tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7381909.post826404514345326838..comments2023-08-04T17:34:49.094+05:30Comments on A New Praxis in a changed world: Vive la République of NepalSrinivasan Ramanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620263203764236450noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7381909.post-73605915258633967892008-06-12T18:40:00.000+05:302008-06-12T18:40:00.000+05:30I think it was a comment made out of frustration r...I think it was a comment made out of frustration rather than anything else. The comment which was directed against one media group, the influential "Kantipur group of publications" and its masthead, "Kathmandu Post" (and not the entire media as being nonsensically pointed out by outsiders), came as the paper had been slandering the Maoists since day one. Their editorials have also taken some really dubious positions .. take for, e.g. the fact that the agreement signed by the Maoists and the mainstream parties before the elections made it clear that no matter who is the winner, the interim constitution will be protected and a consensual government will be formed after the elections. Suddenly after the unexpected victory of the Maoists, the goalposts have been changed by these parties who have asked for all kinds of changes to the constitution to ensure that any government under the Maoists' remains destabilised. What was shocking to see was the Kantipur group's editorial response to this new change in affairs. They editorialised arguing that the Nepali Congress position was correct and discouraged any moves from letting the Maoists occupying predominant position in government, but which ironically is exactly what the people have voted for. <BR/><BR/>Add to this, the repeated conspiracy theories of illegal activities being circulated against the YCL (the Maoist youth organisation) as well as the PLA and making the other mainstream parties to be some kind of angels. <BR/><BR/>I can therefore understand where Prachanda's statement had come from against the Kantipur group. Freedom of press is not an unqualified freedom to slander and lie about one political formation. This is classic tactics as being used in Venezuela for e.g.<BR/><BR/>We will wait for judging the Maoists' commitment for democracy till a point comes when they really attack the freedom of the press. So far, nothing of that sort has happened. So this scepticism shown by you, Ranjith is really uncalled for.Srinivasan Ramanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13620263203764236450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7381909.post-10860331417100104572008-06-12T17:34:00.000+05:302008-06-12T17:34:00.000+05:30Good that Nepal is becoming a "democratic" republi...Good that Nepal is becoming a "democratic" republic. But Prachanda sounds hardly democratic when he said this:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/may/31nepal.htm" REL="nofollow">http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/may/31nepal.htm</A><BR/><BR/><I><BR/>Maoist chairman Prachanda, expected to lead the next government in Nepal, has warned the media against criticising his party, saying that "we will no longer tolerate criticism as we have already been elected by the people".<BR/></I>Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177466323485946431noreply@blogger.com