. "The attempts by some rival newspapers are aimed at jeopar-dising the country's security," they said. General secretary of Nepal Sadbhabana Party (Anandidevi) Rajendra Mahato said that the attack on the press was equivalent to the suppression on the protesting forces. Spokesperson for Rastriya Prajatantra Party Roshan Karki said that the press dispatches free expression and it should not be restricted. She regretted the incident and added that one should not suspect the nation's fourth estate. Vice-chairman of Janamorcha Nepal Lilamani Pokharel said that all supporters of the free press should condemn the attack. Central Committee member of Nepali Congress (Democratic) and chief of organisation department Prakash Man Singh said that attack on the media, which is the backbone of the democracy, is not fair for Nepal. "Any media organisation should be prepared to deal with competition. A healthy competition is needed in the media scene as well. It should be taken in a positive spirit," he said. Narayan Man Bijukchhe, chairman of the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, said that since the incident took place just beside the Singha Durbar, the government should be responsible and should also compensate the loss. |
| ashu | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 09:45 PM
Here we go again. FYI only. ************* Parties demand Govt close down THT, AP The Kathmandu POST REPORT KATHMANDU, Jan 30 - The political parties have joined the chorus calling for the closure of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post, the two newspapers known to belong to anonymous alien investors. Leaders of various political parties today issued a call to the government to close the two newspapers following the misleading news carried by them to the effect that Lord Gautam Buddha was born in India. “The fact that foreign investment is bad for the independence of the nation has been cleared demonstrated by APCA,” said People’s Front Nepal leader Amik Sherchan, adding that while they have twisted the historical fact, the trend could mount if it is not arrested. Rooting for the closure of both the newspapers, Sherchan expressed surprise at the inaction demonstrated by the government despite sporadic call to fold up the newspapers in question. He also flayed the non-committal response on foreign investment in media. Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Sushil Koirala was of the view that the government was not at all serious about the possible fallout of foreign investment in media. NC (D) Spokesman Hom Nath Dahal expressed surprise as to why the government was non-committal on the issue at hand. “Imagine the nature of movement and the silence maintained by the government,” he said. He also questioned the mystery surrounding the newspapers, with government conceding it is not registered and still taking no action. Meanwhile, student organisations fighting against regression have said that their mission includes seeing the closure of newspapers which have doubtful funding. “We are alert on the issue of nationalism. The publications which are tampering with nationalism should be closed down,” Nepal Student Union (NSU) President Guru Raj Ghimire said. Rajendra Rai, Chairman of ANNFSU, said that all this is the result of giving undue encouragement to the foreign investors in media who have come through back door. NSU General Secretary Gagan Thapa said the outfit would keep the movement going as long as there is a policy which allows doubtful foreign investment in media. Chairman of Film Producers Association (FPA) Yuvraj Lama said the latest complication comes in the wake of the unhindered flow of Hindi cinema and decimation of the Nepali cine industry. “If it is not stopped, expect further problems.” Meanwhile various organisations have expressed shock at the instance of the Indian embassy staff taking down the names of the students who actually burned copies of the two newspapers. The students who burned the copies were Krishna Bilas Adhikari and Santosh Subedi. Interestingly, students affiliated to World Hindu Youth Association (WHYA) has planned a funeral and cremation of the two newspapers at the Pashupatinath. Reports from Gulmi, Siraha, Banke, Mahottari, Makwanpur, Palpa, Sindhuli, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Rupandehi, among others, said that the students and members of the civil society vented their ire by burning copies of the two newspapers. |
| KaleKrishna | Posted
on 30-Jan-04 11:58 PM
Look like, the fight against regression is being fought in different fronts. What a pity charges and counter charges to the amusement of the general public. Now, they have fallen so flat that instead scooping and outwitting each other, they should settle the score the old Gorkhe way-you all know what I mean single-single. look at the flow of lavish self praise in reputed daily and they don,t have space for positive criticism, your letters will find the trash bin even before they are fully read. Well, interesting to see different political leaders being cites to defend for and against the action by the two dailies-hints at the power struggle at that level. KK |
| Biswo | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 05:22 PM
TKP should learn that to sell the newspapers, they need sensational items, like this one. An article by Babu Ram Bhattarai in yesterday's The Kathmandu Post. ----------------------------------------------------- Cat is out of the bag Royal interview Baburam Bhattarai - King Gyanendra’s interview to TIME Asia Magazine (January 26, 2004) is now the topic of hot discussion in the political circles in Nepal. It is naturally so, as it provides the ‘road-map’ of the monarchy in the ongoing triangular contention among the monarchical, parliamentary and the revolutionary democratic force in the country. When the revolutionary democratic and parliamentary forces had already placed their political agenda for the solution of present crisis before the public, it was widely expected that the King, too, placed his hat in the ring. In this sense the King deserves appreciation for making his position clear in no ambiguous terms. We, in the revolutionary democratic camp, are particularly thankful to the King for vindicating our long standing view that he is no constitutional monarch but a thinly veiled autocrat. This is amply proved by his open threat to the political parties repeatedly in the interview and his subtle claim to be above the constitution and a ‘living-god’. It is good that the cat is finally out of the bag. On the query about his so-called living-god status he proudly states: “On the living-god thing, let me interpret it this way: we were given the personification of Vishnu, and Vishnu is the preserver of all things. And I’m glad that my role - the role I have to play - has been spelled out like that”. And with tongue in cheek he adds: “I’ve never said I am.” But the main thing is he has not denied it either and instead claimed his role as “preserver of all things”. Naturally within that ‘preservation’ would fall his own ‘godly’ status and feudal privileges. Then it is anybody’s guess that the ‘personification of Vishnu’ would not abide by any earthly constitution and law. Such is the perfect model of ‘constitutional monarchy’. Our ‘constitutional monarch’ makes his otherwise intentions further clear when he says:” … the reality is the people of Nepal want to see their king, they want to hear from him. The days of royalty being seen and not heard are over. We’re in the 21st century.” Just behold, the ghost of the 18th and 19th century monarchies that were silent in the 20th century will now again rise loudly in the 21st century! Western democracies better get prepared for ‘hearing’ your monarchies in Hyde Park and elsewhere in the 21st century! So, this is the new model of ‘constitutional monarchy’ in the 21st century discovered by our great King Gyanendra! Further listen to his verbal acrobatics. He says: “It’s not that I am taking an active role. I see it as a constructive role”. How does one become ‘constructive’ without getting ‘active’? If dismissing an elected Prime Minister and appointing one’s own stooges to the post every six months, giving political interviews to ‘n’ number of papers every other week, making speeches in stage-managed public meetings, etc. is not getting ‘active’, then what is it? What about getting crowned as an ‘Hindu Emperor of one billion Hindus of the world’ the other day from no other dignitary than the (in)famous Ashok Singhal, who was become a great embarrassment even to the ruling BJP and Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee in India? Does it not remind one of Idi Amin who crowned himself as the ‘Conqueror of the British Empire’? Despite his best attempts to conceal his intentions, the King cannot hide his astronomical political ambitions. Claiming himself to be the sole representative and guardian of the amorphous ‘people’, he declares: “Who is going to talk for the people? If the Maoists are not, if the political parties are not, if they don’t want to, then shouldn’t the king? Someone must.” Of course, he wants to get ‘active’ to serve the ‘people’. But may we remind ‘His Majesty’ that in the whole two hundred and thirty-five years life of the centralized state of Nepal since 1769 the Shah dynasty has been continuously in power as absolute monarchy except for twelve years from April 1990 to October 2002, when the parliamentary parties were in power, and the Maoists have never been in power? Then who is to be blamed for reducing the country and the people to the second poorest position in the world? The Maoists? The parliamentary parties? Or the monarchy? If the blame is to be proportionately apportioned by the years in power, isn’t it fair that the monarchy should bear ninety-five percent of the blame, whereas five percent would go to the parliamentary parties and none to the Maoists? Though the King pays lip service to multi-party democracy, his utter contempt for political parties and their leaders flows throughout the interview. He openly charges them with “playing musical chairs in government” and speaking to him about issues “which only concern their own betterment” and not “about the nation and the people”. Thus he again raises the clichéd insinuation that the political parties are ‘anti-national’. The more serious part is that he issues open threats to the political parties and their leaders, thus: “If I step on some people’s toes, I’m sorry. But I can assure you this: the monarchy is not going to allow anyone to usurp the fundamental rights of the people, and those who say they represent the people must learn to lead the people…” When did one last hear in history where the so-called constitutional monarch openly issues threats against established political parties representing a vast majority of the people? And how can one have a ‘multi-party democracy’ without political parties? |
| Biswo | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 05:22 PM
continued... ---- Fortunately, the King is not very successful in hiding his pathological dislike for multi-party democracy and his spontaneous preference for Panchayat-like party-less autocratic system. Past memory of the pre-1990 Panchayat system is revived when he pontificates: “All I’m saying is…stop saying ‘party’. Say ‘people’. We do have our own characteristics, culture and value system in Nepal and democracy must be…tuned to this”. Doesn’t this remind one of the old epithet of mato ra hawapani suhawudo (‘suited to the soil and climate’) attributed to the then ‘indigenous democracy’ by the name of ‘Panchayat’? It is no wonder that the present King and his coterie were branded as bhoomigat giroha (underworld gangsters) by no other person than the present handpicked Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa even during the autocratic Panchayat days. The King very slyly skirts the pointed questions about the infamous palace massacre on June 1, 2001. He says he knows the ‘what’ but not the ‘why’ of the horrendous event. However, he very conveniently dismisses the ‘conspiracy’ angle? Similarly, he provides a convenient shield to his loyal royal army accused of indulging in grave human rights violations and war crimes even by the international community. He rather poses a counter question: “But is it because the security agencies are becoming effective that these questions are being asked?” This is a sure licence for the royal army to show their ‘effectiveness ’through more daily body counts of the innocent masses in fake encounters. Quite understandably the King tends to dismiss the rapidly spreading student movement with sharp and loud republican slogans as “only pressure tactics”. But through this interview he may have unwittingly added fuel to the fire of the republican movement. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Whatever may be the King’s intentions, his latest interview has paved the way for turning the sofar triangular contention of political forces in the country into a bi-polar contention between the pro-monarchy and anti-monarchy forces. Both the parliamentary and revolutionary democratic forces will have to thank the King for bringing them closer to mount a decisive struggle for a republican set-up in Nepal. |
| spark | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 06:54 PM
biswo, aren't you pumping maobadis? don't dream bringing republicanism by riding maoist's back. if maoists topple the present government/monarch, they will be the one to usurp the joiy of power in 21st century. do you see any strengths in current protesing parties except wolf's cries? bring your original and innovative ideas here. nepal doesn't need blind supporters (andha bhaktas). otherwise it is like the politics of "pahad ka bapati, chitwan ka savapati". |
| Biswo | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 09:34 PM
spark: Frankly, I don't care how would you want to label me. I do what I consider to be right and there is no unattainable dream in it. I am not in a business to please every single royalists with astigmatism out there who visits Sajha. I hope I am making myself clear. |
| ashu | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 09:40 PM
In Nepal and among Nepali societies, the attitude goes like this: As long as you are badmouthing my enemies and/or supporting me, then I overlook your sins. Hence, we have Republicans seizing upon the words of Maoists as pure gospel as long as the words serve their own Republican agenda. Never mind the fact that Maoists remain pure evil . . . and their rhetoric is not to be trusted a single bit unless they seriously and consistently -- over a period of time -- engage in a series of credibility-building provably true deeds. We have Royalists who side with India-based World Hindu Federation's Ashok Singhal and Company to anoint King G as a Hindu Samrat. Never mind that that the kind of Hinduism -- in its virulent, sectarian avatar -- that Singhal & Company preach and practice is not in Nepal's interest at all, and Nepal's stance toward Singhal should have been polite yet aloof. We have politicians who never bothered to develop clear-cut constituencies to represent (and that's why they still fall back on the generic "Nepali janata" as opposed to saying "my people in Parsa or my people in Jumla" and so on) and yet, with all the kleptocracy of the last 13 years for which they have not even apologized to the people at large, they have the gall to still brand themselves as "people's representatives". People, meantime, are moving on with a sigh . . . to other things or to other countries. We have self-declared members of civil society who take safe risks, are reluctant to make enemies to fight for what's right and are so busy pleasing everyone that they stand for nothing and fall for anything. And we have members of the media -- both editors and their publishers -- who are reluctant to use INSTITUTIONS such as courts of law and so on to settle disputes and grievances, and instead resort to instigating street violence, hatred and the cheapest form of patriotism to try to squash business rivals on account of charges that are of dubious merits. Such, such are the joys of living and working and witnessing in Nepal. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Biswo | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 10:21 PM
>Hence, we have Republicans seizing >upon the words of Maoists as pure > gospel as long as the words serve > their own Republican agenda. > Never mind the fact that Maoists >remain pure evil I don't know if that is pointed towards my posting of Babu Ram here. Let me clarify this to you, (because I value your opinion) I posted this to say that TKP can do a good business if it publishes articles like this: something of sensational. Price alone doesn't determine the appeal of media. The contents are the major factor. I think in KTM, people don't think there is much difference between 1.50 and 2 Rs. I was also wondering today that it was so wonderful to see Babu Ram and Gyanendra both considering each other evil, and considering themselves more democratic. These both villains know deep within that there are some other people who are really more democratic, and that they deserve the helm of the nation. But it was nice to read these two buffoons claiming their democratic credentials in broad daylight. |
| kalekrishna | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 10:32 PM
Well said brothers, the THT-TKP spat is another incidence of how rivalry goes deep in our society. Among families, among political parties, bussiness houses, well the very fire which could have been used to uplift oneself by fair competition is being diverted to burning the rival, not knowing that later it will only engulf the one who lights it. Bad mouthing and violence against who ever has been in power has been one hyperachievement of our democracy, and this has crossed the borderline of responsibility, which rarely exists in our society. We, too cannot escape from the blame of being irresponsible as our views and expressions are being guarded to play safe and opportunistics. Let us hope intelligence prevails over everyone, atleast I need it desperately. KK |
| ashu | Posted
on 31-Jan-04 11:04 PM
OK, Biswo, thanks for clarifying. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| spark | Posted
on 01-Feb-04 02:50 AM
biswo, what do you say about the news below? isn't govinda joshi leading for the so called republicanism in nepal? my as@ really smiling at these republican wolfs. these suckers are responsible for the current crisis in nepal. I attest what Ashu said earlier: "yet, with all the kleptocracy of the last 13 years for which they have not even apologized to the people at large, they have the gall to still brand themselves as "people's representatives". People, meantime, are moving on with a sigh" By republican slogan "aama ko doodh chusera napugera bau ko ghuda chusna thaleko" Grow up Biswo! btw, i m not a monarchist. Joshi’s presence puts parties’ press meet in shadow nepalnews.com mr Feb 1 A press meet called by the five parties to declare Valley-wide strike on Monday was overshadowed on Sunday, as the journalists repeatedly raised objections over the presence of corruption-indicted leader Govinda Raj Joshi in the meet. Journalists made Joshi red and pale with the rain of stiff questions such as: “Are you here to purify yourself in the eyes of people and journalists?”, “Who sent you in this press meet?” and “Do the parties’ expect people’s participation in the movement bringing leader like Joshi to the front?” Some more questions were also like this: “Isn’t it the five parties’ and particularly, Nepali Congress’s lack of sensitiveness to send a corruption-charged leader like Joshi in the press meet?”, “Will the party activists be ready to become martyrs having seen Joshi as their leader?” and “Is it right on ethical ground that Joshi should lead the movement as a leader? In the heated atmosphere, Joshi tried to furnish replies. He said, “I am here because my party sent me.” According to him, NC Secretary General Sushil Koirala was scheduled to be there. “Since he is ill, party told me to take part in this press meet.” “Party activists do not need to become martyrs in my name,” he said. On the much talked-about corruption charges which made him “untouchable”, the former minister said, “We cannot say one is culprit, unless the court gives the final verdict.” Leaders of the rest parties remained confused as they could not support Joshi’s presence in the press meet; neither could they raise voice against him. “We will not spare any corrupt leaders from legal action after our movement against regression succeeds,” CPN-UML leaders Amrit Kumar Bohora and Subash Nembang, without mentioning the name of Joshi, told journalists in a bid to “pacify” them. Leader of United People’s Front, Lilamani Pokhrel said he cannot comment on Joshi’s presence in the press meet. “Only the concerned party can say about it,” he said indicating towards the NC of which Joshi is the Joint Secretary General. Representatives of Nepal Laborers’ and Peasants’ Party and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) also attended the press meet. They were of the same view that they cannot take responsibility for Joshi’s presence in the press meet. Joshi was in judicial remand for more than two months. A Special Court in Kathmandu last week released him on Rs. 30.5 million bail. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has charged Joshi of accumulating property worth millions of rupees through illegal channels and hiding real sources of his earning. |
| karmapa | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 12:32 AM
Others throw stones, I hurl questions I would like to know what is the government policy, if any, on foreign investment in the media operating out of Nepal because I've read here and there that THT and Annapurna Post are 'foreign-owned'? Is this true? Can anybody deconstruct 'foreign ownership' for me in light of the present day uproar about these papers. Implications for national sovereignty, real or imagined, of foreign investment in the media operating out of Nepal, if any? What is happening is really sad: we will most likely see this horror movie again in the future. Hence, I think it is high time there was a national debate on what should be our government policy on foreign investment in the media operating out of Nepal? Otherwise, where is the justice in letting in foreign investors and telling them after they have set up shops and gotten competitive... oops sorry now you have pack up and go! This is unfair. It sends a negative signal to all would-be foreign investors,discourages foreign investment, which the country sorely needs. From reading the sentiments expressed in the papers, I gather that there are areas where foreign investment is ok, and areas where it is not ok. Clearly if sovereignty is such a big issue, then the debate should also delineate areas that are ok for foreign investment (and to what extent) and areas that are not. And also all this has to be seen in light of Nepal's membership in WTO. What will be the likely scenario / permissible scenario in Nepal once the WTO kicks in? |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 03:47 AM
What follows is from The Nepali Times of 2-8 November 2001 By now, one would think that all these controversies have been laid to rest. But no. Many of us Nepalis -- either by dint of genetics or culture -- find it extremely difficult both to forgive and forget. And so, we harbor grudges, and revisit the old issues -- again and again, like a broken tape-recorder playing the same song over and over again. oohi ashu ktm,nepal ****** Coming soon: The Himalayan [Times English daily] Just when you thought Kathmandu could take no more, another English daily newspaper is coming to town. BINOD BHATARAI Ram Pradhan [the editor] had just written a hard-hitting editorial suggesting that sovereign Nepalis deserve an explanation for King Gyanendra's decision during Dasain to name his son crown prince. But the public won't get to read the editorial. It went into the Tuesday edition of the dummy run of Kathmandu's newest English daily, tentatively called The Himalayan, set to hit the stands sometime in November. "This is what we believe every Nepali is asking today," says Pradhan, a 25-year veteran editor. "We have a four-man, all-Nepali editorial team that decides our opinion, and it will remain that way as long as I am here." This last remark is to assuage critics who have lashed out at the new venture for its Indian links. Rival media groups, politicians and some journalists maintain that foreign ownership of media is detrimental to the national interest and have recently stepped up their opposition. P Kharel, a former editor at The Rising Nepal, says: "Media is a very sensitive sector and that is why foreign investment should be rejected outright, including in radio and television." Kharel says even India with its tradition of free press does not allow foreign investment in media, so why should we? One of the staunchest critics of Indian entry into Nepali media is MP and former journalist, Raghuji Pant: "It will weaken Nepali independence, dilute our patriotism, give wrong information and confuse Nepalis." Not everyone agrees. Academic Pratyoush Onta, writing in this paper in August ("What to do when Big Brother knocks", #55), argued that foreign competition would actually enhance professionalism in Nepali media. "What is really at work behind this bogey of nationalism is fear that the mediocrity of those who rule the Nepali media world will be further exposed," Onta wrote. At his slick new office in Anamnagar, Ram Pradhan brushes aside the criticism: “We’re not violating any law, as far as I am concerned, if people say there should be no foreign investment in media then it is their opinion.” According to its registration papers, The Himalayan Times (as it is officially called) is published by International Media Network Nepal P Ltd, with Ujjwal Sharma as publisher. Sharma is also publisher of the Nepali daily Himalaya Times brought out by National Media P Ltd. The new English paper has National Media’s Sharma and Ravin Lama, formerly of Stimulus Advertising, as promoters, and start-up capital of Rs 50 million. “If Binod Gyawali and Kailash Sirohiya (of the rival Kantipur group) can publish a newspaper, why can’t Ravin Lama and Ujjwal Sharma be publishers?” Lama asks. “We will go by every law in the book.” Kantipur and its English-language sister The Kathmandu Post last month launched a broadside against the new venture, focusing largely on its perceived Indian backing and accusing it of bypassing Nepali law on foreign investment in media. The reports alleged links between International Media and Asia Pacific Communication Associates (APCA) Nepal, APCA India and SAMA Printers. Lama is the common promoter in two (APCA and International Media) separate entities, and a minority shareholder in SAMA, which is a separate Rs 30 million venture. To make things more complicated, APCA Nepal is a joint venture between Lama and APCA India, and it has foreign direct investment (FDI) clearance to set up an advertising agency and a printing plant. SAMA Printers is a venture between Lama, SP Singh (who used to be Executive Vice-President at the Kantipur Group until April 2000) and AN Sen, an Indian national. SAMA has FDI clearance for running a commercial printing operation, which is now ready for trial runs. It is to print both Himalaya Times and The Himalayan and could take up other available print jobs. APCA India is a venture of Times of India staffers chaired by Dilip Padgaonkar, and also has “persons of Indian origin”—now citizens of other countries including the US—and “non-resident Indians” as investors. APCA had been planning to invest in Nepal since early this year, when it approached other Nepali media companies including Kantipur and Himalmedia for possible collaboration. Independent media watchers in Kathmandu say the real issue is competition between advertising agencies, including Indian joint ventures. Nepal’s advertising industry is growing at a phenomenal 24 percent a year, and competition is heating to get a greater share of that pie. Nepali law is silent on foreign investment in media. The Industrial Enterprises Act, which defines industries, lists “printing” and “press” separately as service industries. The Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act allows FDI in all industries except those on the negative list—which does not include printing or the press. FDI, for example, is not permitted in real estate, trading or consultancies. But because investors don’t have to disclose the source of investment funds, it is difficult to say if the capital in even industries on the negative list is truly Nepali. “There’s no law barring foreign investment in the media,” says Satish Kharel, a lawyer. “If there is a policy level decision somewhere, I’m not aware of it.” The law, however, does require the editor of a newspaper to be a Nepali national. The Himalayan has already put together a team of about 40 journalists, mostly Nepali, a handful of Indian polishers to improve English copy, and a full-fledged marketing operation. “We will keep the foreigners until our staff are capable of taking over,” says Pradhan, and hastens to add, “even with them around it is we Nepalis here who decide what goes into the paper.” Pradhan says The Himalayan will set up fully staffed news bureaux in five Nepali cities, and market the product in both India and other South Asian countries. The 12-page paper is to have an initial print run of 15,000 copies. |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 03:50 AM
What follows was published in August 2001 -- 2 and half years ago -- in The Nepali Times. I would say that the arguments made then by Pratyoush -- an economist turned historian -- still holds water. Enjoy. oohi ashu ktm,nepal ************************ What to do when Big Brother knocks Kneejerk reaction to foreign investment in media shows schizophrenic nationalism. by Pratyoush Onta In early June I met one of the promoters of an English language daily soon to be published out of Kathmandu. He had come to cover the Narayanhiti royal massacre and had dropped by my house to collect sound bites. The proposed English daily was editorially promoted by a group of Indian journalists and financially supported by non-resident Indian venture capitalists. He said that the money that was available could not support a new media venture in India, but could go some distance in Nepal. He refused to identify their Nepali partners, but told me that the press had been ordered and a skeleton staff had been hired. I told him that another paper in English meant that those of us who write columns in that language will have an additional option. I should have known that once the word spreads among the self-appointed vigilantes of Nepali nationalism, any foreign direct investment (FDI) in media in Nepal would be interpreted as foreign interference in the “sensitive sector of the Fourth Estate”. Sure enough, last week influential Nepali media bosses said categorically that FDI should not be allowed in the media sector in Nepal to “safeguard Nepali interests”. At a discussion organised by Nepal Patrakar Mahasangh on 2 August, the following reasons were reportedly given to support the argument against FDI: - Since media is the watchdog of nationalism in any country, which nationalism will a foreign-owned media support? - Media is related to bichar and if foreign investment is allowed, bideshi bichar will spread. - Nationalistic considerations have forced even countries like India to stop FDI in their media sector in its entirety. For now, I think that if FDI will result in the enhancement of the capacity of our reporters, feature writers and copy editors, then it is a good idea. I am also open to be persuaded otherwise. But opponents of FDI in media will first have to abandon all factual errors. For instance, it is incorrect to say that India still bans FDI in media. India has already opened its electronic media market to foreign investors. The most direct impact of this decision has been seen in the dramatic rise of private sector Indian and foreign television in the last few years. The decision to not allow any FDI in the print media was taken by the Indian government in 1955 and several attempts have been made to revise it, most recently during the past year. Although the Indian government has once again decided to not revise this policy, its decision has not gone unchallenged as is being portrayed by our media bosses. For instance, Swapan Dasgupta, managing editor of India Today, published a sharply worded critique of this government position in his newsmagazine on 4 December 2000. Former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram writing in the same magazine has pointed out the irony of the print media in India being an articulate promoter of foreign direct investment in services, industry, agriculture, and electronic media while opposing the same in its own sector. How exactly is foreign investment in media in Nepal detrimental to our “national interests”? The general consensus with which our editorial bosses have opposed FDI is a syndrome of the schizophrenia that characterises our dominant national culture whereby evocation of nationalism has been an effective strategy to prevent further debate and scrutiny of the concerned subject. Nepali society is not so weak that some media products supported by foreign investment will break its back. What really is at work behind this bogey of nationalism is fear that the mediocrity of those who rule the Nepali media world will be further exposed. But will this really mark the end of Nepali-language based bahunbad that is dominant in our media? The argument that if FDI were allowed in Nepali media, it would lead to anti-Nepal editorial practice, does not address the logic of the advertisement market. If foreign investors in Nepali media want to make money, then they can only do so by capturing an adequate portion of the Nepali advertisement market. Advertisers can only thrive if they respect the sensibilities of the consumers. And if media products are seen to be “anti-nationalist” in its contents, consumers and advertisers will abandon them with haste. The jingoistic strain of pro-India nationalism in satellite channels promoted by international finance in the Subcontinent must be understood as the attempt of those media outlets to make the Indian middle class feel secure about its own bigoted nationalism including its big-brother-in-the-Subcontinent ego. If a foreign investor-backed media product wishes to thrive in the Nepali advertisement market, it cannot ignore this logic. Hence it will have to peddle lines that are possibly even more pro-Nepal than that of Radio Sagarmatha. Opponents of FDI also argue that it would make taking a pro-Nepal editorial stance impossible. If editorial independence were fully determined by the business interests of the promoters, then no self-respecting editor or reporter would allow their names to appear in the masthead, or by the articles. If this could not be the case under foreign investment, then I must assume that it is not already the case now. It would then follow that Kapil Kafle, editor of Nepal Samacharpatra which has taken the lead in opposing FDI in media in Nepal, must already be taking his editorial stance from investors of the Kamana group, including the two new recently inducted promoters. If Nepali editors and reporters who worked for FDI supported media products in Nepal (such products could not be produced without their participation) could be suspected for their inability to take a pro-Nepal stance, why should we allow institutions like the Nepal Press Institute to use foreign money in Nepal in the name of enhancing the capacity of Nepali journalists? Or it is the case that foreign money can be spent on training individuals and strengthening media institutions without imparting them bideshi bichar, while FDI from those same countries will corrupt Nepali individuals beyond repair? Opponents of FDI need to remember that the media’s ultimate job is to report the truth. If it does this well, the “national” in the much evoked “national interests” will be greatly democratised and the interests of the most disenfranchised Nepalis will be automatically served. And for truth to be told, this discussion will have to include Nepalis who are not afraid of the new global financial regimes. The debate should address, among other things, how to tackle global competition with quality homegrown products. I am waiting to be convinced that FDI is a bad idea in the Nepali media sector. Any takers? |
| spark | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 12:28 PM
Ashu, what are all these hues and cries?? After following up other news and reactions of people in Nepal, it appears that The Himalayan Times might have done "Gaddari" to Nepal. I may have believed Buddha birthplace wherever in the world had it been an outcome from very scientific analysis and evidences and is published in worldly reknowned archeological journals, but attempts have been made here to confuse people in these local bullshit papers. My suggestion is not to go after blindly supporting everything in Himal, himal khabar patrika, or the himalayan times. Else you will also be stained same as who does Gaddari to a nation of pride. Of course this is very sensitive issue and Himalayan times is playing with it. No matter whether it is published 10 weeks later or later, Kantipur group did right in bringing it up now. It is not necessary one need to give a reaction day after it is published, as it may take time to research, analyze, and conclude about the contents in previous publication. |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 07:37 PM
Spark, There are many ways to slice this issue. One, and dear to my heart, is the issue of intellectual freedom. The Himalayan Times REPORTED that such and such scholars in a conference in India said this and this. That report was dated November 15, 2003. Whatever the scholars said, it certainly was NOT The Himalayan Times itself also endorising that what they said was right or wrong. (For your reference, I have posted the entire content of that report above) It was a mere report with quotes and so on. The point is: Scholars in a conference in India or anywhere else have EVERY right to say whatever they want to say on any subject, and have their peers judge/evaluate/dismiss the validity of their statements. That's how knowledge expands in any discipline. And a newspaper anywhere has every right to report the contents of any conference, without necessarily taking editorial positions. This way both good and ideas come into the marketplace of ideas, and good ideas will eventually win over the day. If a scholar in India says that Buddha was born in India and a newspaper in Nepal reports that the scholar said that, so what? Given the overwhelming amount evidence on the contrary, we will only know how jhoor that scholar is, and we can rest assured that encyclopedias around the world are not going to revise their pages to say that Buddha was born in India. And so, my -- with me as a regular reader of their publications -- issues with Kantipur Publication (KP) are: a) that KP would even try to DENY its rival the right to report the proceedings of a conference (no matter how unsatisfactory, how silly some of the conclusions drawn at that conference were), b) that KP would brand an old report as "anti-national" now (in a Panchayati manner) in an effort to incite hatred toward, mob violence toward and boycott of a media product in Nepal, c) that KP would try to engage the people against foreign investment in the media field as though media were a special field, when EXAMPLES, even from neighboring India, shows that with an injection of fresh cash, technology and ideas into media, it can only grow better to serve the local markets. d) that KP would coose to deal with the issue in a "dada-giri" style with street demonstrations, paper-burning rallies and instances of vandalism at THT building INSTEAD of through the courts of law. All of these are unacceptable in a civilized society on matters of princples, and, hey, somebody's gotta say that they are unacceptable -- loudly and clearly , even if it means that one might lose a few friends. Still, t Kantipur and TKP friends I have spoken with face-to-face in the last several days go to great lengths to say that whatever's been happening they are ashamed of it, and that their publishers are over-reacting. They also say that their hands are tied. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Gokul | Posted
on 02-Feb-04 07:55 PM
"If a scholar in India says that Buddha was born in India and a newspaper in Nepal reports that the scholar said that, so what?" We all are suffering from confirmation bias. We seek only that information which confirms our beliefs. It is very painful to encounter a view point that contradicts our belief and value system. The ZAMM says: "You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it's going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, its always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt." |
| Spark | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 01:23 AM
Ashu, I understand your point about intellectual freedom and you have already explained the facts. But, the papers shouldn't make a playground by playing with the feelings about national symbols. If it is a breaking news with hard fact, it would definitely come in CNN or BBC. In that event we may have to accept the truth if that is true. Depending on the sensitivity of the news, chief editor of the newspaper have to censor any such kind of conflicting news. Most of school text books in India mentions Buddha was born in India. But, have they been able to convince the world community? The answer is NO. It is not so surprising to find so called few scholars with vested interests who always look for an opportunity to come in limelight with their made up stories. But national papers should look into the sensual part of the story before they decide to publish any such news. Yes, Kantipur group might have taken advantage in bringing up already forgotten news in the context of their current rivalary and price war for a market share. Yes, a newspaper anywhere has every right to report the contents of any conference. But there are thousands of those conferences. Why are they not covered, and why pareticular to that issue? Somehow that shows some ill intention on the part of news group there. The news group has the right to publish anything it wishes, but it doesnt have a right to confuse people with distorted facts. When the newspaper can't maintain the standard, or can't judge what is right with wrong, it deserves to be burned or bycotted. We can't blame KP for labeling THT as antinational. THT should have aniticipated any unforseen consequences for its committed sin. About foreign investment in media, i am not against it as long as it doesn't go against national security and pride. Spreading unfounded rumor against national symbol and pride really hurt. Good that KP brought up the issue, and public responded taught THT in timely fashion. And, this kind of issue is not dealt in court, but through public reaction for the newspaper's substandard. Ashu, good that you spoke with TKP people, but didnt publish. If you publish in Nepali Times with the same underlying message as THT did, I am sure Nepali Times will also be burned and stoned in the same manner. We wish you are unhurt. Do you want to retest? Still, t Kantipur and TKP friends I have spoken with face-to-face in the last several days go to great lengths to say that whatever's been happening they are ashamed of it, and that their publishers are over-reacting. They also say that their hands are tied. |
| Spark | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 01:27 AM
the last paragraph is cut and paste residual from Ashu's previous post...sorry |
| KaleKrishna | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 02:14 AM
If you publish in Nepali Times with the same underlying message as THT did, I am sure Nepali Times will also be burned and stoned in the same manner. We wish you are unhurt. Do you want to retest? Spark-do you justify justice of a mob, just curious, If that is right in your opinion, then I have nothing else to express, but appaulse the bravery of Nepalese settling scores the old ways. KK |
| ashu | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 03:07 AM
Spark, It so happens that Nepal Samacharpatra daily -- one of the members of the so-called Nepal Media Society -- had ALSO published the same news around the same time. It was a news item, picked up from the wire service, as THT did, and ANY newspaper around the world, including that of Nepal, could have printed it, as Nepal Samacharpatra also did last November. About 17 months ago, Kantipur too had published similar news (that someone in India said that Buddha was born in India) -- to no one's hue and cry in Nepal. And so, to paraphrase Pratyoush: "Nepali society is not so weak that some media products supported by foreign investment [and reporting substance of a conference proceedings] will break its back." My own take is that the new Nepali 'nationalism' should be based NOT on past glories and ancient achievements as though we in Nepal were forever doomed to live in some la-la museum-land but on the new confidence and the optimism that we Nepalis can be and are as good as anyone else around the world in anything we want. Forever being reactive to what others say and defensive about our fragile past glories do not serve us well to look ahead for future achievments. Fortunately, the Nepal Media Society -- the CARTEL of newspaper publishers in Nepal -- seems to have realized that the Buddha controversy is getting it no mileage. It has dropped the Buddha story, and is now focussing on why FDI in media is bad for Nepal. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Spark | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 03:36 AM
KK, these type of things you can usually anticipate what the mob will do. there are always room for argument if that was a right or wrong action. |
| Spark | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 03:52 AM
Ashu, you said "My own take is that the new Nepali 'nationalism' should be based NOT on past glories and ancient achievements as though we in Nepal were forever doomed to live in some la-la museum-land but on the new confidence and the optimism that we Nepalis can be and are as good as anyone else around the world in anything we want. " Why Palestine and Israeli are fighting for the for about a century then? |
| ashu | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 06:22 PM
In India, after experimenting with FDI for a year-and-half, there are now talks of INCREASING the per centage of FDI in print media there. Meantime, it's no secret that the print media sector in Nepal is STARVED of capital, technical innovations, sophisticated know-how, design and marketing ideas. Let people from other countries bring money and know-how to Nepal to invest in Nepali media print. All that the govement needs to be is an umpire who can enforce the rules and regulations. What follows is an old piece of news. oohi ashu ktm,nepal **************** INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - JUNE 2002 THE MONTH THAT WAS 26% FDI IN PRINT MEDIA CLEARED, 1955 POLICY REVERSED The government today decided to allow 26% foreign direct investment (FDI) IN NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS PRINT MEDIA. Technical and medical publications have been allowed a higher FDI of 74%. According to I & B ministry sources, a detailed policy statement on FDI in print would be issued "shortly". Foreign investment in news agencies, however, remains barred. Briefing journalists after the cabinet meeting, I & B minister Sushma Swaraj said the government has "attempted to address" the concerns of political parties that FDI in print might lead to foreigners controlling Indian media. She said that at least three fourth of the board of a print media company with FDI must be Indian. All key editorial posts must also be with resident Indians. Any print media company wishing to change its shareholding pattern must get prior government approval. Before allowing FDI in a print media company, the credentials of the investor would be "thoroughly scrutinized". Also any single shareholder in such a venture must be an Indian with "significantly higher stake" than 26%. The government's decision comes in the face of an outright rejection of the proposal by a parliamentary standing committee. The congress said it was opposed to the decision and would make its stand known when the issue was placed before Parliament. |
| Brook | Posted
on 03-Feb-04 09:35 PM
I see this furor as the biggest testimony to a famous assertion made by Dr. Devendra Raj Panday writing in the Himalayan Times (Dec. 30th, 2003) and I quote: "..the Nepali economic elite have, perhaps, learnt everything about economic liberalism - except the dignity of labor and the value of hard work." If this sort of mentality is to prevail, and if vested interest groups are going to continue to tout nationalism - perhaps, historically the cheapest commodity in this country - to protect their own mediocre domains, I cringe at the thought of what will happen when Nepal fully enters the WTO era. |
| ashu | Posted
on 04-Feb-04 02:54 AM
Brook, There is no need to cringe. It's only through MORE public debates, more open discussions and more plural viewpoints (that can be supported by evidence) out there can we in Nepal begin to weigh and understand what are good arguments and what are bad arguments on any issue. This issue is no different. For so long, Nepalis have and had been fed only one set of arguments (of the socialist/protectionist/irrationally patriotic types), and it's only in recent times that we have begun to understand what could be the alternative (in this case, "pro-market") views. What is needed in Nepal are more people out there -- calmly but persistently arguing -- in clear Nepali and English languages -- pro-market/competition-driven, choice-based and consumer-friendly policies. Viewed that way, I have come to see these debates/discussions/controversies as good avenues for "pro-market" views to get in and, with powerful arguments and evidence from around the world, weaken the biases/prejudices/misconceptions and jingoistic misperceptions that have long been unquestionably dominant in Nepali economic/business discourse. In the last few days, the "stir the Buddha thing into a controversy" strategy of Nepal Media Society has not been good for its PR. I love the fact that two sworn enemies __ Jamim Shah of Space Time and Kailash Sirohiya of Kantipur -- were up on the stage as members of the cartel to argue against FDI in Nepali newsmedia on -- gasp, choke!! -- patriotic grounds. Personally, I think it's great that Nepali readers can now choose BETWEEN reading The Himalayan Times for 1 rupee per copy, and The Kathmandu Post for 1.50 per copy. On another note, isn't it time for the government to transparently and fairly privatize The Gorkhapatra Corporation so that some of the government's resources will be free to be spent on education, health and infrastructure? oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 04-Feb-04 03:13 AM
A recent Kathmandu Post report on what Foreign Direct Investment in manufacturing and service sectors has done for Nepal. Print media is just an industry, obeying the laws of supply and demand. It too can benefit from FDI to provide choices and quality stuff to consumers. oohi ashu ktm,nepal ************* FDI surges over by 33pc POST REPORT KATHMANDU, Jan 23, 2004 - Despite the weak security situation due mainly to the continuing Maoists’ insurgency, the total volume of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has shot up by 33.72 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal year. The latest statistics of the Department of Industry (DoI) reveals that along with the investment, the number of projects has also gone up. However, the increment in the investment and number of projects has failed to increase the employment opportunities. The total volume of the FDI during the period has gone up to Rs 3.41 billion whereas the figure during the last fiscal year was Rs 2.55 billion. The increment in the number of the projects during the review period, however, was minimal, only by single unit. Interestingly, the number of employment-beneficiaries as a result of the FDI has dropped. Against the total number of employment-beneficiaries of 1,823 recorded during the first six months of the last fiscal year, the figure for the same has fallen down to 1,689 in the like period this year. Experts attribute increasing number of capital intensive investments for the downfall in the employment opportunities, despite increased investments. "As a result of adaptation of modern industrial technologies, a huge chunk of investment went in capital-intensive projects rather than labour-intensive," experts opine. India has become the leading country in terms of volume of direct investment in the review period with the capital amount of Rs 1.78 billion. With the investment at Rs 990 million, India maintained third position during the same period last year. Germany, which was the leading investor during the first half of the last fiscal year, did not invest at all during the review period this year. With the total investment amount of Rs 893.2 million, China followed India in terms of volume of investment during the review period. Likewise, Britain and United States of America became the third and fourth leading country in terms of investment-volume respectively. However, in terms of registered number of projects, China was the leading country with its eight projects during the period. India, the leading investor, however, has only five projects. While analysing the sector-wise investment volume, service sector has attracted more FDI during the period than any other sectors. The official statistics shows that the service sector lured over Rs 1.62 billion during the review period followed by the manufacturing sector with Rs 968.3 million. The manufacturing sector came with 11 new projects, while the service sector limited to 10 projects only. The energy sector that attracted highest FDI during the first half of the last fiscal year, however, slipped to third position during the review period. The volume of the FDI attracted by this sector marked Rs 734.4 million. The government allowed nine projects with the FDI Rs 504.8 for the tourism sector during the review period. The investment in this sector, however, is disappointing when compared with the FDI figure during the like period last year, as it was Rs 704 million. |
| spark | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 12:57 AM
Ashu writes "...it's no secret that the print media sector in Nepal is STARVED of capital, technical innovations, sophisticated know-how, design and marketing ideas. Let people from other coun tries bring oney and know-how to Nepal to invest in Nepali media print....". Please read the news piece below. Many other countries seemed to have banned investment in media. Past government have committed great mistake by giving licence. So far i remember it once tried to reform bill on citizenship. I guess it was Nepali congress, and it seems to be a threat to national interest. Ashu, can't you understand the sensitivity of the issue and leave your ek kohoro lende dhippi? Listen what nepali legal experts are saying.... Legal eagles too against THT, AP POST REPORT KATHMANDU, Feb 4 - Lawyers have condemned the government’s continuing silence over foreign investment in media and demanded the government take measures to stop foreign investors from making inroads into the country. They also suggested that no foreign investment should be welcomed in the media like most of the countries in the world where it is totally banned. Media is not like other sectors of investment," said Bishwo Kanta Mainali, a lawyer active in the field of human rights and advocacy. "Foreign investment in media never serves national interest." Citing the cases of all the SAARC countries including Sri Lanka and India, Mainali said, "They have banned foreign investment in media after due consideration of it impact on nationality." He expressed surprise that the Nepali authorities are allowing foreigners without any hesitation to invest in media. Citing another example of Indian company APCA’s backdoor investment in The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post, Mainali queried, "Attempt of an Indian company to invest in another country’s media has exposed the motive behind the move, as foreign investment is banned in its own country." Advocate Bal Krishna Neupane said, "Why does the government remain silent when a company from a country that bans Nepali newspapers from entering into its territory has invested in media sector in Nepal?" Neupane held the political parties equally responsible for leading to the present situation. "They have backed the anti-nationalist forces by keeping silence when foreign media first entered the country." Bhimarjun Acharya, Chairman of Constitutional Lawyers’ Forum suggested that the government close the newspapers by making a law claiming that continuation of such investment would lead to worst consequence in the future. |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 02:51 AM
Spark, In the name of this public debate, let me be honest with you. I have NO institutional ties of any kind with any daily newspapers in Nepal. Yes, I write a fortnighly column on business matters for The Nepali Times, but I am NOT an employee of that paper. I simply email my pieces to them, and they publish them. In fact, my first piece for NT disagreed with one of their reports. Now, the question is: Do you, Spark, have any institutional ties with any one of the daily newspapers that are owned by one of the members of Nepal Media Society, that cartel that wants to keep the advertisement pie for itself? If no, and if verifiably no, then, we can proceed to have a discussion. If yes, then, I wish you well. I can argue with your ideas, but I cannot argue with your beliefs. ********* BTW, a quibble: NONE of the lawyers quoted in The Kathmandu Post are corporate or even business lawyers. What's more, Mainali gets his facts WRONG. I can check for Sri Lanka but India does allow FDI in print-media. What kind of lawyers are these if they get their basic facts wrong? Time-permitting, please listen tonight's debate on Radio Sagarmatha FM 102.4 at 8:00 pm, and read my piece in tomorrow's Nepali Times. If you disagree, please send your letters to the editor. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| karmapa | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 02:56 AM
The government needs to delineate sectors where FDI should be actively encouraged and where minimised to an 'acceptable' level. Media may be one such sector (where FDI could be entertained only up to an acceptable level) considering that most neighbouring countries also consider this a 'sensitive sector'. I think Nepal will do well to learn from other countries as much as pay heed to the pluralistic voices emerging from within its borders - be they jingoistic, rational, irrational, leftist, rightist, fascistic, freakish, or clownish. Safeguard measures - check and balance - must come about through pluralistic voices and inform policymaking. National policy framework is key to regulating FDI flow in Nepal. I think this recent hoopla about THT / Annapurna came about because there hasn't been clear policy on FDI in media. We all know of the oft-quoted 'fishing in muddy waters' phrase. Our government's handling of the hoopla shows that it operates pretty much on an ad-hoc fashion as it always has. With no clarity in FDI policy, I'm not sure whether our government can even play much of a role as an umpire. At the very least an umpire has to know what the rules are (for that it has to set the rules down) before it can function effectively as an umpire. While pro-market approach is well and fine, I think what is needed is a more cautious approach to development. More balanced development. In this regard, we still have a long way to go. |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 07:23 AM
Karmapa, It's one thing to try to hold the government accountable -- through courts of law and other institutional mechanisms -- for permitting or not permitting FDI into certain sectors. But it's completely unacceptable to instigate acts of vandalism and acts of newspaper-burning in the name of nationalism and patriotism. The Nepal Media Society, that cartel of newspaper publishers, has LOST its credibility PRECISELY because it stooped so low to incite a potentially Ritik Roshan-style Kanda, and only its members are set to derive commercial benefits from blocking FDI in print-media. Should that happen, the readers will lose out; and so will the advertisers the journalists. At this rate, what's next? Protests against entreprenurial Punjabi Sardars from selling "Thakali Khana" in Pokhara? I repeat: Despite the unwarranted, self-congratulatory and oh-we-are-so-important self-image of Nepali publishers, the media sector is just an industry, akin to hydropwer, banking and tourism. And like in any industry, more competition, more choices for consumers and employees are better than one cartel's calling all the shots. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| laxmankaka | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 08:48 AM
Ashu write: “At this rate, what's next? Protests against entreprenurial Punjabi Sardars from selling "Thakali Khana" in Pokhara?” Ashu, if that papaji is selling Thakali Khana and calling it "punjab da soni khana"; yes, we shall protest. Thankali Khana is/should be a trade mark of Thakalis. Anyone can sell it. But "formula" is a copy righted (on strictly honor basis) material of Thakalis. (On similar note: Do you remember the last years' the basmati rice incident between Americans/Texans and Indians?) I don't agree your 101%-open-door-to-any-investers-with-no-restriction arguments. There should be some mechanism in place to regulate or just to do some book-keeping. Otherwise it is a total suicide. |
| Spark | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 11:59 AM
Ashu, I am a "firante" and don't have any institutional affiliation with any newspapers. But, surely nationalistic feeling. I will read your article. |
| suva chintak | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 12:25 PM
I think there is no point in saying that the NMS is evil and THT is saint: both of these are corporate groups out to make money and more and they will engage in every trick to gain advantage over the competition. If NMS is seen to be inciting anti THT sentiments; the THT also became a media player by paying a lot of money to the previous government as bribe to open up Nepali media to Indian capital. If the rules had not been bent then, there was no way THT could have been registered. It was the same way Kantipur TV got its license. It is a story of the pots and kettles. Secondly, the notion of free competition also does not apply here. THT is a kind of subsidiary of the great The Times of India group. They can afford to pump in money in a price war until all the Nepali newspapers are finished off and then emerge as the only player left standing. These are two very unequal players so the idea of "free competion" does not really apply. Lastly, unlike other products like cars, soap, and paan; media is more than just a consumer item on the super market shelf. It has an ideological and propaganda value: it shapes people's perceptions of what right, wrong, and what is possible. So the final question before the Nepali public is do we want to see Indian media houses take over Nepali newspapers or we want to have Nepali capital to control Nepali media. By the way, even to this day India does not allow Nepali newspapers free access to Indian markets....let alone allowing Nepali capital to run newspapers in India! |
| suva chintak | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 12:28 PM
One of the more saner and balanced views on the current media war on Nepal I find is M.R. Jossee in the People's Review this week: -- Dirty linen in public, editorial snafus and shenanigans BY M.R. JOSSE For the past two weeks, reference has been made in these columns to the fierce "war" between the Himalayan Times (and the Annapurna Post) and the "Nepal Media Society" (NMS), stoked, ostensibly by a price competition. DIRTY LINEN Predictably, matters have gotten worse between the two groups over the past week as they began to wash their dirty linen in public. Thus, while the NMS group arranged for the "cremation" of the THT/AP at Pashupathnath, the latter have come charging that Kantipur Publications, which it says is at the vanguard of the NMS campaign, has engaged in hanky panky particularly in the matter of acquiring a TV broadcast license (courtesy financial shenanigans of a NC minister). Both sides, too, have - apparently - secured considerable support from captive "fans" - guys and gals who fondly believe that all the dirty linen being washed in public is merely the unsavoury side of an innocent sales war. One wholeheartedly agrees that the mere publication of a news item reporting some obscure Indian scholar's ludicrous claim that the Buddha was born in India does not make the "offending" journal anti-patriotic. However, in my view, the more pertinent - and, thus far, unexplained - question is the key issue of its alleged illegal foreign funding, including the actual identity of its main investor(s). One therefore hopes that these critical questions are answered to everyone's satisfaction, sooner rather than later. The government also needs to come clean, especially in the matter of probing how, and why, such investment was permitted in the very first place! The fact that all this happened during the good old days of democratic NC rule (now leading the five party agitation against "regression", remember?) should, me thinks, make the task relatively easy. Yet, given the present prime minister's allegedly close ties with the powers that be south of the border, I doubt it very much if that will happen. Don't you? Of course, I would love to be proved wrong. For the sake of "transparency" - a word on everyone's lips these days - may one also know how many foreign/Indian nationals are on the staff of the concerned dailies, and in what capacities, including the editorial? ONE SIDED That apart, one feature of the battle of the media moguls has grabbed me. It is the welcome revival of the old, old issue of Nepali journals not being allowed access into Indian markets. Indeed, I still recall that when I was editing TRN - happily outside the pale of the current, no-holds-barred newspaper war - no effort on our part to sell TRN and the Gorkhapatra, to begin with in Delhi, could succeed because of persistent objections of the Indian Customs. I see that the problem lingers, yes, even in the days of "globalisation" and the much-awaited dawn of a SAFTA paradise. It is curious that while it is virtually impossible to get hold of a single copy of an Indian newspaper in Colombo, Yangoon, Dhaka or Islamabad, there is a flood of them there in never-colonised Nepal. I don't need to remind the readers of this column that those capitals cover territories that, once, were an integral part of the British Raj. The unwelcome conclusion that one must inevitably draw from the above is that Nepal is now more of an integral component of India than those entities which formed part of India not too long ago! I wonder if politicians leading the barren "anti-regression" drive have any time to mull over the strategic significance of the one-way flood of information into Nepal from India. Or, of the grim long term harm that the relentless proliferation of more and more "Nepali media" outfits operating from India will have on this poor country presently buffeted by gales blowing from all sides. For politicos, of course, the main "kissa" (case) would seem to be to occupy the "kursi" (or chair) by hook or by crook. |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 06:11 PM
No one here is saying that NMS is khattam and THT is saint. The issue is NOT as black and white as that. What I am saying is this: NMS's instigation of violence a la Ritik Roshan-style and its wearing the nationalist flag at this stage in the game and its own outstanding private commercial interests . . all of these have robbed it of any credibility to make the claims that it is making TWO years after THT was founded and soon after it started to feel heat of newspaper price wars. It's NOT the readers who are complaining about FDI in print media, and cancelling their subscriptions en masse. Nor is it the advertisers. It's only a handful of owners of other newspapers who call themselves Nepal Media Society. If anything, hese guys should push to make the Gorkhapatra Corporation fall into private hands so that the government's resources are free to be spent on education and health. That's all. THT started publication more than two years ago. THT and Annapurna Post are ONLY two of 16 daily broadsheet options available to Nepali readers. So, it's not like Nepali readers have no choice in reading materials. THT and AP employ, from what I understand, more than 300 Nepalis all over Nepal. MRJ's "one-way flow of information" does NOT apply in this age of the Internet and with 16 other daily newspapers to choose frm in Nepal. Both Himal and Nepal magazines, for instance, are sold in India. Besides there are global vendors now who can sell any daily newspaper anywhere by printing out copies for sale. Penguin India, the publisher, is actively looking for Nepali writing talents whose book could be published in India, just like they did with Manjushree Thapa's book. Moreover, this sort of issues should be brought forth in South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) meetings so that Nepali newspapers/magazines/books can be sold all the more in India, for such selling is in Nepal's interests too. One parallel example: Surya Nepal is a subsidiary of Indian giant ITC. In Nepal, it's under Soaltee Group. Surya Nepal is into garment business. With superior technology, superior management systems and superior distribution systems, Surya Nepal is doing roaring business in India and Nepal. Meantime, other Nepali-owned garment businesses in Nepal are not doing so well -- and they are running around asking for all kinds of benefits and privileges, and eve then these guys cannot get their act together. It's time for these guys to either go bankrupt or sell their unprofitable businesses to others. So far, NOT a single garment business owner has started a protest rally against Surya Nepal. That's how it works in other business sectors. It's only the print guys who think that they are so valuable for national interests" that they should be above the law of market-based competition. Well, guess what: They are not, and they shouldn't be. If THT folds tomorrow because of market-based competition, no sweat. No big deal. Likewise, if Kantipur too folds tomorrow, again, because of market-based competition, no big deal. There will be others to take their places. Like I said, readers and advertisers are NOT complaiining about lower prices and lower advertsing rates. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 09:56 PM
What follows was published in today's The Nepali Times. Media is the message by Ashutosh Tiwari Much can happen in two weeks. The Saturday after my last piece covered the beginning of of the newspaper war, The Himalayan Times (THT) responded to The Kathmandu Post’s price-cuts, and reduced its price by 50 per cent to rupee one per copy. This marked a further victory for readers and advertisers of both newspapers. But THT’s move turned out to be the last straw for Nepal Media Society (NMS), a trade group of private-sector Nepali-owned newspaper publishers, and it swung into action. Not in a competitive, business-like way, but with a raw, crude, emotionally-laced cry-baby mantra of nationalism. Through full-page ads, it attempted to turn people against THT and its sister publication The Annapurna Post (TAP) about a wire service news item that THT had published last November about the proceedings of a conference in India. A few days later, it changed its tactics and started to assert that foreigners (translation: Indians) should not be allowed to invest in the “sensitive” Nepali print-media. That doing so would pose a threat to Nepal’s sovereignty, and, as the TKP editor Prateek Pradhan (who earned a degree in journalism in New York) put it, would lead to “Sikkimisation of Nepal”. Before 1991, there were only two broadsheet dailies – Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal – and the state ran them as it still does. Now there are more than 12 broadsheets, all run by private money that has been invested to attract talented journalists, to upgrade printing technologies, and to market and distribute the newspapers. Good Nepali journalists today enjoy greater job mobility. Readers also have a wider choice and advertisers have a pick. Newspapers have competed with one another and with other forms of media for subscribers’ fees and advertising rupees, and most have done well. Indeed, the Nepali print media sector is growing like any other commercially driven industry. All these are positive achievements that should help build the self-confidence of those who run newspapers in Nepal. Against this backdrop, the argument that print-media sector is too “sensitive for national interests” to allow foreigners to put their money in is merely a convenient piece of fiction. It is propped up to safeguard the narrow interests of the NMS byaparis, who, doubting their own abilities, worry that foreigners might just run newspapers better and give better value to readers and advertisers, thereby decreasing their share of the advertisement pie. Since they cannot share this worry publicly, they have to have it wear the daura suruwal of nationalism. Nice trick, but print media is no more sensitive to national interests than, say, building hydropower dams or running trainings of Nepali journalists that too are paid for by foreign funds. Saying that allowing foreign investment in print-media is detrimental to Nepal’s sovereignty is an insult to the intelligence of Nepali readers. It also misleads others as to how the ad market works. As Pratyoush Onta argued in this paper two years ago, no commercially-run newspaper, no matter how funded, can hope do well in any market by offending local sensibilities. In other words, the logic of the ad market acts as an in-built deterrent against any newspaper from issuing outrageous claims. That means, if anything, both THT and TAP have no choice but to be more Nepali than other newspapers. Meantime we can rest assured that just as Nepali society’s ijjat does not depend up on what Miss Nepal wears, Nepal’s sovereignty too does not depend what the what the owners of private-sector newspapers say to protect their own interests. Finally, as for the argument allowing foreigners run print-media would lead to the “Sikkimisation of Nepal”, well, all one can say that the TKP editor has too little faith in his own compatriots to make decisions for themselves. THE END |
| karmapa | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 10:58 PM
Why Nepal concedes so much to foreigners [not just India] even when it is not reciprocated is one thing I do not get at all. MR Josse's article illustrates this non-reciprocal nature of bilateral relationship somewhat. If we are not to rely on our nationalistic past glories [as somebody wrote in this forum] but strive to gain new confidence, well playing "please 'em BIG BROTHERS" for whatever short-term monetary or political gains (or for those dinner invitations to various foreign embassies right here in Kathmandu) is surely not the way to go. Not only the government officials, business reps, development merchants, and media professionals of Nepali nationality who play this game lose what little morsel of respect they have in the first place, what's even worse is they lose it for all Nepalese as well. The schizophrenia gripping Nepal that Pratyoush Onta mentioned stems in part from the fact that we are those proverbial fish having to live in the turbulent, ever-churning, muddy waters through all four seasons. When Binod Bhattarai notes that Nepali law is silent on the issue of FDI in media, he is referring to that 'backdoor' through which the government sneaks in FDI in media. It is high time there was a formulation or reexamination of national policy framework governing FDI in Nepal, esp. in the so-called 'sensitive' sectors. Enter THT / Annapurna Post seeking to 'fish in the muddy waters.' And why not? The regulatory regime that laxmankaka mentioned in this forum is not there! Well at least they are a smart business enterprise backed by enough financial muscle to engage in price war for long enough for want of the greater market share. They have calculated the political / economic risks, in short are prepared for all eventualities. On the surface looks to me like predatory pricing or even 'dumping' masquerading as competition to me. Who knows the reality. Either driving out other papers out of business or capturing the market share may be their classic strategy. Why the regulatory regime is necessary is it can pinpoint sectors where FDI is actively encouraged, and sectors where not; it can ensure that positive development effects of FDI are maximized, while negative ones are minimized and are in line with the objectives of the national plan. It will make life easier for both the players, the umpire, and the aggrieved. Unlike laxmankaka, I do not for once believe that Ashu is advocating 101% laissez faire pro-market approach here. He is too focussed on the STRICTLy BUSINESS aspect of the issue - well Sajha forum is the incubator for the column he writes. Nothing wrong in that. I, however, leave it to Mr. Rakesh Wadhwa, a columnist for THT, to parrot the hackneyed 'laissez faire' line, which, in his case, may be conveniently dismissed as 'casino economics' (yes pun intended). |
| Suman Pradhan | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 11:08 PM
After reading M R Josse's piece, I'm inclined to think that he is more interested in discrediting the democracy years than analyzing the fighting between THT and TKP. That isn't surprising. Agree with him or not, his columns are provocative, as this one clearly is. Mr Josse should remember that the democracy years have given us a choice, as Ashu says, of 16 broadsheet dailies. No amount of harking back to the "good old days of single-paper The Rising Nepal" makes that fact any less important. On another note, Ashu mentions in his Nep Times column that "Good Nepali journalists today enjoy greater job mobility". FYI, curtailing journalists' job mobility is one of the Nepal Media Society's chief aims. Not many know that the NMS wants each journalist who quits a NMS-affliated paper to get a "no objection certificate" from their erstwhile employers before he/she can join another NMS newspaper. Good luck to good journalists. cheers Suman |
| Biswo | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 11:32 PM
>FYI, curtailing journalists' job mobility is one > of the Nepal Media Society's chief aims. Not >many know that the NMS wants each >journalist who quits a NMS-affliated paper >to get a "no objection certificate" from their > erstwhile employers before he/she can join >another NMS newspaper. Good luck to good >journalists. Now, that sucks. I didn't know this. Tks Sumanji for bringing this out. In a related note, MR Josse, can't believe this guy is still in The Rising Nepal Monopoly era. When he got DV and came to NY, I really hoped he would get some decent job here. Unfortunately, he didn't get a job here, and went back to Nepal to chant his panchayati-style nationalist mantra. Another player here, if I understand correctly, is Pushkar Lal Shrestha of Kamana. There was a time when he launched a campaign against Udit Narayan because the singer wouldnot respect Mr Shrestha enough. He has expertise in using nationalist issue to further his business and to use nationalism as a weapon in his personal vendetta. I do have some reservation about the extent of foreign investment to be allowed in Nepal. However, the story here is quite different as anyone could see. Ashu, nice piece in The Nepali Times. |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Feb-04 11:59 PM
Karmapa wrote: "I do not for once believe that Ashu is advocating 101% laissez faire pro-market approach here." Thank you. That's the truth. I am well aware that markets too have their own limits, and that there can be cases of market failures too, which require government intervention. But this is not one of those cases. That's why, the point is NOT to be a market fundamentalist in a "mero go roo ko. baa.rai takka" manner. The point is to argue that, all things being equal, markets do tend to work a lot BETTER for the benefits of Nepali consumers when there are competitions and choices, backed by an appropriate regulatory framework. And print-media -- no matter what Nepal Media Society says -- is just another garden-variety industry, nothing more. If Nepali businesses can compete and cooperate with one another to expand the markets of their goods and services, then, the next step for them is to compete and cooperate with foreign investors to expand the markets of their goods and services all the more. If that leads to mergers and consolidation within the Nepali media industry and makes the whole sector more efficient, well, so much the better. In business, NO ONE is guaranteed captive markets forever. ***** There is also a different reason for arguing for more foreign investment in Nepal in ALL sectors. Let me explain my reasoning, and see if this makes sense. As things stand in Nepal, a big chunk of wealth in this country here is in the hands of a few elites who number -- in my informal estimate -- no more than 200 families or so. In the absence of FDI, what we will have is basically these families shuffling wealth from their hands to their relatives and then back again and again. The rest of the Nepalis will rarely get a slice of that wealth. How long are we to continue this charade? Now, what FDI does is bring additional wealth to Nepal, and other Nepali professionals -- with no family ties to the elites -- can have an opportunity to shine on their own as pukka professionals. FDI thus has a greater chance of opening additional avenues for professional upward mobility of non-elites in Nepal, and that, I would say, is a very good thing. Meantime, anthropologically speaking, is it any wonder that MOST competent so-called 'janjati' professionals are found in foreign-run/joint-venture businesses or INGOs in Nepal so they can shine on their own? In other words, even if you are some Mr. Tamang with a Harvard MBA, chances of your cracking the elite power structure in Kathmandu are virtually nil. But you can very well run, say, Deloitte's or BCG's Nepal office -- using the prestige of your office to scale up your bargaining power in Nepal, something you'll never have working for Nepali-elite-run businesses. *** Finally, foreign investment in Nepali banking, for instance, has resulted in better and diverse services for consumers and has meant more jobs for Nepal. People with no ties to the elites can now get loans from banks. Foreign investment in Nepali ad agencies too has resulted in Nepali copy-writers and Nepali designers being better and more sought after in South Asia. Why can't the same also apply for FDI in print media? oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Spark | Posted
on 06-Feb-04 01:45 AM
ashu, are you satisfied with what you wrote? i'm tired today, but will comment later. guys, carry on the discussion. |
| ashu | Posted
on 06-Feb-04 01:52 AM
Suman Pradhan writes, "FYI, curtailing journalists' job mobility is one of the Nepal Media Society's chief aims. Not many know that the NMS wants each journalist who quits a NMS-affliated paper to get a "no objection certificate" from their erstwhile employers before he/she can join another NMS newspaper." Thank you Suman for this not-known-to-the-public information. I did not know this. I agree with Biswo. This culture of "no objection letter" underscores all the more how insecure NMS members are. Stooping low all the more, today's The Kathmandu Post -- the mouthpiece of the Nepal Media Society -- reports that another cartel -- Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs' Federation -- has said that its buses "would stop carrying the foreign investment-funded newspapers in eight zones east to Narayani in the first phase of the movement [against THT and The Annapurna Post.]" One would think that for the bus owners, transporting stacks of private-sector newspapers around would help increase their freight revenues. But not when buses are run by a cartel that puts its own interests above its consumers!! oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| spark | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 02:21 AM
Ashu, The latest article is like ungroomed hair or hatar hatar ma layeko sadi jasto. That's why i asked if you were complacent with it. I earlier asked you to retest writing in the same fashion as THT did, but you smartly even didn't mention Budda's B in the latest article. Were you feared of nepali times sharing same fate as THT? Like 'dubna lageko manchhe lai paral ko tyandra pani sahara hunchha', you tried to make the article strong citing Pratush Onta. Is Onta a charismatic leader or veteran expert with wide experience in investment, business, politics? In the other hand, you were trying to expose Prateek Pradhan as much as possible. Was it necessary to say him a person trained in Journalism in New Youk? Isn't saying TKP editor enough? And, trainings of Nepali journalists that too are paid for by foreign funds is not same as FDI in media. The former one is developmental aid, and later one is FDI which involves more than 10% investment by foreign firms. You repeatedely insulted the nationalistic feeling of common people by saying "cry baby mantra of nationalism" or making an offense against daura surwal. Don't you see Federation of Nepali Journalist also voicing for banning FDI in media? You are also insulting any business oriented people by labeling as 'byapari'. "Byapari" is definitely dignified status than "chamcha giri". If you are in business related profession, you should not attempt to reflect the term an inferior one. Talents have greater job mobility not only in journalism, but in other areas as well. Further, FDI in media is not necessary as it is not a multibillion rupee venture. There are plenty of financial institutions in Nepal who are ready to finance when a project is a feasible one. The competitive aspect of a business by price wars is not unsual one. What is surprising to you? I quite really donree with sikkim issue as we are not in sikkim era. |
| Spark | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 02:24 AM
donree= dont agree |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 02:58 AM
Spark, The other Nepali Times columnists C K Lal, Yuva Raj Ghimire and Daniel Lak all wrote about this media episode either as the main topic or in passing. Please read them all. There was no need for me to try to cover ALL the angles of the debate in the space allotted to my column. My point is simple: Readers and advertisers are NOT complaining about lower prices, better value and more choices. As for Prateek, there was and is NO need for me to expose him. But, by now, if you put his by-lined Rassendra Bhattarai-the billionaire" story of last Fall and his surprisingly active participation in this campaign against his rival newspaper, you'll see that he's been exposed enough through his own actions for his peers from diverse fields to make good or bad judgements about his editorial independence. At least, I don't see Narayan Wagle, the editor of Kantipur, doing his publishers' bidding . . . a bit too eagerly, for all to see and comment on. In journalism, as in business consulting, you are only as good as your last assignment. Other than that, please write up your disagreements as a letter and send it off to the editor at The Nepali Times. oohi "Love Nepal, but dislike the raw, crude and infantile Nepali nationalism which, in the hands of protection-seeking byaparsi, ends up being a cover for xenophobia, mediocrity and unexamined cultural superiority" ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 02:59 AM
Spark, The other Nepali Times columnists C K Lal, Yuva Raj Ghimire and Daniel Lak all wrote about this media episode either as the main topic or in passing. Please read them all. There was no need for me to try to cover ALL the angles of the debate in the space allotted to my column. My point is simple: Readers and advertisers are NOT complaining about lower prices, better value and more choices. As for Prateek, there was and is NO need for me to expose him. But, by now, if you put his by-lined Rassendra Bhattarai-the billionaire" story of last Fall and his surprisingly active participation in this campaign against his rival newspaper, you'll see that he's been exposed enough through his own actions for his peers from diverse fields to make good or bad judgements about his editorial independence. At least, I don't see Narayan Wagle, the editor of Kantipur, doing his publishers' bidding . . . a bit too eagerly, for all to see and comment on. In journalism, as in business consulting, you are only as good as your last assignment. Other than that, please write up your disagreements as a letter and send it off to the editor at The Nepali Times. oohi "Love Nepal, but dislike the raw, crude and infantile Nepali nationalism which, in the hands of protection-seeking byaparsi, ends up being a cover for xenophobia, mediocrity and unexamined cultural superiority" ashu ktm,nepal |
| Spark | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 03:32 AM
Ashu, they are not available online yet. I commented on yours based on your posting here. No wonder how you all are teaming up against the tkp and nationalism. The only mistake I can see with Pratik about Rasendra news was that he didn't verify what he gathered from that thug. Probably Prateek was too sojho in believing his verse, and might be some arrogant or shy for a self-critism or khandan. However, his intention was to highlight a successful Nepali overseas at the moment he received the news. Hope he has learnt from his mistake. If Pratik had a history of deception, why management would have promoted in so much responsible position? |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 08:27 AM
Spark, FYI, people are NOT "teaming up against the tkp and nationalism." If anything, it's that cartel - Nepal Media Society -- that tried to incite mob violence against the two rival newspapers, and thankfully, has failed. If Nepal Media Society has a problem with The Himalayan Times (THT) and The Annapurna Post (TAP), then the COURTS OF LAW are where it should be heading to, NOT to the streets by burning a business rival's newspapers. Even Surya Bahadur Thapa has accused NMS of trying to incite a Ritk Roshan-like Kanda. Besides, commercially, who stands to gain the most if THT and TAP are to be shut down tomorrow?Not the Nepali readers who will continue to pay high prices. But the Nepal Media Society, that cartel of newspaper publishers who will huddle around and fix prices so that they can earn a lot of money (and still pay peanuts to their reporters) at subscribers' and advertisers' expense. As it is, as per the information on Sajha, NMS already restricts the job mobility of journalists. More power in the hands of this cartel will NOT serve any sensible reader's idea of nationalism. Besides, as far as I am concerned, this "I am more nationalist than you are or if you do not believe in so and so, then you are not for nationalism" type of mentality belongs to the Panchayat era. And so, if arguing for freer competition in the print-media and if arguing for more FDI (even from non-resident Nepalis) in print-media makes me an "anti-national", so be it. As for Prateek, I have NOTHING personal against him. He's a nice guy, but his recent PUBLIC actions as a professional (i.e. as an editor) has made me -- a reader -- wonder whether he has a (New York-trained) mind of his own that can operate DESPITE the inevitable institutional constraints that most Nepali editors face or whether he is merely a corporate pawn at Kantipur Publications. Finally, Spark, since you said that you are jst a "firante" and NOT affiliated with any newspaper (and I believe you), don't you just love -- as a reader -- the fact that BOTH TKP and THT are so 'sasto' now? Three cheers, indeed, for market-based competition!! And if tomorrow, another weekly newspaper --whether foreign-backed or Nepali-backed -- comes and challenges the dominance of The Nepali Times in a certian niche, I'll be -- as a reader -- cheering for that competition too. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 08:50 AM
Spark, I am sure you know what a cartel is. If you are confused, allow me to refresh your memory. Please read what is below, and see if this applies to your "nationalist" NMS byaparis. Also see, whether the actions of cartels exapnd the choices for your average readers and advertisers. What follows is taken from: http://www.oft.gov.uk/Business/Cartels/what+is+a+cartel.htm ***** Cartels - what is a cartel? In its simplest terms, a cartel is an agreement between businesses not to compete with each other. The agreement is usually secret, verbal and often informal. Typically, cartel members may agree on: prices output levels discounts credit terms which customers they will supply which areas they will supply who should win a contract (bid rigging). Each of the above types of cartel is prohibited by the Competition Act [in the UK]. The Enterprise Act makes it a criminal offence for individuals to dishonestly take part in certain specified cartels, essentially those that involve price fixing, market sharing, limitation of production or supply or bid rigging. Cartels can occur in almost any industry and can involve goods or services at the manufacturing, distribution or retail level. Some sectors are more susceptible to cartels than others because of the structure or the way in which they operate. For example, where: there are few competitors the products have similar characteristics, leaving little scope for competition on quality or service communication channels between competitors are already established the industry is suffering from excess capacity or there is general recession. |
| Spark | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 04:50 PM
ashu, i can't trade my sense of nationalism with a piece of bread. Thanks for enlightning me about cartel. THT or TKP may be sasto for you or me but may not be so for many who had to spare scarce rupee to afford one. Good that both these news papers were able to afford slicing price. However, bad propoganda or sasto kurakani in published media can be as lethal as WMD from nationalism perspective. |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Feb-04 05:43 PM
Spark: You are entitled to your more-than-bread nationalism, and that' fine. But let's get this basic fact straight THT ONLY reported what had happened in a conference in India. It was the NMS cartel members who, more than two months later and in the heat of price wars, turned the content of that THT report into a nationalism-laced propaganda piece aimed at inciting mob violence. Other than that, let's continue to enjoy reading our Rs. 1.50-wallah TKP and Re. 1.00-wallah THT. If lower prices break the back of either newspaper, well, no problem. In the dynamism of marketplace, there will be others to take their places, and life will go on. Still, having failed to shut down THT and TAP so far, and tired of losing money, the NMS byaparis next business strategy could be to go for a truce and bring THT and TAP into its fold, and then collude to raise prices of ALL participating broadsheet dailies. Nepal, alas, does not have anti-trust regulations in place -- a fact that NMS, nationalism be damned, can exploit to its commercial advantage. And so, this whole thing is NOT about nationalism, which is just a convenient cover. It's about minting money, making money and earning money . . . all at consumers' expense. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| dada | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 06:49 AM
HOW ABOUT NRN'S WANTING TO MAKE A SPLASH IN NEPAL INVEST IN A HIGH QUALITY (IN PRINT AND CONTENT)AND NATIONALISTIC PAPER IN NEPAL AND CHASE ALL THE b****ES OUT OF HOME. SOUND FAR FETCHED? I THINK NOT. I THINK THE THOUSANDS OF NRN'S WITH THE BRAINS AND THE DOUGH SHOULD SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT IT. 100% NEPALIS RUNNING A 100% HI-QUALITY DAILY. 0% CONTROVERSIES. 101% SATISFACTION. THE KATHMANDU TIMES and THE HIMALAYAN POST. 50 PAISA PER COPY. FOR NEPALIS, BY NEPALIS. JAYA NEPAL! |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 07:14 AM
Good to see good discussions on Sajha. I think Sajha is getting its spirit back. Although, i am not a Sajha regular these days, I think I still retain my rights as guaranted by the Sajha constituiton to post my views every now and then. Anyways, without getting into all this and that, let me write down what I think on this whole Himalayan Times vs. TKP issue: I think that both ashu dai and Spark have made some good points re: this issue. Spark builds his argument on nationalism and how/why it is important. Ashu dai looks at this all from a business perspective. Yeah, from the POV of a nationalist, what Spark says makes a lot of sense. And what ashu dai says, makes a lot of sense if we analyze the issue from a more market-oriented perspective. Now, this is what I think (not that what I think matters a lot) : Yes, nationalism, as Spark says, is very important. But what is nationalism? As Benjamin Barber sees it, it is a force that can create and destroy nations these days. Its a very hard question to answer. If we become defensive of our nationalism all the time, we should be banning Coca Cola, Sony and everything that's un-nepali. However we don't do that. The fact is: Even to promote nationalism, we are dependent on things that are not necessarily defined by any national boundries. For example, here we are promoting Nepali nationalism on a board that is based in Boston, using our China/Japan/Korea made computers, drinking tea/coffee/coca cola! So there is no independence as the nationalists would like to see. We live in this complex web of interdependence and in there we constantly defend our nationalism! This is the reality of the new millennium. Now, the question is: How far can we go to defend our nationalism in this context? Does it even make sense to defend nationalism/national identity/national inetrests (if there are any in this seemingly international world that we live in?) This is ashu dai's argument, if I understood his posts correctly. My answer to this is: Yes, we can use the power of nationalism wisely to defend our identity. Yes, we certainly can. But again, nationalism can make or break nations. It is a powerful force and needs to be used wisely. For a moment let's try a different, less-militant version of nationalism that Spark seems to be fascinated with (and to certain extent, I myself am advocate of this "imagined community" brand nationalism). Even in this context of globalziation and interdependence, we still are Nepalis, Indians, Chinese, American, Armenian, Egyptians and so on. So, the very idea of "nation states" is still there. Then when the very idea of Nation state is there, there's got to be some national interests/concerns/goals that unites the people living in different corners of any given nation state. And when that interests/concerns/goals which are the foundation of the nation state is shaken, people react, and react violently for the most part. Despite the fact that nation states are interdependent on the outside world and its creations, they still retain certain characteristic features that distinguish themselves from the others, although vaguely in many cases. This is Spark's argument( if I undrestood him correctly. Please feel free to correct me) and I agree with it completley and wholeheartedly. |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 07:21 AM
Yes, nationalism, as Spark says, is very important. And ashu dai asks what is nationalism and how we define it in his posts and column. |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 07:55 AM
To continue with the post: Should we allow foreigners to invest in newspapers in Nepal? I honestly believe that we shouldn't. As somebody already noted in this long discussion thread (was it SuvaChintak dai?) that the media shapes your thinking. In the long run it creates a brand loyalty and the loyal readers will believe in whatever the newspaper publishes. For example, I read and believe everything that gets published on Time. Tomorrow, if Time publishes a story saying that Elvis is still alive, citing its own confidential and not so confidential sources, my first instict would be to believe it, since its published on the only magazine that I read. Ditto can happen to unsuspecting Nepalis who read the Himalayan Times. Since its cheap and has many loyal readers and has a significant foreign investment and that foreign country which is investing is still seen as a hostile force in Nepal, The Himalayan Times can serve as a tool to promote its foreign sponsers' propaganda. We shouldn't forget the medieval European history. Many new nations emerged because of the printing technology. When the people started reading The Bible in their own languages, they said, well, why not have our own countries. This is why I say, the media still remains one of the most powerful force to promote nationalism and that nationalism can make or break nations. And as I made myself clear on the previous post, as a Nepali before anything else, I agree with spark. I think these are precisely his concerns too, hoina? anwyays, ashu dai, disagreement gareko! (Nothing personal. I know you know it because we have disagreed on this issue a lot in the past without letting our web disagreements barr us from meeting for beer/coffee and lunches.) |
| ashu | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 09:43 AM
Isolated Freak wrote: "the media shapes your thinking" Yes, but only under one condition. That is, when there are NO choices, when Nepal has, say, ONLY Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal and the Radio Nepal as was the case in the days of Panchayat . .. an era that is so fondly recalled by the likes of Mana Ranjan Josses. The reality NOW is that in terms of newspapers, we have a PLETHORA of choices (16 broadsheet dailies, not to mention many weeklies, monthlies and so on!!) when it comes to getting DIVERSE news, views and opinions. The challenge of our "democracy" is to make sure that people have ACCESS to all sorts of viewpoints so that in the marketplace of ideas they can weigh for themselves how much is each of that viewpoint is worth. And so, the point is NOT to have some authority figure or some profit-oriented cartel such as NMS SITTING THERE AND DECIDING for the rest of us what news is nationalistic and what is not. Viewed this way, THT and TAP -- which have Nepali promoters too -- are ONLY two of 16 choices available to Nepali consumers of broadsheet dailies. That's why,in this era of choices, it's a little too farfetched to say that THT and TAP ALONE shape our collective thinking. They don't. ********* Isolated freak wrote: "Ditto can happen to unsuspecting Nepalis who read the Himalayan Times." This whole idea of 'unsuspecting Nepalis' smacks of a patronizing attitude. In other words, what one is saying is that I am smart enough to know what's garbage and what's not, but unsuspecting idiots out there may believe everything they read in THT. And it's for the sake of these unsuspecting idiots that we shoukd not allow FDI in print media. My point: Let us learn to have MORE FAITH in the judgment our fellow-Nepalis. Yes, some indeed may believe everything they read in a newspaper -- be it THT or TKP or the Nepali Times or whatever else. But all are NOT so stupid all the time. And those who read THT have an ACCESS to other newspapers too to check/recheck and question their views. In other words, when there are choices in the marketplace of ideas, extreme views, if any, tend to get challenged, and, at the end, it all balances out all right. And the bell curve fits in quite well -- with most middle-of-the-road opinions clustered in the middle -- when there is a DIVERSITY of ideas and opinions in the newspapers. To say that FDI-supported newspapers in Nepal are detrimental to our national interests is to have no faith in one's own sense of nationalism and to have no faith in one's fellow-Nepalis. EXAMPLE: When MTV came to India, people worried abut India losing its culture. Now, if you watch MTV India, it's completely Indianized. Indian bands, Indian pop music, Indian creative artists, Bollywood movies . . . these are the things promoted, as per the dictates of the market, by MTV in India. And audio-visual is suposed to have a stronger impact on the audience than printed newspapers!! What happened? No FDI-supported media outlet can hope to make money -- its primary motive, the same as that of native private-sector media outlets -- in any market by offending the sensibilities of the local population. What is TRULY dangerous for nationalism and democracy is when media outlets THINK ALIKE (as they do when ordered by their cartel) on all issues. It's in the public interrest to keep them in tight competition with one another, and FDI is a tool to sharpen the pace of that competition. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 10:22 AM
Hmmm... ashu dai, great counter points. Before I bid adeu to this thread and attend my other commitments on hand, let me leave with some counter points (not for the sake of discussion or anything but for teh sake of sheer reading pleasure. :-) : Yes, the MTV example is a very powerful one. I agree. There are more Indians singing Indian Rock and POP on MTV India but can we say what they are singing is a part of Indian Culture? [we can say, yeah they belong to the new sub-culture within the culture, but that would make it a more anthropology thraead] MTV and McDonalds not only promote Music and the concept of fast food, they also export with them certin values. With those values embedded in the society, it becomes more easier for the country/culture exporting those values to change the social/political culture of the reciving nation, hoina? And precisely here, and precisely because of this, people start becoming more aware of nationalism. They find a voice in Music or movies or print media to express their vocies/concerns. I mean, its all good as long as it is used, but people soon abuse it. Fundamentalists/Interested Parties can promote Nationalism/Propoganda/Hatred through MTV . That's why the Maoists in Nepal have songs. Promote nationalism through songs. In the case with the Maoists , they are more direct. In the case with MTV, they are less direct. But both --the maoists and MTV- are promiting a lifestyle, that are aimed at changing the social or political values through the music of freedom! Although, it might not seem like it, this is waht is happening. So, The Maoits Radio Station in Rolpa, The Neo Nazis FM Stations and Recording studios in Germany or MTV, they all are a powerful tool to spread the mesasge of love, hatred, revolution, communism, nationalism.. you name it. |
| ashu | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 06:01 PM
Isolated freak wrote: "But both --the maoists and MTV- are promiting a lifestyle, that are aimed at changing the social or political values through the music of freedom!" Iso, The opererative word here is: Choices. MTV, for better or worse, exists in a world that has CHOICES. You can choose to NOT watch MTV, and no one will force you to watch it. MTV thus has to constantly compete with others for your attention. And to get your attention, it has to appeal to your taste, even if it means 'localising' itself. Nepali Maoist songs, however, exist in a world where there are NO choices or where other choices have been destroyed/suppressed or whatever . . . all i the name of some revolution. Giving people choices in anything so that they can make up their own mind goes against the very practice of Nepali-style Maoism. The Maoists "KNOW" just what is "good" for Nepal, and they don't want to know anything more. That's because, as Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska memorably put in her Nobel lecture in 1996, when talking about torturers, dictators, fanatics, and demagogues : "They know, and whatever they know is enough for them once and for all. They don't want to find out about anything else, since that might diminish their arguments' force. And any knowledge that doesn't lead to new questions quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature required for sustaining life. In the most extreme cases, cases well known from ancient and modern history, it even poses a lethal threat to society." oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| dada | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 06:15 PM
ANY NRN's UP FOR IT?...ANYONE? |
| spark | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 06:31 PM
Gleaned CK Lal, Dainik Lal, and Yuba Lal's articles including Ashu Lal, but shunningly all orchestrated one. |
| spark | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 08:01 PM
FNJ president flays govt. inaction against THT, AP KOL Report KATHMANDU, Feb 10 - Taranath Dahal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) claimed that the Asia Pacific Communication Associates (APCA), an Indian company, has been investing in The Himalayan Times (THT) and Annapurna Post (AP) in the guise of income received from its advertisements. “Advertisement has been shown as the income source of both the dailies,” Dahal said, adding, “How is it possible to earn such a hefty amount just from advertisements?” Speaking at an interaction programme organised by an organisation of young journalists in the capital Monday, Dahal said the foreign investment in media initiated unhealthy competition in journalism. He also claimed that there should be a legal procedure to fix advertisement rates. “A weekly newspaper costs Rs 8, how can a daily sell for Re 1? How can this be termed a healthy competition?” Dahal said. Expressing utter surprise over the Government’s failure to initiate any action even after foreign investment was clearly exposed in the THT and AP, Dahal said the Government seemed to have had no policy in this regard. He informed that the Government’s investigation team also has hinted at foreign investment in THT and AP. “But why doesn’t the Government formulate a policy in this regard,” Dahal said, adding, “Each of the investments made in media should be transparent.” Meanwhile, the Press Council is initiating discussion on foreign investment in media from Tuesday.(snn) |
| ashu | Posted
on 09-Feb-04 10:12 PM
Spark wrote: "Gleaned CK Lal, Dainik Lal, and Yuba Lal's articles including Ashu Lal, but shunningly all orchestrated one." Spark, feel free to think whatever you think, and that's fine. I would find the act of column-writing to be a boring entreprise if everyone agreed with my views. BTW, not that it matters, I am beginning to suspect that you work for Kantipur Publications, and that your initials are DW. If it's not, no sweat. A lot of otherwise reasonsble Nepalis in Nepal get this "FDI-in print media" wrong, and you are no exception, and that's fine. As for Taran Nath Dahal and the rest, of course, what else could these people say anyway? Who's next for TKP to prop up? Manju Ratna Shakya? BTW, did you watch the debate last night on Vijay Kumar's TV program "Disha Nirdesh"? Watch it on the Web for further education. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Spark | Posted
on 10-Feb-04 12:36 AM
Ashu, let's put this way. How about everyone were made agree to write in line with your views by invisible hands? I don't have to tell you who the chorus master is. Well i was quite visilent on dishanirdesh too. You could easily see the representation of how many rastabadi there just by counting the heads of those wearing nepali dhaka topi. It happened to be 50% of the people were there associated to Nepali Times. I was expecting at least FNJ president was in the Bijaya's interviewee list. But, one think journalist and media is claimed or believed to be as "samaj ko chauto anga". Therefore, foreign investment is not in the national interest. You can easily sensitize just by knowing why it is necessary for one to be borned in USA or India to be the president or prime minister of the respective countries? When a political coup happens in a country, the first thing they control is TV and Radio Stations. Therefore, banning FDI in media is well justified. WE just don't need it. |
| Spark | Posted
on 10-Feb-04 12:38 AM
Ashu, don't attempt to know who i am. Just a hint that we know each other well. |
| senor | Posted
on 10-Feb-04 03:14 AM
SO Sparks works for Kantipur and Ashu works for APCA is that it? Am I right or do they have some vested interest? Not that it matters. I'm just trying to see if I can read between the lines. |
| ashu | Posted
on 10-Feb-04 06:03 AM
Senor, I have written articles that have been published in The Kathmandu Post. I started what was called The Kathmandu Post Review of Books for the Kathmandu Post way back in 1996, even though I have NEVER been a staff there. But I have NEVER published a single article in The Himalayan Times so far, despite numerous requests from the top editors there. My point is this: The NMS cartel's recent tactics are so khattam and cheap and so anti-competition that they end up evoking sympathy for THT, even those, like myself, who do not take that paper seriously. Enough said. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| Lokman | Posted
on 11-Feb-04 11:17 PM
?? |
| Lokman | Posted
on 11-Feb-04 11:37 PM
I have been a regular reader of The Himalayan Times since it's inception more than two years ago and I have never found any of it's contents remotely anti-Nepal. The reason why I have been a regular reader is because it's good value for my money. Besides, it's news coverage and articles are objective and balanced. I used to read Kantipur many moons ago and I found myself irritated most of the time by it's patronizing attitude and it's tendency to assume that the readers are gullible and naive. I was so annoyed that I quit reading Kantipuraltogether and resorted to other means like the Internet for news and information.(Yep I would rather not read any newspaper than put up with all the crap) I make no bones of the fact that I am not a big fan of India. I am, like all the Nepalese, fiercely protective of my country and will never put up with foul play against my country by any forces domestic or interbnational. This is not an issue about patriotism or nationalism; it's about media rivalry. Under the cover of nationalism, yours ever truly Kantipur Publications (all people are dumb and gullible, remember?) has sadly managed to give it a nationalism twist by deploying all it's propaganda machines and conveniently associating it with the students movement. (yet another dumb trick) zzzzzzzzzzzzzz......... Unfortunately, even politicians seem to be trading along the lines of Kantipur and NMS lately, which suggests that maybe, THT isn't doing enought to quell all these malicious allegations. The rapid rise in the popularity of The Himalayan Times/Annapurna Post has shaken Kantipur publications to the roots, and has eaten into it's lofty profits. It's virtual monopoly in the print media is increasingly looking fragile. But hey, I do empathise with Kantipur Publications, as they say, desperate time calls for desperate measures, err.. sordid antics. |