FNJ 69th Founding Day: Emphasis on need to unite for the defense of press freedom

The former presidents of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) have emphasized that all the concerned parties should unite to protect the Press freedom.

At a programme marking the 69th Founding Day of the Federation here today, the former presidents of the institution expressed their concern to protect the freedom of the press, noting that the state has been cracking down on the Press from time to time, even though the Preamble of the Constitution ensured the same.

Dharmendra Jha, former president of the FNJ and chairman of Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), commented that even though full freedom of the press is mentioned in the constitution of the country, independent journalism is still at risk.

He said, “After we join the Federation of Journalists, we have to think whether we have been able to raise the topics that should be discussed and brought up through the Federation, whether they should be made the subject of the discussion or not.”

Similarly, Harihar Birahi, former president of FNJ, said that the freedom of the press is not safe even now and the government is trying to curb it through laws from time to time.

Another former president of the Federation, Shiv Gaule, said that recently there is a problem in retaining journalists in the profession, stating sustaining media organizations and holding back journalists in the profession is also the main role of the FNJ.

Addressing the event, the former president of federation, Dr. Mahendra Bista commented that it is becoming a challenge to sustain the journalism sector as the fourth organ of the state.

The president of the federation, Bipul Pokhrel, appealed to support the membership cleansing campaign started by FNJ.

Balkrishna Basnet, chairperson of Press Council Nepal, Sangita Khadka, President of Minimum Wages Determination Committee, Nirmala Sharma, Senior Vice President of the Federation, Ramesh Bista, Senior Vice President, and Ganesh Basnet, President of Press Chautari Nepal, discussed the challenges of the Nepali journalism sector in the programme.

Meanwhile, the president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Bipul Pokhrel, has requested to proceed with the process of making laws related to communications in order to fully guarantee the freedom of the press with sufficient discussion and agreement with the concerned parties including the federation.

On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the establishment of the Federation, president Pokhrel expressed his best wishes for the implementation of Nepal’s Constitution and National Mass Communication Policy, 2073 BS, as well as stakeholders according to the same policy.