Context: Bloggers around the word unite to reunite refugees
Kantipur Television showed keen interest in broadcasting a story on Somali issue. News Chief himself assigned me to do the story. I called one of the refuges and make the arrangement for the interview. Then I met him in Lazimpat. I told him about my objectives and my requirements for the news so that I can tell his story clearly and naturally. Then he was ready to take me to his room where he was staying. My cameraman took some visuals and I was asking dozens of questions to know his story. Then he introduced me to Sahid Hussain who lost his father, sister and brother in Somali war. ‘The militants shot my father in front of me.’ Hussain said (in the bite) showing some scar in the neck,’ they shot me here but I was lucky to be alive.’

The civil war in Somalia made Hussain leave his country. He wanted to go abroad and have a nice future. He had heard of Naples, the beautiful city in Italy. He along with his friends collected money and gave it to an agent hoping that they will reach Naples, instead they landed in Nepal. It was only after landing in this country that they knew they landed in Nepal.There are 70 Somali like him in Nepal and most of them have a similar story they were tricked by human traffickers. Sahid says he eat only once day so that it will be easy to manage the food for the other day. He now the father of seven children’s is having problem in paying the tuition fees of his children. Four out of seven children goes to a local school. He shares his resentment for not being able to buy warm clothes to combat with Capital’s growing cold weather. Though the UNHCR has acknowledged them and have been providing them money, which they say is less for food and rent for room.They are now illegal immigrants according to the law of Nepal. They need more money to return back home which they don’t have. Hussein says Somalis aren’t allowed to work and they have to pay heavy fine if they try to leave the country. Most of the Somalis have lost their relatives in Somalia’s civil war. He has been joining the protest organized by other Somalis in Nepal who have similar stories. They have been demonstrating in the capital Kathmandu demanding official recognition by the government.

It has been around two weeks that Japanese adventurers say they saw the footprints of Yeti on Dhaulagiri IV at 4600 meters. The news created much interest in the readers and viewers. There is still no scientific evidence about yeti’s existence, but the leader of that Japan Yeti Project Japan Yoshiteru Takahashi claims ‘yeti exists’.

In my short interview with him in the Hotel Utse in Thamel two weeks back, he told me that he plans to capture yeti in a movie. But the task seems to be arduous.
The team had nine motion-sensitive cameras in position where Takahashi believed he had spotted a yeti in 2003. Last year an American television crew (for the SciFi Channel) claimed to find evidence.

Dashain for me was more work than celebration. But many things have gone krambhanga in this year’s Dashain. The head of the state didn’t attend the program organized at Dashain Ghar.

Like wise the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal didn’t attend a program organized by the Maoist, in which President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Chief Justice Kedar Giri and CA Chariman Subash Nembwang were present. It is clearly seen that the first president of Nepal and the first prime minister of Nepal are not exchanging equal respect and co-ordination. Prime Minister Pusha Kamal Dahal earlier had visited America without formally taking consultations with the head of the state.
Like wise, for the first time in its history that the country’s head didn’t attend the program organized in the Dashain Ghar. In the past years former King used to take part in such program and religious rituals used to take place in front of him. Like wise the new Kumari was declared in this dashain in Kathmandu. A grand religious ceremony was organized for this.Matani Shakya, the new Kumari of Kathmandu is 3 and half years old. But the head of the country hasn’t visited him though she was chosen by the president.
Former King used to visit many many temples formally in the past years. But the new president didn’t visit temples formally. He is only seen today at the last day kojagrat purnima in Bhakpaur. Moaists were organizing central committee meeting during dashain but that was later postphoned for a month later. Like wise UML had also organized central committee meeting. Different political parties are organizing tea party to celebrate dashain and tihar on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Ex-king also put tika to his fans and followers and large number of visitors were seen in his residence Nirmal Niwas compared to that of president’s one.
Most of my colleagues going home had given over load work. That resulted in a three live coverage for me in a week, besides that i did a number of pkg stoires, from dashain ghar to dance bar, phulpati to 372 prisoners freed.Its always a learning experience to work in media and i must say that i enjoyed all what i do. Ramesh and Rayan also sang in the program that was addressed by most of the poltical leaders. Singers have warned of a protest if the political leaders fail to carry the dream and mandate of the different movements.

‘No girl wants to show her body in the dance bar if she is provided better jobs,’ says a 21 year-old girl who works in a dance restaurant in Durbarmarg,’ the government that doesn’t provide such opportunities cannot close down night entrepreneurship.’ People working as night entrepreneurs are outraged by the government’s crackdown. One of them is Rama Subedi, who works in one of the dance restaurants in Durbarmarg. She, like others, is having difficult times these days as the number of guests are decreasing each day in the restaurant she works and that will reduce her income.

‘What has the government given us, at the most they can give is 2-3 thousand job, even a gas cylinder costs 14 hundred rupees?’, Subedi questions, ‘How can we survive, we have to look after our family? Can the government give us better options?’
Night entrepreneurs are protesting against the government crakdown on the restaurants and bars. Night entrepreneurs blew whistles and scream slogans “Stop the crackdown on night workers” and “Down with government,” in such protest programs.
Night life has been changed in Kathmandu these days after the police raids in the dance bars and restaurants. Dance bars and restaurants that used to get busy till the morning are closed early.
FTV Bar, a popular hangout place for night life lovers is now closed early. Sameer Gurung, coordinator of the night life entrepreneur association says that bars and restaurants like FTV were the most crowded places in Thamel.
Gurung says the forceful raids by the police in the dance bars, night clubs and discos have affected the whole night entrepreneurship. Gurung claims closure of dance bars, nightclubs and discos have left some 80,000 people jobless.
Few weeks back the new home minister Bam Dev Gautam of the Maoist-led government ordered a crackdown on them and police began raiding scores of restaurants and discos.
Tourists are also quite unhappy with the recent changes. ‘It’s very bad that night life in Kathmandu is very short, it’s affecting the tourists like me. In Spain night life starts at 10 or 11 pm,’ Oskara from Spain says ‘ but unfortunately it ends at that time here, the first I went to Thamel and had a glass of beer the night life finished. The night life is very short.’
But on the other hand SP Surbendra Khanal says that crime rates have been decreasing after the raids in dance restaurants. ‘New Dances are against the law’, SP Khanel says, ‘they are the major places where crime takes place, so if we look at the data crime rate has been decreased significantly.’
But entrepreneurs say, closure of dance bars and restaurants is not the solution of the problem. A good alternative has to be sought out and ethics made for the the night entrepreneurs should be strictly followed.

I have done couple of interviews with Prachanda, during my career as Television Journalist. Most of the interviews were event interviews, which were taken in different locations and they were short. I have covered his speeches, press conferences and press releases. But few were face to face interviews. The last one i did was before the constituent assembly election, regarding his chances of winning in Kirtipur and Rolpa. In that interview Prachanda had said that he will win the election with distinction in Rolpa and with first division in Kirtipur.

It has already been six months and now he is the prime minister of Nepal. I was in his residence at Nayabazar to cover the celebrations at his home after he was declared the first prime minister of the republic Nepal. I did a story on his first 24 hours, reagarding his activities after he became the PM.
Breaking the history he went China in the closing ceremony of the Bejing Olympic game, instead of India. His first step was criticized by many including some of the Indian leaders.
But after three weeks, on September 14 he made his first formal visit to India. Indian State Minister Ajid Ahmed came to received him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. People here in Nepal were surprised not to see his counterpart at the airport, who didn’t come to receive him because of his busy schedules.
Previously the Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh had received former Prime Minister GP Koirala during his visit. So, this change hints that India is taking the Maoist government differently.
But India is not new to Prachanda, its his playground since he started Maoist insurgency. Editor of Kantipur Daily Sudhir Sharma in one of his articles says Prachanda spent 85 percentage of his time in India during the war. So, will that make any difference?
As his first formal visit to India is taken with much interest by his supporters and critics. Thats why prior to his visit he took consultations with different ministers and leaders of political parties including the former Prime Minister Girija Prashad Koirala. The former Prime Minister suggested him not to sign any agreements in India. Even Kamal Thapa, the party advocating for constitutional monarchy have suggested him not to sign in any treaties without national consensus.
There are altogether 44 members in his team. What people in Nepal are waiting is that will Prachanda bring any change in the relationship of the two countries and also about the developmental issues. After all Prachanda is taking risk by visiting India just after a day of the serial bomb blast in India, that claimed 20 lives.

There is at least a day that intellectuals feel proud of themselves in Nepal, its on education day or literacy day that the state remembers them.
The state awards excellancy award to intellectuals on this day. President of Nepal Dr Rambaran Yadav awarded 200 individuals with the excellancy award today in the presidential building. That includes those who have recently completed their phd, and topped different streams in different levels.

I respect intellectuals because they have a vision and they are aware about what is going on in the world. Where we are and what we are using at this moment is a gift of intellectuals.
Salute to all the intellectuals in Nepal who made different discovery, invention and theory.
I cannot image what would without Bill Gates, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Einstein, Socrates, Noam Chomsky and others.
They have become the key of the world market and the world intelligence.

These are the intellectuals who have contributed more to this world but they have never topped.
Its time that toppers should come forward to the nation building and address the present problems of the world.
President Dr Yadav asked all the intellectuals to come together for nation building. In the program vice president Paramananda Jha who had taken oath in hindi was seen in suit and a nepali cap. Most of the individuals were also seen in informal dress, previously they were asked to wear daura surabal in such ocassions.

To cover the swearing in program of 15 new ministers we were invited at the Presidents office at 3:30 pm. So we reached there at 3:15 pm. It normally takes 15 minutes to set up camera and other stuffs in television journalism. So we normally go early and make the arrangements, if it is live transmission we go hours before the program starts.
Todays was a historical program as 15 minsters were swearing in the presidential building. All the media persons reached there before 4 pm, but ironically we were barred from entering the building. They said they haven’t received any orders from above. We requested the security personnel deployed at the main gate till 4:30 pm to make arrangements for us to enter, but they didn’t listen to us. And we were left outside the main gate.

It was already late for the program and the security personnel and offical at the main gate maltreated journalists. Though we were not allowed, party cadres of different political parties were give easy entry to the program.
Media representatives became serious with this incident and a meeting was held to boycott the program. They even put their cameras in the ground as a sign of a protest.
Later, Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that he was saddened by the inicident and he also promised that no such incident will b repeated in the future form the governments side.

Press is always targeted by the government and people in power. Ministers and people in power always want to use media in favor of them. But we journalist should be united to fight for press freedom and for public’s right to information.

President’s Office says sorry
The office of the President has said sorry for the incident in which journalists were maltreated. It says it is ’saddened’ by the incident. A two-member committe has been formed to investigate the incident.

I always feel that whatever we do in life, our ultimate goal is to make the world a better place to live in. Whatever responsibilty we may undertake, we should make life easy, simple and beautiful.
Being a journalist the goal is the same. But there are many ethics that we(journalists) should follow. We need to be objective in whatever we report. For that journalism demands objective way of living as well. In each story we try to give one information or the other to make make world a happy place to live in.
Last week south-east of Nepal was hit by a flood. Home ministry has said that 40 thousand people were displaced. It is a good effort that Kantipur Group(Including KTV) established a fund for the flood affected area. Kantipur Group had collected around one crore rupees last year.
Kathmandu Don Bosco Alumni also collected fund from the college students and teachers. I being the president of the alumni was present in all the fund collection and all the students of the colleges donated as much as they could.
Our target was to collect 50 thousand rupees, which succeded after all the teachers gave half day salary and the management gave the rest of the amount.
Small efforts make a lot of difference. Now its time for the Prime Minister of Nepal to make the money reach the victims. As there are reports that two have died of cold and diorehea in the south-east of nepal.

By Rajneesh Bhandari
As Maoist Supremo Prachanda was filing his nomination for the Prime Ministerial post in Baneshwor, his partymen were delcaring a valley band on August 23, Saturday in a protest to stop Miss Nepal competition.
This will be the first band organized and supported by Maoist after they lead the government. Altogether 41 organizations and individuals have joined hand today at a press meet in Putalisadak to close down the event. They said they will also give memorendum to different ministers to stop the event.
Now it is going to be very tough for the organizors to manage the competition.

Its now clear that the Hidden Treasure is going to organize the beauty contest cutting off the swim suite segment after the Maoist asked to shut down the contest.
The contest that was scheduled on August 7 was postponed in the last hour after Maoist staged protest and padlocked the organizor’s office. Its clear that the Maoist still aren’t happy with contest. They have 19 reasons for that. Their logics are: woman is used as an object in the contest, the contest is costly and beauty cannot be measured by any contest.
Some say it’s quite illogical to stop the event in the final hours. Experts say organizors also need to make some changes in the program.
The organizors have put enough money and effort for the program and so have the 20 contestants. Even many of the communist nations in the world including China have already hosted the Miss World contest and the present Miss World Zhang Zi Li is from China.
When i was doing the special story on Miss Nepal postponement, the 20 contestants said they have the right to take part in the competition. They were very much into the competition. From them beauty is for a purpose and they want to use if for social change.
On the other hand, Maoists are right in saying that the young girls shouldn’t be used as a mere object. They say the girls should be respected and Nepali Culture shouldn’t be accultured by the western module. What I think after hearing boths voice is that they sit for a round table discussion and come to a meeting point.