Political rights incomplete without press freedom: Communications Minister Sharma

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said that press freedom is impossible without political rights and political tights will be impossible in the absence of press freedom. She further opined to forward both together.

On the occasion of the 9th National Journalism Day, in the program held today at the President’s Office Sheetal Niwas, Minister Sharma mentioned that Nepal’s journalism sector is playing a role as an important part of change in the struggle for major political changes of yesterday, as political rights and the right to freedom of the press will go hand in hand.

Minister said, “Now, by establishing the right to political and press freedom, politics and journalism are moving forward in one mission to change the situation of the people in accordance with the changed system.

She said, “It is necessary to move forward with the same mission of politics and journalism to change the situation of the people in favour of the changed system by further establishing political rights and press freedom.”

National Journalism Day is celebrated every year on Baisakh 24 to commemorate the day when Gorkhapatra, the first newspaper in Nepal, was published. This year, we are celebrating National Journalism Day with the main slogan of ‘Citizens’ Access and Rights to Information, Accountable Journalism, Safe Journalists’.

While reviewing Nepali journalism, Minister Sharma said that today is an important day to make the future path even easier and wider. On the same day today, 123 years ago on 24th Baisakh 1958 BS, the first newspaper Gorkhapatra was published in Nepal. Although it has been a long time since newspapers were published at the government level, media publishing/broadcasting started from the private sector after the revolution of 2007 BS.

Minister Sharma said that Radio Nepal started broadcasting in the midst of the 2007 BS revolution, and with the advent of democracy, private sector newspapers also started to be published. “While journalism is trying to flourish along with democracy, it is clear that press and freedom of expression have been stifled due to the Panchayat system,” he said, “We will remember the historical role played by the Nepali journalism sector to make the people aware of the horrors of the Panchayat autocracy.” Minister further shared that the mass communications bill is ready to be tabled in a Cabinet meeting.

In the programme, the secretary of the Communications Ministry, Ram Krishna Subedi, mentioned that today will give more energy to make the journalism sector further stronger, and assured that the government will provide all possible support in this campaign.

President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Bipul Pokharel and Prateek Pradhan, who was awarded the Senior Journalism Award, discussed the role and importance of the media for the benefit of the society as a whole and discussed the challenges faced in the communications sector with the development of information technology.

On the occasion, President Ram Chandra Paudel awarded Prateek Pradhan and Tribhuvan Paudel (posthumously) with the Senior Journalist Award 2080 and National Journalism Award 2080 to Menaka Chaudhary, Suryamani Gautam, Bhawani Singh Air, Deepak Gyawali, Tripti Shahi and Prem Bahadur Karki Dholi (Rajan KD).