Media Helping Media

Hunger strike for media freedom

Published on Wednesday, 05 September 2007

Written by Birendra Dahal

  

The reason behind my fast unto death was the interference by Maoists not only in my radio station, HBC 94 FM, but also in the print media.

They wanted to use independent media for their own political propaganda and establish a communist state in [[Nepal]]. Now the Nepalese independent media groups are courageously fighting this threat against this one party dictatorship.

At this time now, I want to share some of the events following my decision to fast unto death.

I do not know whether it was so, but thousands of people who came to see me on the fasting site told me I was making a courageous decision.

It never occurred to me that what I was doing was that big, or an act of admirable courage. I always thought what I had planned to do and was doing was just a duty of a citizen and I was fulfilling the duty.

People who turned up to show unity and solidarity with me said they couldn’t have taken such action; only then I realised that it was indeed an act of courage.

The days after I started my fast were encouraging because most of my visitors were young people.

In the spirit of solidarity and unity, they expressed their feelings and these feelings and words reflected their sense of commitment and their deep desire to safeguard their future.

They wanted a free press, an environment of freedom for their business, industry, factories and many other endeavours they would undertake. They also wanted to live as free citizens.

As I listened to their words and sensed their desire, I became even more determined to achieve my goal.

The trade unionists who came to visit me always told me that whatever they were doing was in the name of the party and equality.

However, their leaders would not let them think in such positive way; they were 'ordered' to create a mess, chaos and disorder in all the work places, such as our radio HBC 94 FM.

Most of those who expressed this attitude were associated with left-wing parties such as the [[Maoists]].

In their eyes and the feelings they expressed, I could read disapproval of what their mother political parties do. But, because they lacked a proper education and sense of analysis of the results of such activities, they were not able to go against the party line.

The first days of my fasting were not very pleasant, especially physically.

My body system naturally took time to adjust to the new situation - that is to be ready to get going without food for uncertain period.

My body had not faced such a difficult situation since my arrival to this world. But, after five or six days of struggle, the body finally seemed to give its approval of my decision to fast. This bodily adjustment made my time slightly easier and better.

My body seemed to be saying, "you have followed the path of non-violence and peace, therefore you will surely succeed in your attempt to achieve the goal."

In fact, there was nothing particularly difficult or uneasy about what I faced, nor did I ever feel discouraged.

During my fast, some people tried to discourage me and make me mentally and morally weak.

These people often entered the camp in the guise of so-called journalists who bored me with a wide range of meaningless questions, discussions and suggestions.

It seemed to me that these people didn't visit me of their own free will, they seemed to have come with a purpose --- to try to make me fail.

Even when I was with my young colleagues from the radio and student from the schools, colleges and universities, they used to pass comments such as, “Why is he taking this trouble? Is not he unsafe here? Someone could just show up and run down to crash him in the name of an 'artificial accident' to finish him? His life is even more insecure from now on." I used to overhear such comment every now and then.

The reality is that the enemies of democracy, freedom, and independent media, use murder and violence as their weapons as the means and foundation for the fulfilment of their evil design.

Finally, I will cherish the wholehearted support you have provided to me for my success during these hard days as an invaluable asset as long as I live.

I will spare no effort to sacrifice myself in the days ahead should there be attack on independent media and the private sector. I want to reiterate that I will do all I can to save the free press and private sector.

 

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Note: The author, Birendra Dahal, manager of HBC 94 FM, Kathmandu, was on a fast-until-death in protest at political interference and pressure on independent media. That fast ended on August 26, 2007 after 14 days, when senior ministers from the ruling eight-party alliance gave Dahal a commitment not to interfere with free media.

 

  

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