Kathmandu Post

Editorial»

Politics of patronage

JUN 09 -
The recent attack on Republica and Nagarik’s Biratnagar-based correspondent Khilanath Dhakal, is a telling example of the continued violence against the media in this country. Dhakal was attacked last Sunday night by the district president of the UML’s Youth Force, Parshuram Basnet, and two other aides. This is a clear case of political parties providing patronage to thugs and we condemn such activity. Nepal ranks seventh in the world for violence against the media, according to the New York based media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).   Seven journalist have been murdered since 1992, according to CPJ. None of these cases have been solved-leaving the culprits off-the-hook. Most of those involved in the killings are said to have wider political affiliations. Clearly, the attack on Dhakal is not the first-of-its-kind, but rather another blotch on Nepal’s bleak impunity record.

Needless to say, the culprits in the Dhakal attack—namely Basnet and his aides Rohit Koirala and Manoj Rai must be held accountable. The attackers’ affiliation with the Youth Force is a serious cause for concern and this case must also be addressed by the party leadership. In this phase of national transition, the implications of such cases are far-reaching. Journalists are faced with the tough task of reporting when the country is most fragile and problems of accountability and ownership are high. The need for responsible journalism is at its peak, and yet journalists are in a most vulnerable situation. In this particular case, the UML must take up the issue not only as a democratic political party, but also as the party that head s the current government, and thus twice accountable for the safeguarding of all citizens. It is almost preposterous that Dhakal came under attack from Basnet and his aides, and yet the former is still threatening journalists to withdraw the formal complaint that has been filed against him. The courage of the journalists who went ahead and filed the complaint must be noted.

Nepal’s culture of impunity and political patronage must come to an end. In light of the recent attack, an investigation must be carried out and Basnet and his aides brought to trial. Some hope did surface on May 30 however, when the two men responsible for the murder of journalist Birendra Shah in 2007 were finally sentenced to life imprisonment.   The two culprits are said to have been associated with the Maoists at the time. But the prime accused in the case, who the Maoists have termed as rogue party members still remain at large. Political parties must co-operate with local authorities in bringing criminals to justice. The harbouring of thugs by political parties is unacceptable and undermines the very essence of democratic culture. It is thus encouraging that PM Jhala Nath Khanal on Thursday has pledged to investigate the case of Khilanath Dhakal and bring those responsible to book. This is not only necessary, but also the government’s responsibility.

Posted on: 2011-06-10 06:36

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