Origin and Development of Media in Nepal

Origin and Development of Media in Nepal

• Suman Acharya

1. Before Gorkhapatra:

The possible seed of Nepalese media development is appeared when 'Gidde press' which was brought here by Prime Minister Janga B Rana in 1908 BS who brought it from England as souvenir which was used for official purpose. Slowly other press is started to establish here in Nepal. Another press named 'Manoranjan press' appeared in 1919, which used to publish 'Muluki Ain' and 'Moksha Siddhi', which is now considering first printed book in the history of media development of Nepal.

Before the Gorkhapatra commencement, 6 printing presses were established. Among them, Buddha press, made by Kuber Ratna Bajracharya was first printing press made by Nepali hand. As a consequence of these printing presses, Sudhasagar, the first Nepali-soil magazine published in Kathmandu by Moti Mandali with the editing of Motiram Bhatta in 1955 BS. However, Gorkah Bharat Jeevan, the first Nepali magazine appeared in Banaras in the initiation of Motiram Bhatta in 1942 BS.  In fact, there was no conducive and proper environment for press and no proper required infrastructures were therein that time. As the history of the world, there was the system of cave painting, recording the history in fine art, beating the drum,
making the sound of Panche Baza, crying from the height of the mountain etc, making the sound of Jhali etc in Nepal in those time.

2. From Gorkhapatra to Democracy:

Gorkhapatra, the first vernacular newspaper, was launched in 24 Baishak 1958 BS in the initiation of Prime Minister Dev Samsher but it was not daily in the beginning, only the weekly newspaper which later published twice a week in 2000 and thrice a week in 2003. In fact, there was no policy to aware the common people of Nepal of Rana government. To regulate the Gorkhapatra, Sanad, the decree of government especially the order of prime minister was published. However, Dev Samsher was quite liberal and responsible to citizens and wanted to make public aware and educate. All other prime minister of Rana regime were very unwilling to take stand in the favor of public, but wanted to suppress in various form like preventing them of getting information, awareness and other. There was no any infrastructure to
develop media world too, no good legal policy, no favorable political situation, no economical background, and no literate people to study the newspapers. Other some publications were too appeared with financial support of government, which were mainly literary magazine. There was literary magazine, no newspapers except Gorkhapatra.

3. During democratic period from 2007 to 2015

After the revolution of people against autocratic Rana regime, the environments became free and open to all common people. More and more educational institutions were established. People became aware about their rights and duties. Slowly many newspapers were registered. The next day after the success of revolution on Falgun 7, 2007, Aawaj, first Nepali daily with the editorship of Siddhi Charan Shrestha was established which created the path for further development of Nepali daily. Between those time, Radio Nepal formally established in Chaitra 20, 2007 but which was already established as a revolutionary radio from Biratnagar jute Mill. There was the whim to establish newspapers and magazine until the coup of democracy.  However there was no proper development of infrastructure for media development, only liberal political system was there. Another daily, Samaj, was appeared in the editorship of Mani Raj Uphadhaya in 2011. Another first English daily, Commoner, was appeared in 2012 with the editorship of Gopal Das Shrestha. Like this many more newspapers were appeared. All newspaper couldn't sustain in that time but their appearance sowed further knowledge for upcoming newspaper and worked as a seed of development.

4. During Panchayat period

The black days of Nepali media started when king Mahendra took over political power denouncing democracy and decommissioning democratically elected government. Law and regulation became hard which was against the spirit of media expansion but there was huge change in practice of journalism taking the style of mission journalism. On the one hand government suppressed all media, which were unfavorable to government and supported all government favorable media but on the other hand newspapers especially weekly newspapers swayed the chair of ruler staking their life by presenting facts and figure with infamous and notorious activities of government. Another significant achievement in this period was the publication of Gorkhapatra daily from thrice a week.

The organizational establishment of Rasdtriya Sambad Samitee, first news agency that was formed after the amalgamation of Nepal Sambad Samitee and Sagarmatha Sambad Samitee on Falgun 7, 2018 BS was another achievement of Panchayat period. In those times many newspapers opposing the government's action were closed themselves with a lack of resources, many newspapers were forced to close with the intimidation and threaten of government but some were existed despite the hardship of overall environment. After the referendum in 2036 BS, Nepali media entered in transition phase as if sometime got very hard situation and sometime got very free situation in those time but those media had ushered the government to leave their chair and establish democracy motivating people toward democratic movement.

The practices of mission journalism when mission was to establish democracy in Nepal flourished. As a whole, there was overall political dominated media. But there was one significant change in Nepali media world when Nepal TV was established as project on Magh 17, 2041 which later became regular on Paush 14, 2042. Media did party-journalism because no democracy no development of media could be made possible. Finally surging revolution against autocratic government didn't stop to establish democracy. As a result, Panchayat government kneeled down in front of the demand of mass of the people.

5. From re-establishment of democracy to parliamentary proclamation

After the restoration of democracy, Nepali press world has enjoyed extremely free environment until 2058 BS. The constitution of Nepal –2047, has guaranteed various provision related to media world. On the basis of constitution, Printing and publication Act – 2048, Broadcasting Act – 2049 and other regulations of these acts have tried to demarcate and shape the media of Nepal. There was only one TV and radio during that time but these Acts have depicted the further private electronic media development in Nepal.

 As a result, the output of FM radio has become 56 numbers of stations and half a dozen of TV stations as well as hundreds of newspapers as the industrialization of media sector which is great expansion in media sector after reestablishment of democracy and truly most developed sector in Nepal in comparison to other sector of infrastructures when Radio Sagarmatha was first community basis FM radio. According to the press Council Report - 2003, there were 454 regular newspapers out of the registered 1879 newspapers when 77 newspapers are regular daily in whole Nepal.  The boom in media sector as this is made possible with free economical system and enhancement policy to the private sector of the government. Both printing sector and broadcasting sector have taken its acceleration to the world's sophisticated society with
advance technology.

 Since 2058 BS the Nepali press world has been doing practices under the furious government that is stagnating and threatening the expansion and accessibility of press sector. But the fate of the Nepali press has morphed into the bad one with royal massacre in 2058. However, Nepalese press, one of the best for constitution enshrined press freedom, has been finally turned into ruin when the state of emergency was imposed on 26 November 2001. However the root of deteriorating the press freedom was seeded shortly after the declaration of constitution of Nepal when the rebel, Maoist group, commenced their insurrection and insurgency in 2052 BS. The development of media industries after the restoration of multiparty democracy has been endangered after the declaration of state of emergency that deteriorates the practices of principle of journalism like press freedom, accuracy, ethics, fairness, watchdog etc while insurgency group of Nepal attacked and torched the dozen of barrack of military person and checkpoint of the police stations killing many of them on the crossway firing. Going on tough restrictions have become the backwardness of Nepali media world.

The emergency had suspended various article of the constitution of 1991 publishing orders in 'Rajpatra'. February 1, 2005, was taken now as one of the second dark night after the 2001, for press world of Nepal.  The imposition of state of emergency has been made deep negative impact on practicing the principle of journalism that has depicted suppression of press freedom and fundamental right of the people as legal system than ever before in the history of Nepali press world. The freedom of speech and expression, right to printing and publication, the right to information, the right to privacy except habeas corpus and other some fundamental right are suspended. As a result the government that became the illative of basic fundamental right of the people, crushed the Nepalese press. Royal government has imposed Media Ordinance, which hooked the media in the favor of royalist banning news on FM Radio. Again mass of the people stood against the royal autocratic government with the support of seven-party-alliance of Nepal including covert support of the Maoist party.

6. After parliamentary proclamation in 2063

After the parliamentary proclamation on April 24, 2006, Nepalese media got success to get freedom from autocratic royal government. As a result, Kantipur TV has got chance to uplift in satellite from terrestrial TV, which has been long awaited. An output of FM Radio Stations became more than 106 form 56 numbers. Nepali media have again retaken its power including freedom of speech and expression. We expect, the situation of Nepali media will be better because all member of government have understood the role of media in preservation of democracy but it is necessary to wait to look after it for a time. However, the situation is still uncertain in the case of working journalist, right to information. The government is still reluctant to provide information to public openly. Many spokespersons are still hiding information. These trends are strongly necessary to be discouraged by civil society including other media world.

'The End…'