| Username |
Post |
| ashu |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 08:59 AM
Dear friends
As you are all probably aware of, on 9 October 2002, Jana Astha, a weekly vernacular newspaper, published a lewd story and photograph about actress Shrisha Karki accusing her of prostitution. Three days later, Ms Karki committed suicide.
This incident has brought to light not only poor journalistic practices and a general lack of ethical standards in journalism, but also overall misogynistic attitudes in the media.
We feel that the authors of the article and the editor of Jana Astha, Kishor Shrestha, need to be held accountable for their deeds. This entails not only taking legal action, which we believe the Film Artists Assocation has done. In addition, several people from various organizations and walks of life, are meeting under the auspicies of the Mahila Dabab Samuha at Martin Chautari on Saturday, 19 October at 3pm.
We invite all who feel as outraged and repulsed at this article and its consequences to join in a brainstorming session in how to most effectively deal with this situation.
Please end your Dasai frivolity immediately and join us in action.
*************
On behalf of Martin Chautari here on sajha.com
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 09:06 AM
ashu,
i personally don't like martin chautari but this time i think i would come join the people who are against "yellow-journalism". tyo gadha editor lai fasi dinu parcha.
since we have been posting messags here on sajha, we should meet since we both are from the valley. is there any way to recognize you in the crowd?
a freak
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| ashu |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 09:21 AM
Oh, you'll recognize me, all right, especally at any Martin Chautari discussions :-)
I am famous or notorious (depending on who you ask!) for asking all kinds of
not-so-comfortable questons. :-)
Look out of the guy in brownish GAP pants and a "sadaa" sweatshirt.
Come with all your friends, and forward this to others too.
The idea behind this is: Something must be done to express outrage, and to make
sure that such a thing does NOT happen again.
The UNresolved questions are: What is to be done and how?
That's where your ideas and suggestions are URGENTLY needed.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| iXY |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 09:32 AM
Ashu and IF, do something to avoid the things repeat again. There should no 2nd victim.
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| Deep |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 10:45 AM
I want to extend my support against "peeta patrakarita". I wish I could attend the action. I read somewhere that the editor is being pursued.
Defame someone with false accusation is a serious matter. In this case the defamtion claimed a young lfe, it seems. The editor should be held responsible for Ms. karki's death, if he, in fact, was running a false report on her.
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| SITARA |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 11:20 AM
Ashu ji..
You might want to get together with Bandana Rana of Samcharika Samuha; an active group of female journalists. They have been instrumental in bringing women related issues out into the public arena.
Thank you ... It is commendable.
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| Poonte |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 11:34 AM
Not that I condone the Astha editors for what they have done, but just to seek more answers to the puzzle...
What IF the story is true? Should they be exonerated of any wrong doing if they can prove what they published? Just pondering...
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| chipledhunga |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 11:37 AM
Ashu, I strongly support your efforts. The editor and the columnist certainly deserve stern action. We also need stringent regulations against yellow journalism. I hope we can achieve those before more innocent lives are lost. I hope you have a very productive session.
By the way, sorry to see you leaving Sarangi.
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| rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 12:18 PM
I agree with Poonte, the editors of the accused vernacular daily should be given an equal chance to speak up for their actions before we gang up against their deeds to what might have or haven't had resorted to Ms. Karki's suicide.
If ever the accusations are wrong, then IT IS A GREAT SIN INDEED.
Afterall, with the reports I read on Nepalnews and Kantipuronline, there is no evidence that the editors had been involved in "yellow journalism". I haven't seen the specific issue of Jaan Astha yet with Ms. Karki's article.
I don't wanna be cynical here...but I deeply still regret the Hritik Roshan kanda where all the Nepalis took them to the streets just because a certain section cited so-called press reports that had never even appeared in print.
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| SIWALIK |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 12:34 PM
No doubt there has to be some journalistic standard and legal ramifications for yellow journalism. US media laws could be a good guidance for defamation actions. Certainly, committing suicide was not the right choice for the said actress. She could have tried legal action first. Pretty sad situation no matter how you look. But there might be more to the story than what is depicted here!
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| ruck |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 12:59 PM
I wonder is somebody know if the nude photograph of the actress was actually hers or somebody else's ??? if it is hers? then why on earth did she take that picture?
anyway just curious????
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| nuts |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 01:24 PM
I have always been against death penalty, but if that editor is indeed guilty, I would love to see him hung to death.
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| Nixon |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 07:42 PM
Poonte,
If the story is true, why the hell the editor in chief is on self-exile, self-hide, escaped, without defending himself. You just read the article again, you can find its all based on hearsay. by reading article, if you take everything is correct in the article, then, Ms. Karki is already open to the world. If she is so loose, she won't have to sucide, but, gone to the JANA ASTHA 's office and done many things that would have insulted the F~~king Editor in chief. She could not bear the insult, means she is not what is reported in the article.
Well, Nepalnews also reported that JANA ASTHA might have blackmailed her. This is the KEY WORD of the whole episode. Tyo gadha kina bhagi raheko chha ta? If he was true, then, he should have defended himself.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 07:45 PM
Hi all,
Thank you for your ideas, suggestions and further thoughts.
Poonte and Rat-a-tat, the fact that the editors/publishers are in hiding makes
it IMPLAUSIBLE (for now anyway) that they were printing the truth, though, I am
sure, folks at Martin Chautari -- who do NOT think like a herd -- will consider, this Saturday, the issue from the perspective of the editors/publishers too.
For now, it's too much of a co-incidence that Jan Astha publishes something about
Ms. Karki one day (A), and she is found dead three days later (B).
The CHALLENGE, for lawyers and anyone concerned with this sad state of affairs,
is to figure out -- through open discussions and so on -- a way to gather evidence
and prove that A led to B, and look for ways to throw the editors into jail.
Jan Ashtha is a nearer-to-UML (i.e. Madhav Nepal) paper.
For the sake of argument, a larger issue (at last to me) is: Even if Ms. Karki did pose nude out of her own free will, it should be NONE OF Jan Astha's business to print those pictures by making a negative judgment.
That's because adult Nepali males and females are FREE to do anything they wish to do within the privacy of their rooms as long as they do not cause harm to others.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| ruck |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 07:55 PM
Ashu ji,
Was wondering if Ms. Karki wrote a letter before she committed suicide stating the reason of her death??? if yes, then it's fine, if no, then is it just an assumption that she killed herself for this reason. The reports however in the newspapers are vague, cannot make anything out of it.
Let her soul rest in peace and the guilty be punished.
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| kunjan |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 08:00 PM
Here's the news report:
-------------------------------------------------
Tabloid story drove actress to suicide: Police
Himalayan News Service,
Kathmandu, October 16,
A 24-year-old Nepali actress allegedly committed suicide here on Sunday following the publication of a news item in a weekly tabloid.
Shrisha Karki, who acted in several Nepali features including Gham Chhayan, was found hanging from the ceiling at her rented home in Mainju Bahal. Shrisha's brother rushed her to the Teaching Hospital where she was declared dead.
According to the police, the beautiful actress resorted to the extreme step following the publication of an article in the tabloid Jana Astha. The article, which was accompanied by a nude picture of Shrisha, alleged that she was having an affair with an industrialist. The article also made references to several other actresses.
Tapendradhoj Hamal, Superindentent Police at District Police Office, told The Himalayan Times that the actress was perturbed by the article. " She had been extremely upset eversince the article appeared in the October 9th edition of the weekly", he said.
Shrisha's brother, who incidentally did'nt want to be named, said that his sister's mood changed radically after the tabloid hit the stands. According to him, Shrisha was tense and gloomy after the article was published. "People began ridiculing her. The public scorn drove her to suicide,'' he maintained adding: "We are mourning. I have nothing else to say."
Hamal said that the police had registered a case on the basis of a complaint filed by the Film Artistes' Association last Friday with the Valley Crime Investigation Department, Hanumandhoka. The weekly's editor Kishore Shrestha has been named as an accused for driving Shrisha to suicide through character assassination.
He further revealed that the police were on the lookout for Shrestha. "We are searching for Kishore Shrestha. He has been in hiding for four days. We are determined to take action against such journalists", he said.
The tragic incident evoked widespread condemnation. Journalists and those associated with the film industry felt that urgent steps are needed to curb such journalism.
"The weekly has violated the code of conduct of journalism," said noted cine journalist Dr. Pradeep Bhattarai.
He pointed out that according to the 'code of conduct issued in 1998, journalists should not publish any news which tarnishes a person's character.
Actor-director Krishna Malla said that the artistes see the incident as murder rather than suicide. "We don't think she committed suicide. She was forced to commit suicide."
According to him, the tabloid had violated the ethics of journalism. "Shrisha was a gentle and innocent girl", he said.
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| Nixon |
Posted
on 17-Oct-02 10:52 PM
Now, Madhav Kumar Nepal is silent. You will hear some justification from Madhav Kumar Nepal's side that Kishore Shrestha is innocent. You will hear this news in coming issue. Communists are borned to justify their comrades jobs in all perpective. Dristi that should be hitting Internet version very soon (after Dashain fever is over) will come up with series of justifications that Kishore Shrestha is innocent, the weekly (another weekly affiliated to UML) will tell that its all based on investigations. A lot of Nepal Communist Syaal will do huiiiiiya, to justify Kishore Shretha's weekly. Did you read, how Jana Astha justifies Mainali's involvement in Cellular Phone purchase. Shame on you so called journalists.
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| Nixon |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 01:49 AM
Subedi (the ugly guy who wrote the article) against Karki, says "if someone dies because of the article published in the newspaper, the newspaper is not responsible for the suicide". Read Kantipur (Nepali Daily) Oct. 18th issue.
Few things to be noted:
1. Trick Graphics combined head of Karki with other woman's body.
2. Mr. Kishor Shrestha got Rs. 5,000. and was begging another Rs. 5,000.
3. Ms. Karki was heading to get married. A golden opportunity to Mr. Kishor Shrestha to grab huge money out of Ms. Karki.
4. Mr. Kishor is affiliated to UML, no need to worry about possible public reaction. Kathmandu Peoples are mainly occupied by communist mind of UML.
5. Mr. Kishor was exploiting her for long time. Its what happens in Kathmandu's weekly. They threaten peoples and grab money. Its regular job of the news media.
Police should find the negative of pictures of Ms. Karki, unless Mr. Kishore Shretha reveals it, there is no way to prove it. But, if they claim it a digital photographs, again they need to prove it as original. Is police interested to prove the photograph is really original or fabricated? As always, Kishore is buying time, because he knows as time passes everything settles in kathmandu.
Suppose if the news editor was not affliated to UML and Ms. Karki was affiliated to UML what could happen?
1. Kishore Nepal would have been beaten.
2. his press office would have burnt down.
3. Dead Body of Ms. Karki would have been rounded in Kathmandu city with chanting "down with reactionaries ".
5. Madhav Kumar Nepal would have published a special press release.
6. Biswo N. Poudel would have published a long article in Sajha.com using lot of heavy words against Kishore Shrestha and his weekly.
But, none of them could happen when a citizen who has no political affiliation dies because of humiliation from a political party affliated weekly wrote it. The weekly will be given excuses, Ms. Karki will be proved the culprit. shame on Nepali Political culture. Shame on you Madhava Kumar Nepal, the man behind Parenthood to these weeklies who run rumors because of the support from Political leaders like Makune. Shame on you.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 04:04 AM
Two years ago, another Communist-supported newspaper Dristi -- edited by Shambhu Shrestha -- viciously and maliciously attacked Pratyoush Onta for three straight weeks, accusing Onta of embezzling 1,000,000 (Ten lakh) rupees -- money that was supposed to have been set aside for kamaiya-related work.
Pratyoush, his wife Rama and and I went over to Dristi's office to seek clarification
from Mr. Shambhu Shrestha.
The editor, the shameles coward, could NOT back up any of his newsaper's allegations. Still, displaying his stuoid gorkhay-Nepali pride, Shrestha was adamant that there was
no need for him to issue a apology for having printed such garbage.
Dristi later published another attack, saying that since Pratyoush did not write the
prefix Dr. in front of his name, he really did not even have a PhD from America . . . .
I mean, how can you even have a discusson with such bastards?
[We later learnt that some UML-affiliated human rights organizations had been totally pissed off with Martin Chautari for having "stolen" (in their eyes) the credit for kamaiya emancipation, and wanted to punish/humiliate Pratyoush by urging their friend Shrestha to publish such utter garbage.]
Such such is life in Nepal.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| bajai |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 01:03 PM
why is sex such a big issue ?
it is a part of a normal life, and that's it. but you know, read every other article on emerging models/actresses and the only questions being repeated over and over are : phalna-dhiska ji, what is your view on sex?', 'should roles that require nudity be accepted?' 'and your view on sex before marriage?'. are these journalists sexual fanatics? can't they think of questions beyond sex for the sake of their readers at least?
ashu, i think it would help to point this out at your discussion.
as for Srisha, what happenned is indeed, sad. it can be said that in a way, it was her misfortune that she was born to be revealed in Nepal. had she been in places where men swoon over playboy spreads of beauties in their natural clothings(or lack of it), she would have found immense pride and a whole lotta fans rather than ridicule and curse which she must've found unbearable in that tiny well..
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 03:39 PM
> 6. Biswo N. Poudel would have published a long article in Sajha.com using lot of heavy
>words against Kishore Shrestha and his weekly.
Hey, man, why are you dragging my name here?
Look, if instead of Srisha the deceased had been (god forbid) Kristi, Karishma, Gauri Malla, Minakshi Anand (whose movies I grew up watching), I would have written 'a long posting'. I just didn't know miss Karki, and although I felt sorry about her demise, I didn't know I should be writing something here.
By the way, I think the editor should be charged with extortion attempts, libelous publication, and malicious propaganda causing a death. Publishing anyone's photo without her consent should be a crime.
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| bhedo |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 04:44 PM
Sorry to hear that a girl had to take away her life because some vernacular newspaper published her nude picture. It appears to me that this lady, Ms. Karki, was suicidal. I mean, look, the internet, which has given people more freedom to publish totally deceitful stories, stores thousands of such photographs of celebrities in provocative poses, yet you don't hear celebrities commiting suicide because of false propagandas. They chased Diana, exposed her, embarrassed her, etc, but she was strong enough to not let things like these get her down.
If the story reported was 100% fabricated, couldn't she have at least tried to bring a lawsuit against the perpetrator? Remember how Puja Bhatt sued the folks responsible for publishing her fake picture??? To me, there appears no reason for the actress to commit a suicide. Let's face it, she was most probably manic depressive or bipolar or schizophrenic. The nude picture+ story was just one factor responsible for this sad, sad event.
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| manashalu |
Posted
on 18-Oct-02 10:58 PM
More devellopments on this event:
NFCC to file case against tabloid reporters
Himalayan News Service,
Kathmandu, October 18,
The Nepal Film Coordination Committee (NFCC), which is spearheading the campaign against vernacular tabloid Jana Astha, has decided to file a criminal case against the weekly's editor and reporters for publishing a nude picture of actress Shrisha Karki which drove her to suicide.
The decision to file the case was taken on the basis of advice given by noted women activist and lawyer Dr Shanta Thapalia to a delegation of the NFCC here today.The case will be filed at the district police office Hanumandhoka on Tuesday.
But prior to that a delegation of NFCC is meeting the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pradeep Sumsher JBR tomorrow at his residence. Soon after, the NFCC is holding an interaction programme with a cross section of people at Martin Chautari.
"We are trying to get appointments with the prime minister and the home minister by tomorrow," said Krishna Malla, coordinator of NFCC.
Meanwhile, Dr Thapalia told The Himalayan Times that this tragic incident was yet another example of "modern technology murder." "Shrisha's death has proved that even a pen is enough to kill a person," she said.
According to her, the incident has to be looked at from two different angles. Firstly, the tabloid violated a woman's right to privacy. "No journalist can print a nude picture of even a professional sex worker without her consent. In this case, the victim was not a sex worker. She was an upcoming film artiste," she said adding: "Secondly, the editor tried to make money by assassinating the character of a woman. This is an heinous act by itself."
She said that her organisation, Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre which specially works against gender discrimination, was planning to ask the actress as to why she was silent on the matter. "We were ready to help her. But unfortunately we could not contact her owing to Dashain. And before we could reach her, she committed suicide," she said adding that the tragedy could have been averted had she met the deceased actress in time.
According to Thapalia, the absence of adequate laws had emboldened some journalists to publish such damaging stories and force an individual to commit suicide. "We have to make this case a precedent. We are going to approach the courts and fight for a new law to prevent such incidents in future," she said.
Another noted lawyer and gender activist Sapana Pradhan Malla also identified weak libel laws as the root cause for such forms of gender discrimination. "We are relying upon an Act that was drafted in 1958. The society has moved far ahead than that. We need an ammendment to the outdated Act so as to make it more suited to modern times," she said.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 20-Oct-02 10:14 AM
Here is what happened at yesterday's Martin Chautari meeting, . . I have added some my own thoughts.
1) The film people ended up NOT attending the meeting. They were, a it later transpired, under Krishna Malla's leadership,busy meeting with politicians and the
Chief of Police, asking them to do something against the editor Kishore Shrestha.
2) The women activists -- such as Shanta Thapaliya, Shova Gautam, Sapana Malla Pradhan too ended up NOT coming to the meeting, though they too have issued statements denouncing the news-report.
3) None of the Leftist intellectuals -- usual presence at Martin Chautari -- showed up.
I am not sure whether this was because Jana Astha is an UML-supported vernacular weekly or because the Dassain hangover is still in the air.
But the usual leftist intellectuals and activists such as Khagendra Sangraula, Rajendra Maharjan, Shyam Shrestha, Ramesh Bhattarai, Anand Dev Bhatta and so on did NOT show up. Nor too they -- either collectively or individually -- so far have published a statement, making their position clear on this issue.
[My own "paapi" mind says that had "Jan Astha" been a Congressi newspaper, our
Left ko comrades would have done the dharna, gherao and julus and all that by now, hyping up the issue in all the righteously indignant tones, and in the name of solidarity against "yellow journalism" and "women's exploitation" and so on.
Is it that -- my "paapi" mind asks -- they are silent now because the alleged perpetrator is one of their own comrades? If so, what does that tell about their commitment to strengthen the civil society in Nepal?]
4) Gopal Siwakoti "Chintan", the fire-brand lawyer, showed up, and, in his trademark reasonableness, outlined two legal strategies. [Regular Sajha readers may remember my defense of Chintan against BASELESS a Kantipur story a few months ago here in
this forum].
Chintan's strategies are:
One, use the less-than-perfect Nepali laws and charge the editor with involuntary manslaughter. In theory, the maximum penalties are: 2 years in jail and/or Rs. 500 (yes, 5 hundred rupees or about 7 dollars!) in fine. In practice, the convict stays in jail for maybe a week and/or pays fine of about Rs. 200 and that's about it.
Two, again, use the less-than-great Nepali laws and charge the publication for defamation. In theory, the convict gets 35 days in jail and/or pays fine up to Rs. 10,000. In practice, rarely enforced.
5) The discussion also touched upon:
a) the issue of women's privacy rights (which have obviously been violated in this case)
b) the khattam state of film-journalism, which puts itself on some sort of a pedestal, ostensibly to expose so-called bad girls. [Even the so-called "bad girls" have rights that no newspaper can violate.]
c) the lack of counseling and channels of advice available to young film actresses within the film industry.
d) the issue of the editor's blackmailing the actress or money prior to her suicide.
6) The meeting ended with a statement that condemned Jan Astha's report. There will be a follow-up meeting, but it looks like the film people are pushng this isue all the more to the fore, and that's great and needed.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| Nixon |
Posted
on 21-Oct-02 12:20 AM
'Jana Aastha' deputy editor resigns
Deputy editor of Jana Aastha Weekly, Sita Ram Baral resigned from his post Saturday after the outburst of protests over the news story and picture related with Nepali film actress Shrisha Karki who committed suicide last week.
"I have to bear the responsibility of what has happened as an assistant editor, but I had been protesting against such acts since the beginning," he said in a press statement Saturday.
Meanwhile an accountant of the paper Suraj Shrestha has been arrested from Jana Aastha office.
Film artistes have formed a struggle committee to press for the arrest of Kishor Shrestha, editor of Jana Aashta weekly. Basundhara Bhusal president of Nepal Film Artist Association (NFAA), has been named chairman of the committee. The committee comprises seven professional associations. nepalnews.com am Oct 20
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| Nixon |
Posted
on 21-Oct-02 12:31 AM
Ashu Sir, mero papi manle pani tapai ko kura sanga thyakka milne gari sodhi raheko chha? Kina Double standard bhanera? Biswo Sir pani panchinu bho ni, srisha lai chindina bhanera. kati batho hain. Leftist intellectuals are good Paplu player hai. Ashu-matsap tapai martin chautari Khage-kamrade naayera kura clear bhayenara bhanya. Kya centiflat khuwaidiyo tyo haram Kishore Shrestha le sab Amale samarthak lai.
But the usual leftist intellectuals and activists such as Khagendra Sangraula, Rajendra Maharjan, Shyam Shrestha, Ramesh Bhattarai, Anand Dev Bhatta and so on did NOT show up. Nor too they -- either collectively or individually -- so far have published a statement, making their position clear on this issue.
[My own "paapi" mind says that had "Jan Astha" been a Congressi newspaper, our
Left ko comrades would have done the dharna, gherao and julus and all that by now, hyping up the issue in all the righteously indignant tones, and in the name of solidarity against "yellow journalism" and "women's exploitation" and so on.
Is it that -- my "paapi" mind asks -- they are silent now because the alleged perpetrator is one of their own comrades? If so, what does that tell about their commitment to strengthen the civil society in Nepal?]
Punascha: "Centiflat" khuwaidiyo : cent percent flat (punchered) banaidiyo bhaneko ta holani: haina ta M.P.Sir. angrezied nepali word, kya rasawari jasto juicy chha ni ta.
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