'The government's idea was to terrorize the media'

Yubaraj Ghimire, editor of Kantipur, Nepal's largest-selling newspaper, hit the headlines after the massacre of King Birendra and the royal family.

Ghimire was arrested on charges of treason for running a signed article by Baburam Bhattarai, a Maoist ideologue, calling upon the Nepalese army to revolt against the new king, Gyanendra.

Today, Ghimire has become a household name in Nepal. A kind of local media hero.

Released on bail, he is now in picturesque Nagarkot. He left the Kathmandu valley to spend time with his wife and children.

Speaking exclusively to Ramesh Menon, he sounded cheerful and said he was determined to fight for the cause of freedom. Excerpts:

Do you think your arrest was an affront on the press in Nepal?

It was certainly an affront to the press. The present constitution guarantees freedom of the press. We just exercised the right. It was very clear that the government had mala fide intentions right from the beginning. Otherwise, they could just have served a notice to us. But they arrested us on a public holiday. We could not defend ourselves. The country was also mourning. We could not make any statement.

Were you taken by surprise?

Well, they did not even tell us what the charge was. We were surprised. But various government officers and ministers were going around making statements that we had committed treason. However, nothing was told to us formally. We were not even given a chance to reply to these charges.

Why do you think the government did this?

The government is intolerant to any criticism. As Kantipur is the biggest newspaper in Nepal, the idea was to terrorise the media. By arresting us they wanted the media to fall in line. It thought the media will not write against the government after this and would blindly support it.

What do you think will happen now?

Because of countrywide protests, the government will have to reconsider its stand.

Our plea to the courts is that our arrest is under a redundant law. The law does not exist today; the present constitution does not have the provision to restrict the freedom of the press. There is just no law on that yet. It has to be enacted and passed if it is to be implemented.

Nepal's pre-democracy constitution is very liberal and pro-freedom in content, more than any constitution of any other country in the subcontinent.

We are on strong legal footing. We are not worried. We have full faith in the judiciary.

If the laws are pro-freedom and freedom of the press is guaranteed as you say, why were you and your publisher arrested?

The government wanted to play a game. They thought that the management would kowtow to it. I am very grateful to my management that they did not bend at all. They are ready to fight and are very firm. We are writing a new chapter in the media scene in Nepal.

Did they treat you well?

The police treated us well. For two days, the government ensured that we were segregated, thinking it will break us. But we are strong. The police did not misbehave, but that is not the point. The government has projected us as traitors. It was mental torture.

Even before formal charges were pressed, I gave an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation while in custody. I did it as a deliberate sign of defiance.

What do you think of the future of the monarchy in Nepal?

I do not see any threat to it. The Nepalese have deep respect for the institution of constitutional monarchy.

How is Nepal coping with the tragedy?

The situation is fast moving to normalcy. Nevertheless, for the people to overcome the trauma will take time. As we can see, it is very difficult for the people to accept that King Birendra and King Dipendra are no more. But, slowly, they are reconciling to the fact that they now have a new king.

How did it feel, this arrest, charges of treason and the support you have attracted?

The support we got from both the media and the people is overwhelming. The arrest was so sudden, but the people and the media rallied around us immediately. It got international attention only because we are fighting for the cause of freedom and free opinion.

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