Media personnel blamed that the proposed the Broadcasting Authority Act is the conspicuous evident of the panic stricken mentality on the part of government." They accused the government of attempting to curtail press freedom through the introduction of the act, while the controversial Media Ordinance promulgated some months back is still under consideration of the Supreme Court.
Speaking at the discussion program organised by the Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ), Harihar Birahi said the government was conspiring to stifle press freedom at the expense of democratic norms. "If the government robs the media of its broadcasting rights, the people will be compelled to listen to the Maoists-run FM channels," warned Birahi, a prominent journalist of country. "There had been demands for a autonomous Authority of media in the past," he said, adding that the formation of the proposed authority was only to serve the vested interests of the government.
"We will make a unified approach to fight back this tyrannical decision of the royal government," Birahi said.
FNJ President Bishnu Nisthuri viewed that the government’s decision to establish the Authority was farcical. "The government is focused on strangling the freedom of Nepalese media.
Speaking on the same occasion, Dhruva Hari Adhikari urged media persons to launch a unified movement against the proposed establishment of the Broadcasting Authority.
Rishi Dhamala, president of the Reporter’s Club, also termed the government decision a ploy to dismantle press freedom.
Others speakers of the program also stressed on the need for grater unity among media persons to fight for unfettered freedom of press.
