Maoists shut down popular Nepal radio station

A popular radio station in Nepal, which had been able to survive the draconian censorship imposed on the media by King Gyanendra's regime, was forced to close down after Maoists muscled into its office in the capital late Tuesday and padlocked its units.

The Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation (HBC), a popular private radio station that had been on air since 1999, stopped broadcasting from 6 p.m. Tuesday after over five dozen Maoist cadres forced their way past the guards and disrupted its programmes.

"This is not just an attack on an individual radio station," said Achyut Ghimire, production manager at HBC. "It's the start of a systematic attack on all FM stations."

The Maoist move comes after a series of attacks earlier this year targeting three of the biggest newspaper houses - Kantipur Publications, Nepal's largest media house, Kamana Publications and International Media Network.

The HBC management said the trouble started after a Maoist-affiliated union, Ganatantrik Radiokarmi Manch Nepal, gave an 18-point demand, that among other things, asks for a whopping salary raise and the inclusion of three cadres in the management committee.

"There are about 20 FM stations operating in Kathmandu valley and the competition is immense," Ghimire said. "We are not making huge profits.

"We already pay competitive salaries and there is no way we can raise it substantially without slashing the number of employees."

The radio station currently employs about two dozen people.

The rebel union's demand comes at a time the government is mulling a law for working journalists.

"On Sunday, we held talks with the union in the presence of media organisations," Ghimire said. "We assured them that when the government passed the act, we will implement it."

HBC said it was concerned that the union still forced its way in and padlocked its office, especially at a time the election is less than four months away.

"We have been addressing social issues throughout," Ghimire said. "Our programmes are focussed on the marginalised groups like indigenous and ethnic communities and Dalits (once regarded as untouchables).

"We have also been among the first FM stations to broadcast programmes about the constituent assembly election."

Since the Maoist guerrillas signed a peace pact with the government and joined the ruling coalition in April, their cadres have been increasingly involved in the kind of intolerant, undemocratic activities the royal regime had been accused of perpetrating in the past.

The HBC attack is reminiscent of the royal regime ordering a night raid on Kantipur, a popular FM station, and seizing its broadcasting apparatus.

The move to muzzle the radio station triggered a chorus of protests, both at home and abroad.

Currently, a senior Maoist leader, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, heads the information and communications ministry.

The new attacks on the media are whipping up doubts whether the Nov 22 election - that will choose between monarchy and a republic - would be free and fair.

Though the Maoists have pledged to accept the poll verdict, the increasing lawless activities of their cadres cast a grave doubt on the promise.

(IANS)

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