Published Date: 21 Aug, 2022
Kathmandu. The authors have complained that the Nepali media does not give priority to the material written on Dalit issues. Writers living in Kathmandu have shared their experience that despite the practice of regularly writing on Dalit issues, the media does not regularly give space to such material.
Writers who participated in the dialogue program with writers on Dalit issues in Nepali media organized by Jagran Media Center on Friday in Kathmandu claimed that national media is getting less priority on Dalit issues.
In the program, writer Rajendra Maharjan expressed his views on Dalit issues and his writing experience and the state of the media. He also presented the studies and facts about it and said that the strategy of interventionist writing should be adopted on Dalit issues to advance the Dalit movement.
According to the study, the media has a direct effect on the caste system in Nepali society. V.No. Out of a total of 395 articles published in the opinion pages of five national daily newspapers in the month of June 2079, 307 (77.72 percent) of the authors belonged to the Brahmin community, while only 11 (2.78 percent) belonged to the Dalit community. Writers have experience that there are mountains of challenges in front of the writer regarding caste system and Dalits.
‘The media has taken writers as columnists on other subjects. However, there is no concrete effort of the media to solve the problem of caste system, which is such a big problem of the society,’ the authors said, ‘Is the society like the society, is the media in the same situation? There is a situation to be serious about the question.’
Constituent Assembly member and writer Parshuram Ramtel said that it is necessary to publish contemporary articles on Dalit issues. He said that it is necessary to come up with progressive articles with intervention and pressure through writing.
Likewise, Dalit rights activist and writer Ganesh Bishwakarma said that there is a lack of encouragement from the intellectual level to the writers of Dalit questions. He said that articles should be given a place on civil issues related to poverty and scarcity.
Professor and writer Taralal Shrestha said that it is becoming more difficult than before to raise issues related to tribes and Dalits. ‘This is a subject that has potential at the international level. It is becoming a bigger problem for our society,” he said. “Universities should work more liberally in this matter. But the situation is exactly the opposite. Instead of encouraging, the university discourages such subjects.’
Writer Dhanakumari Sunar said that there is a need for the physical presence of the Dalit community in the media. Human rights activist and author Shushil Biswakarma said that the issue should be approached in a broad way, not only caste discrimination and untouchability, but there are many other agendas within this community.
Writer and researcher JV Vishwakarma said that if we really work hard and write quality articles about Dalits, the possibilities are increased.
Constituent Assembly member and president of Jagran Media Center, Kamala Bishwakarma, said that since the issue of Dalits in the Nepali media is focused only on incidents, no concrete achievements have been achieved in solving the problem.
Writers Shivahari Gyawali, Gokarna Bhatt, Ghamwar Nepali Dinesh Panth, Arjun Vishwakarma, Santosh Pariyar, Keshav Bhul and others shared their experience that the situation is better than the past.