Gagan Thapa urges media to continue watchdog role

Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa today said the media should continue to act as a watchdog. They should continue keeping their eyes whether or not the government sticks to the rule of law, he said this while speaking at the Community Radio National Conference and the 17th Annual Assembly of the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal (ACORAB) held here on Thursday on the occasion of the establishment day of the ACORAB. Media always stay in the opposition, Thapa said, adding “There is a shared tendency among leaders that what they feel wrong whiel staying in opposition will be good for them while being at the helm of the government. To check such wrong tendency, the media should increase their watchdog role,” he said.

The leader also praised the community radio for its role informing people. in the community. “Its responsibility is to provide right information to the community people.”

He stressed the radio for demanding the government to exempt revenue and licence fee renewal.

Similarly, CPN (UML) Deputy General Secretary Prithivi Subba Gurung accused the state of not keeping community radio in priority. it therefore is facing an economic problem in particular, he said.

“Timely amendment to policies was a need. The radio is facing problems. To rescue it, the state should play a role.”

Stating that Sagarmatha Radio had started its operation as the first community radio in the South Asia, Vice Chairperson of CPN (Unified Socialist) Rajendra Pandey lauded the radio's significant contubtions to make people’s movements a success, and help end discrimination, awaken people and reduce corruption. “Community radio should be saved",. I am in its favour. He said underscoring the need for it to disseminate news that would promote domestic products in particular.

Manish Suman, Spokesperson for the Janata Samajwadi Party, pointed out the important role of the community radio. Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Tap Bahadur Magar called for it to raise the issues of human rights while thanking it for its role in the conservation and promotion of human rights.

Likewise, secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Dr Baikuntha Aryal urged the radio to provide the right information.

President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Bipul Pokharel accused the state of failure to do the needful for its sustenance. “Making laws has taken a snail’s pace. Media houses should be prosperous for strengthening democracy. The government should do the needful.” He demanded an end to the distribution of government advertisements to media houses based on power access.

ACORAB chair Arjun Giri praised community radio for its spectacular role in driving Nepal’s political and social transformation.