Topic: Shrisha Karki - The Truth of the actress (2002 incident)

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पुरानो घटना


आत्महत्या गराउने समाचार : Wednesday, October 09, 2002, Ashwin  23rd, 2059. मा प्रकाशित भएको

फिल्मनगरीको रङ्गिन रात

काठमाडौं । फोटोमा देखिएको नाङ्गो तस्वीर नायिका श्रीषा कार्कीको हो । सिने निर्मात्री सुनीता खड्कामार्फत् रु. ५ देखि १० हजारसम्ममा उपलब्ध हुने नायिका कार्की आजकल ‘खुनी पायल’ नामक हिन्दी भाषामा भूतको फिल्म बनाउने धम्मरधुस भैयाहरुस“ग घुम्ने गर्छिन् । यसअघि उनलाई एक नायकले जापानमा सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रम गर्न जाऔं भनेर अर्कै कार्यक्रम गरी फर्काएका थिए । एकताका एक जना हा“स्य कलाकारले पनि श्रीषालाई सशुल्क उपलब्ध गराइदिन्थे । अहिले ‘खुनी पायल’ फिल्मका प्रोड्युसरहरुले उनलाई बम्बै लगौंला र उतैको फिल्महरु खेलाइदिउ“ला भन्दै सपना देखाइरहेका छन् ।

गत भाद्र १९ गते बुधबारका दिन सा“झ ७.३० बजे सिमसिम पानी परिरहेको बेला गायक यम बरालले नायिका निरुता सिंहलाई पुतलीसडकस्थित आफैंद्वारा सञ्चालित हारती कल्चर सेन्टरमा लिएर गए । सेन्टरमा पुगेपछि प्यासेजको ढोका लगाउ“दै बत्ती निभाएर उनीहरु लगभग १० बजे त्यहा“बाट निस्किए । निरुतालाई यसअघि व्यापारी विजय दुगडले ‘पेप्सी’को विज्ञापन खेलाइदिउ“ला भनेर दिल्ली लगेका थिए । तर, दुगडले निरुतालाई पेप्सीको विज्ञापनमा खेलाउन नसकेपछि उनलाई फकाउन आफैं निर्णायक रहेको मोशन पिक्चर्श एवार्ड र एउटा मोबाइल सेट किनिदिए । तर, निरुता त्यसबाट फक्किन नसकेर अन्य व्यापारीहरुको सान्निध्यमा पुगिन् । कतैबाट केही नलागेपछि आजकल निरुता ‘दाजु’ निर्देशक तुलसी घिमिरेस“ग ढुक्कै बस्न थालेकी छन् । त्यसै कारणले हो– तुलसीकी पत्नी भारतीले तुलसीलाई छाडेर पा“च महिनाअगाडि नै माइती मुम्बई गएकी । बीचमा केही समय निरुता र उत्तम प्रधानका बीच पनि गहिरो सम्बन्ध कायम भयो । तर, निरुता दुगडतिर लागेपछि उत्तमस“ग उनको छुटानाम भयो । आजकल यिनीहरुको बोलचाल बन्द छ । उनी बेला–बेलामा न्यूरोड–वटुका सुन व्यापारीहरुस“ग पनि भेटिने गर्दछिन् ।

उता गायक यम बराल उमेर–उमेरका तरुनीहरु खेलाउन खप्पिस छन् । पुरानो बानेश्वरस्थित फाल्गुनी ओभरसिजकी मालिक्नी विष्णु गुरुङ यम बराललगायतका केही मर्दहरुकी पनि मालिक्नी हुन् । यम बरालले विष्णु गुरुङबाट एउटा सेन्ट्रो कार, एउटा मोबाइल लाइन र ज्ञानेश्वरमा एउटा काइदाको घडेरी हासिल गरिसकेका छन् । उनीबाट यमलेजस्तै विभिन्न मालसामान फुत्काउन थुप्रै मर्दहरु कस्सिएर लागेका छन् । भोजपुरका एक लाहुरे गुरुङस“ग पहिलोपटक बिवाह गरेकी विष्णुले त्यसपछि गुरुङ लेख्न थालेकी हुन् तर उनको माइती थर गुरुङ होइन ।

बेहुली फिल्मकी हिरोइन तथा धर्तीकी निर्मात्री सुनीता खड्का संगठित धन्धावाल हुन् । उनको अखडामा श्रीषा कार्कीलगायतका दामदामका हिरोइन पाइन्छन् । आजकल सो अखडामा ममता बस्नेत नामक युवती सर्वसुलभ उपलब्ध हुन्छिन् । सुनीताकोमा मारवाडीदेखि सेना–प्रहरीका हाकिम र उच्च ओहोदाका व्यक्तिहरु धाउने गर्दछन् ।

उमेरले आफ्नी सौतेनी आमाभन्दा जेठी शिव श्रेष्ठकी साइूली छोरी स्वीटीलाई नायक दिलिप रायमाझीले केही दिनअगाडि दक्षिणकालीमा सिन्दुर हालेको र नगरकोटमा हनिमुन मनाएको सुनेपछि शिव छोरीमाथि अतिक्रमण गर्ने दिलिपको खोजीमा लागेका छन् । तर, दिलिप केही दिनअघिमात्रै हङकङ्ग उडेका छन् । दिलिपकी पहिलो श्रीमती बागबजारमा ब्युटीपार्लर खोलेर बसेकी छन् । स्वीटीचाहिं बुबा शिव श्रेष्ठबाट भागी–भागी हिंडेकी छन् । दिलिप र स्वीटीबीच ०५५ सालबाटै प्रेम शुरु भएको हो । दिलिपले सञ्चालन गरेको इन्टरनेशनल डान्स सेन्टरमा उनले समय नदिंदा स्वीटी त्यहा“को मालिक्नीको रुपमा बस्ने गर्दथिन् ।

आफ्ना पति सुरज चन्दलाई पोहोरको दशैंमा बहुविवाहको अभियोग लगाएर खोरमा जाक्ने नायिका पूजा चन्दले मुना चियाका मालिकलगायत थुप्रै मारवाडीहरुस“ग रात बिताएको पैसाले बिनाविज्ञापन टेलिभिजन कार्यक्रम चलाइरहेकी छन् । ठमेलस्थित पिस नाइट गेष्ट हाउसका सञ्चालक प्रकाश सिलवालस“ग आजकल पूजाका रङ्गिन रातहरु बित्ने गरेका छ्न । पूर्व प्रधानमन्त्रीका एक जना निजी सचिव, राजाका पूर्व एडीसी, राजधानीका पूर्व मेयर तथा हालका सचिवहरुस“ग पनि पूजाको सःशुल्क धन्दा चल्ने गरेको छ ।

राजाको जन्मोत्सवका अवसरमा जल शाहले पाएको गोदवा एक जना पूर्व गृहमन्त्रीको देन थियो । फिल्मलाइनका लगभग सबै हिरोइनहरुलाई नचाइसकेकी ती मन्त्रीले अब नचाउनलाई शायदै कोही हिरोइन बा“की होला । एक टेलिभिजन च्यानलबाट सुनील थापाले सञ्चालन गर्ने ‘सुनील स्टार शो’ पहिले जल शाहले ‘जल स्टार शो’ भनेर चलाउने भएकी थिइन् । त्यही सिलसिलामा डिल्लीबजारको भोजनगृहको एक कोठामा टेलिभिजन च्यानलका मालिकस“ग जल रङ्गेहात पक्राउ परेकी थिइन् । पक्राउ परेपछि सम्बन्धका कारण बद्नाम हुने भइयो भनेर च्यानलका मालिकले जलले सञ्चालन गर्ने कार्यक्रम सुनीललाई दिएका हुन् ।

प्रहरी र अध्यागमनका ठूल्ठूला मान्छेलाई रिझाएर बसेकी रीता ओभरसिजकी कमला शर्मा आजकल फिल्म प्रोड्युसर र डाइरेक्टरहरुलाई रिझाउने गर्दछिन् । आफ्नी छोरी मोनिकालाई हिरोइन बनाउन विभिन्न युवतीहरुलाई कमलाले विभिन्न ठाउ“मा पु¥याउने गर्दछिन् । मलेशियालगायत विभिन्न खाडी मुलुकमा पठाइने मान्छेहरुको भीसा लगाउन विभिन्न राजदूतावासका काउन्सिलरहरुलाई पठाइने युवतीहरु मेनपावरको व्यापार मन्दी भएपछि फिल्म लाइनतिर दौडिन थालेका छन् । उनकी छोरी मोनिका ‘उपहार’ र ‘परीक्षा’ नामक फिल्मको हिरोइन भइसकेकी छन् । उसो त उनकी छोरी पनि आमाभन्दा कमकीचाहिं होइनन् ।

‘हत्तेरी’ भन्ने फिल्म खेल्दा कलाकार श्याम घिमिरेले नायिका रेजिना उप्रेतीलाई कालिकास्थानबाट घट्टेकुलोतर्फ जाने बाटोमा रहेको आफ्नो साथीको डेरामा लगेर रात बिताएका थिए । रेजिनास“ग फिल्म डाइरेक्टर सोभित बस्नेत र रेश आचार्यहरुले पनि थुप्रै रातहरु काटिसकेका छन् । ‘सिमसिमे पानीमा...’ भन्ने गीतकी शाह थरकी गायिकाको बालाजु–वनस्थलीबाट भित्रपट्टी छिर्ने बाटोको एक घरमा धन्धावाल अखडा रहेको छ । गायिका शाहले सिंह थरका एक व्यक्तिस“ग विवाह गरेकी छन् । उनको अखडामा समाजका ‘लब्ध प्रतिष्ठित’ भनिने यौनपिपासुहरुको ठूलोमात्रामा जमघट हुने गर्दछ ।

पूर्वमन्त्री विजय गच्छेदार, डीआईजी अच्युत चालिसे, सचिव लोकमानसिंह कार्की, गायक आनन्द कार्कीलगायत विभिन्न व्यापारीहरुस“ग घनिष्ठता कायम गरेकी शर्मिला मल्लले पहिले झापा चन्द्रगढीका सन्तोष पोखरेलस“ग विवाह गरेकी थिइन् । सन्तोषबाट शर्मिलाको एक छोरो पनि जन्मिएका थिए । तर, ती छोरा अहिले सन्तोषस“गै छन् भने शर्मिलाचाहिं कृष्ण मल्लस“ग । नया“ नायिका अरुणिमा लम्साललाई व्यापारी श्याम खेतानले ‘आफ्नी’ बनाएका छन् । राजेश हमालस“ग नजिकको सम्बन्ध रहेकी करिश्मा मानन्धरको आजकल उप्रेती थरका नायकस“ग हिमचिम बढेको छ । भनिन्छ, करिश्माका पति विनोदस“ग उनको सम्बन्ध चिसिंदै गएको छ ।

– विश्वमणि सुवेदी÷यादवप्रसाद पाण्डे

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नारी अस्मिता माथि पापी पत्रकारिता

हजारौ वर्ष देखि चलि आएको पितृसतात्मक नेपाली सामाजिक परिवेसमा नारी माथि सदा अत्याचार हुदै आएको छ | हिन्दु सास्त्रमा नारी जातिलाइ बिसेष महत्वका साथ धन, बिद्या र बलमा पुरुष भन्दा माथि राखिएको भए पनि सोहि धर्म र दर्शनका अनुयेहीहरु आजसम्म पनि महिलालाई सन्तान जन्माउने र हुर्काउने मेसिनको तथा मनोराजनको साधनको रुपमा मात्र हेर्न चाहन्छन |

नेपाली पुरुषहरु महिलाले गरेको सानो गल्तिलाई पनि तीललाई पहाड बनाउने गर्छन भने तिनै  पुरुषको हजारौ गल्ति नारीले सहनु परिरहेको छ | एकैसौं सताब्दीको एक दशक पुरा हुँदा सम्म पनि नेपाली महिला माथिको सामाजिक कु दृष्टि कहिले हटेन |

येही सन्धर्बमा हालसालै नेपाली संचार माध्यममा भएको नारी अस्मिता माथिको प्रहरले मलाई ज्यादै नै दुखि तुल्याको छ | अशिक्षा र अन्ध विश्वासमा गुज्रिएको हाम्रो समाजमा राष्ट्को चौथो अंग र समाजलाई सदाचारको बाटोमा डोर्याउने देशको ऐना मानिने संचार माध्यम नै आजसम्म पनि नारी जातिलाई अगाडी बढ्न नदिन अनेक प्रोपोगान्डा र बेक्तिगत सूचनाहरु सम्प्रेषण गरि मनोरंजनको पात्र बनाई रहेका छन् |

पेशाको मर्यादा र आचार संहिताको बिपरित  व्यक्तिगत जीवनसँग सम्बन्धित पक्षलाई समाचार बनाएर उनीहरु मानवको बेक्तिगत जीवन जीउन पाउने अधिकारको उल्नगन गरि मानबता बिरोधि गम्भीर अपराध गरिरहेका छन् |

केहि वर्ष अगाडी आपत्तिजनक फोटो पत्रिकामा चापिए पछि नायिका श्रीषा कार्कीले आत्म हत्या गर्नु पर्यो | तेस्तै केहि महिना अगाडी अभिनेत्री नम्रता श्रेष्ठको तथा मोडल पूजा लामाको यौन प्रकरण भिडियो बारेको समाचार छापियो | जसले गर्दा उनीहरु आज सम्म पनि समाजमा घुलमिल हुन नसकिने स्थीति पैदा भएको छ | हो, निश्चित रुपमा नम्रता एक  सार्वजनिक छवि बोकेकी पात्र हुन् तर सो सारारिक सम्भंद एकजना उमेर पुगेकी युवतीले उमेर पुगेको युवकसँग गरेको नितान्त व्यक्तिगत क्रियाकलाप  थियो। त्यो न त सार्वजनिक स्थानमा गरिएको थियो, न त त्यसबाट समाजमा अन्य जनतालाई कुनै असर पर्ने काम नै थियो। नत उनले आफू कुनै साधु सन्त जसरि यौन गतिविधिबाट टाडा बसेकी रूपमा कहिले आफूलाई प्रस्तुत गरेकी थिइन्। तर पनि उनि एक अवला नारी भएकै कारणले गर्दा आज उनलाई पित पत्रकारिता गर्दै समाज बाट बहिस्कार गर्न प्रेरित गरिदै छ |

नेपालमा सार्वजनिक छवि बोकेका पुरुषबाटसोहि प्रकृतिका घटना न भएका होइनन तर पनि उनीहरु बाट हुने तेस्त घटना संधै ढाकछोप गर्ने कोसिस गरिएको छ | महा नायक राजेश हमालको नांगो तस्बिर, गाएक प्रकाश ओझाको योंन भिडियो को त कुरै जावोस शोएम नम्रता श्रेठ संग सम्भंद राख्ने डिजे तान्त्रिकको कसैले नामै लिएनन् | के यो संसार बुझेका पत्रकारहरुले नारी माथिको गरेको जघने अपराध हैन ? हाम्रो कुरा कसले  बोलिदेने ? हरियो नोटको खेति गर्न बसेका सैउ मानव अधिकारबादी संघ संस्था र तिनका टाउकेहरु के गर्दै छन् आज ?

यसै बिच केहि हप्ता अगाडी एउटा खुसिको कुरो सुन्न पाहियो नम्रताश्रेष्ठ सभासद गगन थापा र पूर्व मिस नेपाल माल्भिका सुब्बासँगै बिच क्रिकेट फेस्टिभलको 'सद्‍भावना दूत' घोषणा समारोहमा पत्रकार सम्मेलनमार्फत् सार्वजनिक भइन् | म सलाम गर्छु नायिका नम्रतालाई, तिम्रो पहिला सँधै एसरी नै अगी बडी रहुन | पापी समाजका पापी पत्रकार प्रति तिमी येसरी नै झापड लगाई रहु | येही छ मेरो शुभ कामना | प्यारी बहिनी  श्रेया |

Source PeopleBoat written by : shreaya
17-Mar- 2010

[anand]

2009 Naya Patrika

यसरी बन्यो मेरो ब्लु फिल्म

यो दुई वर्ष अगाडिको घटना हो जसको सजाय गायक प्रकाश ओझाले पाइसकेक छन् । तर अहिलेपनि प्रकाशको कारण ज्योतिको जीवन भने अहिलेसम्म सहज बन्न सकेको छैन ।

केही दिन अगाडि माओवादी निकट योङ्ग कम्युनिष्ट लिगले प्रकाश र ज्योतिको ब्लु फिल्मको सिडि फेल पारेपछि कर्वाही गर्न थालेपछि उनी मर्ने कि बांच्ने भन्ने दोधारकाविच भौतारिएर काठमाडौं आइपुगेकी छिन् ।

प्रकाश आफ्ना काला दिन समजवाट मेट्न चलचित्रमा नायक भएर आउने तयारीमा रहेका छन् । तर ज्योतिलाई बांच्नपनि हम्मे परिरहेको छ । आखिर के भएको रहेछ । ज्योति र प्रकाशमा विच ।

पढ्नुहोस् ज्योति आफैंले दिएको सनसनीखोज बयान ।

ज्योति खड्का

इटहरीको स्थानीय साङ्गीतिक समूह मदानी समूहको म पनि एक सदस्य हुँ । त्यसमा प्रकाश ओझा शिशिर सुवेदीलगायतका व्यक्तिहरु पनि थिए । गायक प्रकाश ओझाले त्यही समूहबाट शुरु गरेको साङ्गीतिक यात्राले क्रमशः विस्तारित रुप लिँदै गयो । उहाँ राष्ट्रिय स्तरको कलाकार हुनुभयो । काठमाडौंमा कान्तिपुर टेलिभिजनको प्रशारण भर्खरै शुरु भएको थियो । उक्त टेलिभिजनबाट ओझाको नेतृत्वमा तीते करेली नामक हाँस्य कार्यक्रमको निर्माण गर्ने कुरा शुरु हुनथाल्यो । तीते करेलीको अभिनयका लागि म काठमाडौं बस्नुपर्ने भयो । गाउँठाउँका दाजुभाइ र दिदीबहिनीबीचको त्यो जमघट शुरुका दिनमा निक्कै रोमााचक भयो । तर जब दिन बित्दै गयो तब एक पुरुषले अर्कोलाई मन पराउने एउटाले अर्कोको घृणा गर्नेजस्ता कृयाकलाप बढ्न थाल्यो । त्यसै क्रममा मलाई शिशिर सुवेदीले औधी मन पराएको भन्दै बिवाह प्रस्ताव गरे । तर म त्यो प्रस्ताव स्वीकार गर्न समर्थ भइनँ । मैले ुहुँदैनु भन्ने जवाफ दिएकै दिन शिशिरले भनेका थिए ुयो घमण्डको जवाफ म एक दिन दिउँला । मलाई प्रकाश ओझाको प्रतिभा र व्यक्तित्वबाट निक्कै नै प्रभावित थिएँ । हुन पनि उहाँको प्रतिभाबाट हाम्रो इटहरी शहर निक्कै गौरवान्वित पनि थियो । त्यसैले मलाई अरुको भन्दा प्रकाश ओझाको बढी भर लाग्थ्यो । तर एक दिन मलाई प्रकाश दाइले मैले बाथरुममा नुहाउँदै गरेको नग्न तस्वीर देखाउनुभयो । होइन भनौं मैं हुँ त्यो हो भनौं त्यो फोटो खिचेको मलाई थाहै छैन । प्रकाशले त्यो फोटो खिचेपछि मलाई श्रीषा कार्की बनाउँछु भन्नेसम्मको धम्की दियो । त्यो धम्कीपछि मैले सोचें म मर्नु ठीक होइन । आफ्नी आमा पनि तीन वर्षको छँदै मरेको । कान्छी आमाले स्याहार सुसार गरेकी म मर्नुबाट मेरो परिवारमा ठूलो चोट पुग्छ । त्यसैले प्रकाश ओझाका शर्त मान्नुबाहेक मसँग कुनै बिकल्प रहेन । शब्दमा भन्नु नपर्ला प्रकाश ओझाका प्रत्येक माग मैले पूरा गरेंँ । लोग्ने फेर्दै हिँड्ने इटहरीकी बद्नाम युवती सुदेशा सिग्देल र प्रकाश ओझाबीच सुमधुर सम्बन्ध थियो । म सुदेशालाई दिदी भन्थें । एक दिन सुदेशाले शिशिर सुवेदीको सहयोगमा प्रकाशसँग भएका चिप्सहरु बरामद गरेकी रहिछन् । त्यो चिप्समा सुदेशाकी छोरी मनिषा म र मेरी बहिनीको पनि नग्न तस्वीर थियो । तर सुदेशाले आफ्नी छोरीको दृष्य सबै नष्ट पारेकी रहिछ । उनले ओझाले चेलिबेटीमाथि दुव्र्यबहार गरेको भन्दै उसलाई छोड्न नहुने भन्दै मलाई उक्साइन् । त्यसैले मैले ओझा विरुद्ध मुद्धा दायर गर्नमा सहमति जनाएँ । मैले बुझिन कि ओझासँगको मेरा सम्पूर्ण सम्पर्कलाई सार्वजनिक गर्ने अपराधी सुदेशा हुन् भन्ने कुरा । कारणः ओझाले ती दृष्यहरु विकि्रका लागि नभएर मात्र ब्ल्याकमेलिङ्गका लागि तयार पारेका थिए । प्रकाश ओझा पक्राउ परेपछि मलाई उनकी श्रीमतीले पटक-पटक अनुनय गरिन् प्रकाशलाई माफ दिन । उनले प्रकाशसँग मलाई विवाह गर्नका लागि पनि दबाब दिइन् । तर मैले मानिनँ । उनले मलाई पढाई खर्च र चाहिएजति पैसा दिन्छु पनि भनिन् तर मेरा लागि त्यो कुरा स्वीकार्य भएन । प्रकाश ओझा जेलबाट मुक्त भएलगत्तै उसले मसँग माफ मागिसकेको छ । उसका पनि घर परिवार छन् भनेर मैले उसलाई माफ गरिसकेको छु । हुन पनि गल्ती मेरो पनि हो । प्रकाशले आफ्नो चाहना धम्कीको शैलीमा व्यक्त गर् यो त्यो उसको कुरा हो मैले प्रतिवाद गर्न सकिन र चुपचाप स्वीकरा गरें वास्तवमा त्यो मेरो गल्ती थियो । उसले मलाई बलात्कार गरेको थिएन । सुदेशाले प्रकाश पक्राउ परेलगत्तै अदालतलाई बयानमा भनेकी थिइन् प्रकाशका अश्लील दृष्यहरु मैले सेभ गरेर राखेकी छु । मैले सोधें किन दिदी भनेर । सुदेशाले भनिन् न्यायाधीशले पैसा खाएर प्रकाशको पक्षमा फैसला गरे भने काम लाग्छ नि । शिशिरले इमेदलमा मेरो नाङ्गो फोटो ठाउँठाउँमा पठायो भनेर पनि मैले सुनें । सुनेपछि मैले शिशिरलाई सोधें । शिशिरले सुदेशाले हो भन्यो । सुदेशालाई सोधें उसले शिशिरले हो भनी । फोटोहरु पठाउने कर्तुत गरेपछि फेरि पनि मलाई शिशिरले भन्यो ुज्योति बिगि्रएको केही पनि छैन म तिमीलाई अझै पनि स्वीकार गर्छु । मेरो यो आशक्तिलाई बुझिनौं भने म जे पनि गरिदिन्छु ।ु उसले फोन गरेका नम्बरमा मैले कलब्याक गर्दा त्यो त पिसिओबाट गरेको रहेछ । यसबाट प्रष्ट हुन्छ विभिन्न व्यक्तिलाई इमेलमार्फत मेरो फोटो पठाउने मान्छे शिशिर हो । अनि पछिल्लो समयमा मेरो बद्नाम गर्ने उद्देश्यले सीडी बजारमा ल्याउने सुदेशा र शिशिर नै हुन् । किनभने त्यो सीडीमा सुदेशाले आफ्नी छोरीलाई जोगाएकी छन् र मलाई मात्रै प्रस्तुत गरेकी छन् । भरपर्दो आधार छ उनले अदालतमा चिप्स कपी गरेर राखेको बयान दिएकी थिएन । यसबीचमा मैले पटक पटक मर्ने प्रयास गरें । मलाई जीवन भन्दा श्रीषा कार्की बन्नु उचित पनि लाग्यो । तर मरेपछि हारिन्छ भनेर म मर्न सकिन । जित्छु एकदिन ममाथि भएको अन्याय जित्छु भनेर आजसम्म बाँचेकी छु । तर राति राति मोबाइलमा फोन आउँछ- कति पैसा चाहिन्छ त्यसले पाउने हामीले नपाउने… तिम्रो …त कति राम्रो रैछ हेर्न मात्रै देऊ न यस्ता फोनबाट आजित भएर मैले मोबाइल बोक्न छाडें । बाँचौ आज पनि समाजले राम्रो भन्दैन मरौं हारेजस्तो हुन्छ म के गरौं दोधारमा छु ।


साभार : नयां पत्रिका

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नेपाली सञ्चार माध्यमको द्वैध सोच

नेपाली सञ्चार माध्यममा 'ग्ल्यामर' विषयसूचि वा विषयवस्तुका रुपमा शुरु निकै अघिदेखि भएको हो । तर व्यवस्थित र व्यवसायिक रुपमा 'कामना' पत्रिकाले थालनी गर्‍यो । त्यसपछि ग्ल्यामर लिएर अनेकौँ पत्रपत्रिकाहरु आए । ग्ल्यामर नेपाली चलचित्र हुँदै नेपाली म्युजिक भिडियोसम्म आएको देख्छौँ । आज विदेशी पत्रपत्रिकाको नेपालमा आगमन र पछिल्लो समयमा आएर स्याटेलाइट टेलिभिजन भित्रिएपछि यसले नेपाली समाजमा चाँडै नै स्थान बनाउन सफल भयो । तर नेपाली समाज परम्परागत मूल्य, मान्यतामा आधारित भएकाले मानिसहरुले यसलाई खुलेर स्वीकार गरेको देखिन्न, जब कि व्यवहारमा ग्ल्यामरलाई सर्वसाधारणले प्रशस्त अङ्गीकार गरेको छ । यसलाई हामी नेपालीको 'डबल स्ट्यान्डर्ड' (Double Standard) अर्थात् द्वैध चरित्रको रुपमा लिन सक्छौँ ।

नेपाली अधिकांश मिडियाहरु कुनै न कुनै रुपमा ग्ल्यामरमा आधारित छन् । जस्तो कान्तिपुर साप्ताहिक, कामना, मोडलिङ र फेशन सम्बन्धी अनेकन् नेपाली टेलिभिजन कार्यक्रमहरु अथवा फेशन टीभी, एमटीभी, च्यानल भी, ग्ल्यामर गीत र दृश्य भएका सिनेमाहरु आदिको लोकप्रियता ज्यादै देख्न सक्छौँ । त्यस्तै, राष्ट्रिय दैनिक अखबारहरु कान्तिपुर, समाचारपत्र, हिमालयन, अन्नपूर्ण, काठमान्डू पोष्टदेखि हिमाल खबरपत्रिका, नेपाल आदि पत्रपत्रिकाले पनि ग्ल्यामरलाई सर्वस्वीकार्य लेखनका रुपमा लिइरहेका छन् । ग्ल्यामर र सौन्दर्य प्रतियोगिता कति लोकप्रिय छन् भन्ने कुरा वार्षिक १४/१५ वटा ठूल्ठूला सौन्दर्य र ग्ल्यामर प्रतियोगिताको आयोजनबाट नै थाहा हुन्छ ।

यसरी मिडियाले अनेकौँ रुपमा ग्ल्यामरको उपयोग गर्दै आइरहेको छ । तर जब मिडियाबाट नै ग्ल्यामरको गलत परिभाषा हुन्छ, तब योसँग सम्बन्धित व्यवसायीहरुलाई ठूलो मर्का पर्छ । अरु पेशाजस्तै मोडलिङमा पनि केही खराबी हुनसक्छन्, त्यो समाजको हरेक पाटोमा देखिने कुरा हुन् । तर पत्रिकामा ग्ल्यामर लेखिँदा बढी बिकाउन सनसनीपूर्ण बनाउँदा यसको नकारात्मक प्रभाव पर्न जान्छ ।

एक समय यस्तो थियो, रङ्ग पत्रकारिता भनेको अरुलाई नङ्ग्याउने पत्रकारिता हो । यसको प्रभाव कस्तो रहृयो भने सिनेमामा सधैँ भरि असल परिवारबाट असल कलाकार बन्ने व्यक्ति देखिन छाडे । अहिले अशोक शर्मा, क्वेष्ट इन्टरटेन्मेन्ट, नवीन सुब्बाजस्ता 'जेनयून्' चलचित्रकर्मीहरु चाहेजस्तो कलाकारको अभावका कारण छटपटिइरहेका छन् । नकारात्मक टिप्पणीले मात्र उद्योग सुध्रिने थियो भने शायद नेपाली चलचित्र उद्योगबाट दर्जनौँ चलचित्रहरु कान चलचित्र महोत्सवमा सहभागी भइरहेका हुने थिए । आलोचनाले मात्र उद्योग बनिने भए आज चलचित्र उद्योगको यो दशा हुने थिएन ।

नकारात्मक लेख वा टिप्पणी वा समाचारले पहिलो आक्रमणको शिकार व्यवसायीहरु हुनु पर्दछ । कसैको चरित्र हत्या हुँदा उसलाई पारिवारिक र सामाजिक समस्यामा फँस्न पुग्छ । श्रीषा कार्की काण्ड यसको जीवित प्रमाण हो । जुनसुकै व्यवसायको चरित्र हत्या हुँदा त्यस व्यवसायप्रति मानिसको दृष्टिकोण परिवर्तन हुनसक्छ । र, योग्य व्यक्तिहरु यस क्षेत्रमा आउन गाह्रो हुन्छ । यसका कारण न त राम्रा र योग्य व्यक्ति अभिनेता बन्न आउँछ, न त राम्रो व्यक्ति मिस नेपालमा भाग लिन चाहन्छ न त राम्रो मोडल नै बन्न आउँछ । उद्योगका कतिपय कुराहरु साङ्लोझैँ बेरिएका हुन्छन् । ग्ल्यामर उद्योग नफस्टाइ र त्यसले सम्भावना नदेखाई क्षमतावान् व्यक्तिहरु आउँदैनन् र क्षमतावान् व्यक्तिहरु नआई उद्योग फस्टाउँदैन ।

तसर्थ ग्ल्यामरको बारेमा नेपाली मिडियाको स्पष्ट सोच हुन ज्यादै जरुरी छ । कि त सबै किसिमका विदेशी मिडिया, सूचना प्रवाहलाई बन्द गरेर हाम्रो आधुनिकता र ग्ल्यामरलाई पनि बन्द गर्नुपर्छ कि त समाजले विस्तारै अँगाल्दै गरेका आधुनिक मूल्य, मान्यतालाई मिडियाले पनि साथ दिनु पर्छ । नत्र भने कोठे रिपोर्टिङका भरमा कुनै एउटा व्यक्तिलाई मनमा लागेको कोरा सोचले वृहद् आकारमा ठाउँ पाउनु हुँदैन ।

नेपाल पत्रिकाको चैत ४, २०६३ अंकको पेज ५४ मा छपिएको मोडल स्म्रीती खड्का संवन्धी लेख

नेपाल पत्रिकाको बैशाख २, २०६४ अंकको पेज ५४ मा छपिएको मोडल हिमानी संवन्धी लेख

[anand]

Police arrest Khadka in connection with 'Shrisha Karki" case

The police Sunday arrested actress and producer Sunita Khadka in connection with the suicide of film actress Shrisha Karki.

Khadka, actress of the movie 'Behuli' told the police that editor of 'Jana Aastha' Weekly, Kishor Shrestha had been exploiting Karki physically, mentally and economically before she committed suicide last week.

The police had been looking for Khadka in connection with the suicide of Karki to carry out further investigation into the case. Khadka after knowing that the police were looking for her went to the Nepal Cine Artistes Association and told them everything after which she surrendered to the police.

Khadka told the police that editor Shrestha was blackmailing her and Karki for a long time. The police is said to have acquired important information about people who compelled Karki to commit suicide.

Karki committed suicide after a news story with her naked photo was published in the 'Jana Aastha' Weekly. Meanwhile seven different associations related with the Nepali movie industry have decided after a meeting held Sunday that they will gather at the Royal Nepal Academy at 11:00 am Sunday and will march to the District Police office.

On reaching the district police office, the seven associations will demand legal action against editor Kishor Shrestha and reporters Biswomani Subedi and Yadav Prasad Pandey for being responsible for Karki's suicide. They will also register murder charges against the three.

The cine artistes are also planning to seek the audience of King Gyanendra on Friday to inform him about the injustice meted out to Karki.

from - nepalnews - Oct 21, 2002


Location of nude photo shoot identified

KOL Report

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 - Police investigating the Shreesha suicide scandal Monday said that they have identified the house at Bisal Nagar as the house belonging to one of the relatives of Uddhab Bhandari, a former assistant sub-inspector (ASI).

The ASI has been alleged to have taken the photograph of the late actress in that house in alliance with actress Sunita Khadka, who surrendered to police Sunday. Police have achieved this success following tips from Khadka. The ASI, who is accused of supplying the nude photograph of the deceased upcoming heroine to the editor of Jana Astha weekly, has been living in London since last year after resigning from the police service.

Police sources also said that if the involvement of Bhandari proved true in the case he would be retrieved from London. "Nobody will be spared in connection with this case," the source said. But the source declined to clarify how he will be retrieved.

The police at the Hanumandhoka police office said that they are trying their best to arrest the editor. "We have mobilised police in every possible place to arrest him, but he has gone underground," said Tapendra Dhoj Hamal, superintendent of police at Hanumandhoka.

[anand]

Tabloid story drove actress to suicide: Police

Himalayan News Service,
Kathmandu, October 16,


A 24-year-old Nepali actress allegedly committed suicide here on Sunday following the publication of a news item in a weekly tabloid.

Shrisha Karki, who acted in several Nepali features including Gham Chhayan, was found hanging from the ceiling at her rented home in Mainju Bahal. Shrisha's brother rushed her to the Teaching Hospital where she was declared dead.

According to the police, the beautiful actress resorted to the extreme step following the publication of an article in the tabloid Jana Astha. The article, which was accompanied by a nude picture of Shrisha, alleged that she was having an affair with an industrialist. The article also made references to several other actresses.

Tapendradhoj Hamal, Superindentent Police at District Police Office, told The Himalayan Times that the actress was perturbed by the article. " She had been extremely upset eversince the article appeared in the October 9th edition of the weekly", he said.
Shrisha's brother, who incidentally did'nt want to be named, said that his sister's mood changed radically after the tabloid hit the stands. According to him, Shrisha was tense and gloomy after the article was published. "People began ridiculing her. The public scorn drove her to suicide,'' he maintained adding: "We are mourning. I have nothing else to say."

Hamal said that the police had registered a case on the basis of a complaint filed by the Film Artistes' Association last Friday with the Valley Crime Investigation Department, Hanumandhoka. The weekly's editor Kishore Shrestha has been named as an accused for driving Shrisha to suicide through character assassination.

He further revealed that the police were on the lookout for Shrestha. "We are searching for Kishore Shrestha. He has been in hiding for four days. We are determined to take action against such journalists", he said.

The tragic incident evoked widespread condemnation. Journalists and those associated with the film industry felt that urgent steps are needed to curb such journalism.
"The weekly has violated the code of conduct of journalism," said noted cine journalist Dr. Pradeep Bhattarai.

He pointed out that according to the 'code of conduct issued in 1998, journalists should not publish any news which tarnishes a person's character.

Actor-director Krishna Malla said that the artistes see the incident as murder rather than suicide. "We don't think she committed suicide. She was forced to commit suicide."

According to him, the tabloid had violated the ethics of journalism. "Shrisha was a gentle and innocent girl", he said.

***

'Jana Aastha' deputy editor resigns

Deputy editor of Jana Aastha Weekly, Sita Ram Baral resigned from his post Saturday after the outburst of protests over the news story and picture related with Nepali film actress Shrisha Karki who committed suicide last week.

"I have to bear the responsibility of what has happened as an assistant editor, but I had been protesting against such acts since the beginning," he said in a press statement Saturday.

Meanwhile an accountant of the paper Suraj Shrestha has been arrested from Jana Aastha office.

Film artistes have formed a struggle committee to press for the arrest of Kishor Shrestha, editor of Jana Aashta weekly. Basundhara Bhusal president of Nepal Film Artist Association (NFAA), has been named chairman of the committee. The committee comprises seven professional associations.

nepalnews.com am Oct 20


****

Subedi (the guy who wrote the article) against Karki, says "if someone dies because of the article published in the newspaper, the newspaper is not responsible for the suicide". Read Kantipur (Nepali Daily) Oct. 18th issue.

Few things to be noted:

1. Trick Graphics combined head of Karki with other woman's body.
2. Mr. Kishor Shrestha got Rs. 5,000. and was begging another Rs. 5,000.
3. Ms. Karki was heading to get married. A golden opportunity to Mr. Kishor Shrestha to grab huge money out of Ms. Karki.
4. Mr. Kishor is affiliated to UML, no need to worry about possible public reaction. Kathmandu Peoples are mainly occupied by communist mind of UML.
5. Mr. Kishor was exploiting her for long time. Its what happens in Kathmandu's weekly. They threaten peoples and grab money. Its regular job of the news media.

[anand]

Here is what happened at yesterday's Martin Chautari meeting, . . I have added some my own thoughts. (October 19 meeting)

1) The film people ended up NOT attending the meeting. They were, a it later transpired, under Krishna Malla's leadership,busy meeting with politicians and the
Chief of Police, asking them to do something against the editor Kishore Shrestha.

2) The women activists -- such as Shanta Thapaliya, Shova Gautam, Sapana Malla Pradhan too ended up NOT coming to the meeting, though they too have issued statements denouncing the news-report.

3) None of the Leftist intellectuals -- usual presence at Martin Chautari -- showed up.
I am not sure whether this was because Jana Astha is an UML-supported vernacular weekly or because the Dassain hangover is still in the air.

But the usual leftist intellectuals and activists such as Khagendra Sangraula, Rajendra Maharjan, Shyam Shrestha, Ramesh Bhattarai, Anand Dev Bhatta and so on did NOT show up. Nor too they -- either collectively or individually -- so far have published a statement, making their position clear on this issue.

[My own "paapi" mind says that had "Jan Astha" been a Congressi newspaper, our
Left ko comrades would have done the dharna, gherao and julus and all that by now, hyping up the issue in all the righteously indignant tones, and in the name of solidarity against "yellow journalism" and "women's exploitation" and so on.

Is it that -- my "paapi" mind asks -- they are silent now because the alleged perpetrator is one of their own comrades? If so, what does that tell about their commitment to strengthen the civil society in Nepal?]

4) Gopal Siwakoti "Chintan", the fire-brand lawyer, showed up, and, in his trademark reasonableness, outlined two legal strategies. [Regular Sajha readers may remember my defense of Chintan against BASELESS a Kantipur story a few months ago here in
this forum].

Chintan's strategies are:

One, use the less-than-perfect Nepali laws and charge the editor with involuntary manslaughter. In theory, the maximum penalties are: 2 years in jail and/or Rs. 500 (yes, 5 hundred rupees or about 7 dollars!) in fine. In practice, the convict stays in jail for maybe a week and/or pays fine of about Rs. 200 and that's about it.

Two, again, use the less-than-great Nepali laws and charge the publication for defamation. In theory, the convict gets 35 days in jail and/or pays fine up to Rs. 10,000. In practice, rarely enforced.

5) The discussion also touched upon:

a) the issue of women's privacy rights (which have obviously been violated in this case)

b) the khattam state of film-journalism, which puts itself on some sort of a pedestal, ostensibly to expose so-called bad girls. [Even the so-called "bad girls" have rights that no newspaper can violate.]

c) the lack of counseling and channels of advice available to young film actresses within the film industry.

d) the issue of the editor's blackmailing the actress or money prior to her suicide.

6) The meeting ended with a statement that condemned Jan Astha's report. There will be a follow-up meeting, but it looks like the film people are pushng this isue all the more to the fore, and that's great and needed.

oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal


***

Meeting on 21

an account of yesterday's Martin Chautari discussion, with my comments.

***************

1. Krishna Malla, Ashok Sharma and Basundhara Bhusal presented their case quite well as speakers. Chautari was packed with more than 40 people.

2. From what is known informally so far (ie. keep in mind that all this still needs to
be PROVEN conclusively in a court of law later, when lawyers question and counter-question Kishore Shrestha and others):

The editor Kishore Shrestha had been blackmailing the actress Sreesha Karki (SK) for the last two years. He had been demanding money so that Karki's pictures would not br printed in his tabloid newspaper - Jan Astha (a name which ironically means: public conscience.)

3. So far, SK had paid up to Rs. 5000 to Shrestha. Shrestha had been demanding for Rs. 5000 for "dassain kharcha". Shrestha is known to have tried to blackmail other actresses too in the past.

4. TWO YEARS AGO, film-producer Sunita Khadka and the then sub-police inspector Uddhav Bhandari had taken some uncompromising pictures of SK against her will in a room at a house in Bishal Nagar. So outraged had SK been afterward that, soon after, she TRIED hard to file a formal complaint to the police at Hanuman Dhoka. Apparently, the police then REFUSED to register her complaint, much less launch an investigation. [This could be due to the fact that Bhandari was with the police then . . . and apparently he and Sunita Khadka were members of some Mafia here -- some sort of a prostitution ring -- that supplied women to mantris/VIPs and others, and that Mafia apparently enjoyed protection by the higher-ups in Nepal. Bhandari later left his police ko jaagir
and now works in some restaurant in London, England.]

5. Somehow, Kishore Shrestha -- the editor -- got hold of those pictures, and then started blackmailing SK, for at least more than a year, demanding money and finally publishing one of those pictures on Wednesday, October 9. [Shrestha is at large now and now the sentiment is that the police must issue warrants to arrest him.]

6. On Thursday, October 10, outraged by the photo in Jan Astha, members of the Kalakar Sangh called SK and asked her to come attend a meeting so that they could take actions against Jan Astha for publishing such a picture of her. Karki said she would come, and left home. But on the way, local hooligans, who had seen her picture in Jan Astha, began to harrass her, teasing her and passing sexually explicit comments to her. Karki turned around, and went back home.

7. The efforts of Kalakar Sangh to contact SK thereafter failed, for they were told that she was unavailable.

8. Karki took her life by hanging herself the following Monday on a day of Dassain.

*************

9. The question is: What if SK had been an UML or Congress ko karya-karta?

10. Jan Astha is an UML-supported newspaper, and Kishore Shrestha is an UML comrade. At Martin Chautari, NONE of the left ko intellectuals -- even the very folks who had even been active in Bichalit Bartaman program not too long ago -- showed up to give their opinions. What's more, none of the Leftist intelectuals have issued a statement so far.

Let me take names of these publicly-known individuals: The SILENCE of Rajendra Maharjan, Shyam Shrestha, Khagendra Sangraula, Sashi Shrestha, Bidya Bhandari, Sahana Pradha, Anand Dev Bhatta, Ninu Chapagai, Ramesh Bhattarai, Mahesh
Maskey et all has been DEAFENING.

The HYPOCRISY and the INTELLECTUAL BANKRUPTNESS of the Nepali Left are that
they think and move like a herd of cattle, putting party ko supposed unity before safeguarding individual rights, protesting against GENERAL social ills (and that's always easy to do!) while keeping silent when a SPECIFIC issue involving one of their own comrades comes up.

Protecting your comrades, in other words, is more imporant than defending your principles.

10. Likewise, the brother/sister organizations of Nepali Congress and RPP too have
been silent. Perhaps they are waiting to see/hear what the UML people do.

11. Even the women's rights activists -- Bandana Rana's Sancharika Samuha -- have been silent by and large, wven though this whole thing falls under one of those
donors ko darling issues: "Media and women".

12, Except for CVICT, none of the so many human rights organizations in Nepal - all
fed on donor's dollars -- have raised halla-khalla over this matter.

13. Like I said earlier, the death of SK does NOT lend itself to be a ready-made NGO-ish issue in Nepal . . . hence the inaction from organizations and individuals whose very boast is always how much they do for Nepal.

[anand]

So, what's next?

At the Chautari discusssion, lawyer Gopal Chintan Siwakoti, Pratyoush Onta and I -- along with other discussants -- offered these concrete pieces of advice to the Kalakars.

1) Remain calm but be legally strategic (see below).
2) Do not start smashing railings and phone booths, burning down buildings and so on.
That will get you nowhere, and will hurt your campaign for justice.

3) Do your "aam sabha" and signature campaigns and all that, but don't get sucked into doing too much of those activities which are, let's face it, high on feelings and relatively low on gaining any strategic victory in Nepal.

3) The legal challenge is to PROVE that repeated EMOTIONAL harassment over a period of time contributed to the death. Though Nepal's laws recognize death due to PHYSICAL injuries, they do NOT yet recognize death due to EMOTIONAL injuries.

4) Hire a first-rate team of lawyers (who are low on rhetoric and high on building
winning strategies) whose one and only mission is to, after looking at the laws of the US and other countries, eventually argue in front of the Supreme Court of Nepal for a
precedent which, in effect, says something like: Nepali laws too recognize and
provide punishments for causing death by repeated emotional harassment.

5) Getting such a ruling from the Supreme Court will make this case a landmark one, and the similar rights of others in Nepal -- from whatever background -- will enjoy legal protections.

6) Do not spend your energy on too many thngs now, you'll get tired soon, and this story will recede into the background very soon, rendering all your andolan-work ineffective. Focus 90 per cent of your effort on the legal matter, with the only
objective to set a legal precedent. Getting that precedent would be a great
conribution to the democratization of the Nepali societies.

7) Do not try to defend SK's character or her lack of education and other UNRELATED matters. Once you get down that road, the issue wil be diverted. SK's good or bad character or her lack of formal educaton has NO bearing in this case. For the sake of argument, even so-called khattam men and women in Nepal too DESERVE legal protection against blatant violation of their basic right to life. This is what you want
to push for REPEATEDLY in public.

Do NOT try to explain legal matters to the public yourselves. You are not lawyers yourselves. Have your lawyer address them when jounalists as law-related questions. Having your lawyer speak up for you will help you achieve CONSISTENCY in what you are saying.

9) This is also a time for instrospection for you. Maybe you should look into your own film industry now and do a study of what makes and hampers a Nepali woman's career in your industry. Are they exploited there? Are they underpaid? Look for ways to so that your assoiation can unblock constraints (financial, social, logistics) that women in your industry (from actresses to dancers to starlets) face. Perhaps you can institute "help-lines" or "counselling sessions" within your industry so that men and women needing outlets can benefit. This self-cleansing will be good for the further development of your own film industry.

10) Finally, the SK case is NOT a three-hour movie. This is not reel life. The hero or the heroine may NOT win in this real life. More than raw emotions and seething anger (all understanable emtions given the death), what are needed are calm and cool strategies that WIN the case for SK by setting a legal pecedent and by throwing Kishore Shrestha et al into jail for years.

oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal


From nepalnews.com

Jana Aastha editor still at large, issues statement

Film artistes affiliated with seven different professional organizations are handing over a memorandum to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand Thursday demanding for the formation of a probe commission on the issue related with the nude photo and news that led Nepali film actress Shreesha Karki to commit suicide.

The film artistes have already filed a lawsuit charging the editor of the "Jana Aastha" weekly of murder. A day after the case was filed, the editor of the weekly, who is still underground issued a statement saying that he had not foreseen the grave consequences of the news.

"The only motive behind the story was to unveil the perversions that are widespread in the Nepali movie industry," Shrestha said in the two page long statement.

The film artistes also burnt the copy of the weekly in "Ratna Park" yesterday appealing to the local people to ban the paper completely.

********************************************\


PUTTING THE MEDIA ON TRIAL
Manjushree Thapa
From Nepali Times

The front page of the 9 October issue of Jana Aastha, a left-leaning vernacular weekly, carried a story headlined: A COLOURFUL EVENING IN FILM CITY. Written by Bishwamani Subedi and Yadavprasad Pandey, it concerned the alleged prostitution, sexual escapades and love affairs of those in the Nepali film industry.

Sadly, this was not out of the ordinary for the paper, leafed through by many for its insider police and army gossip, but considered, like many of the vernacular weeklies, to fall short of professional standards. But what was out of the ordinary, even for the sleaziest of vernaculars, was a photograph of a naked woman that accompanied the last story. Its caption sadistically read: "Do you recognise this Nepali heroine?"

The actress in the photograph, Shrisha Karki, hung herself at her home in Chabahil six days later in a case that shook the film industry over Dasain. It is not hard to imagine the intense degradation the young woman must have felt in her last days. What support would she have possibly received a society obsessed with women’s sexual purity?

Anyone who looks at her photograph can measure her vulnerability: in it, she stares up from a hunched-over position in bed, her face contorted in fear, her body frozen in humiliation. It is obvious that the photograph was taken against her will. Karki’s is the face of a victimised woman pleading, unmistakably, for some decency from her victimiser.

This was a decency that Jana Aastha's editor, Kishore Shrestha, did not extend to her.
Shrestha’s decision to run the photograph has reared ugly allegations about the sordid underworld of journalism. Film artists claim that Shrestha had been using the photograph to extort the actress.

According to them, the picture was taken a year and a half ago by a photographer and a policeman who has since retired, Uddav Bhandari, after inviting Karki to an apartment and forcibly stripping her, with the help of a film director; it was their intention to blackmail her into prostitution. The actress filed a complaint immediately after the incident, but the police were slow to act on it. She went to meet the photographer, but could not retrieve the film. According to film artists, Shrestha continued to extort her even after her engagement. He ran the photograph after Karki refused to give in to his extortion.

Krishna Malla of the Film Artists’ Association says that the organisation is pursuing a variety of legal recourses. These avenues, however, are limited. The Film Artists’ Association helped file a plea with the police—while Karki was still alive—requesting that strong action be taken against Shrestha. But the maximum punishment for defamation is a Rs 5,000 fine and a sentence of two years.

The public offence law against indecency carries a maximum punishment of Rs 10,000, a two-year sentence, and damages. According to public interest advocate Gopal Sivakoti Chintan, punishment for such crimes usually amounts to a fine of five or ten rupees, and limited jail time, if any. There are no laws in Nepal to punish those who instigate suicide. A bill on journalists’ code of ethics, which bars the publication of photographs without permission, is stuck indefinitely in parliament. Malla reports that Karki’s family is now proceeding with murder charges against Shrestha, in the hope that he is meted out the stiffest punishment.

Film artists have formed a committee for this cause, and are also lobbying media organisations to hold its members accountable. The Nepal Film Directors’ Association has pressed complaints at the Nepal Press Council and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, asking that action be taken against Shrestha.

Acknowledging that Shrestha violated Karki’s right to privacy and instigated her death, the Press Council’s Chairperson Harihar Birahi has said that the Press Council can issue a warning, demand an apology, and work to revoke Shrestha’s press identity card. The Federation has been meeting to deliberate over its response.

The office of Jana Aastha remained closed throughout the Dasain holidays, and neither Shrestha nor the two authors of the article have surfaced. In the meanwhile Biswamani Subedi has taken out a notice claiming that Karki’s suicide proved his story’s allegations to be true; he has exposed, in the process, his own ignorance of privacy laws and journalistic ethics. The paper’s assistant editor resigned after public outcry over the incident mounted.

Would this case have received such attention if Karki had not lost her life for it? Most probably not. It is an open secret that most vernacular weeklies are backed by various political parties, or cliques within them. The political patrons of Jana Aastha are said to be the Bam Dev Gautam clique of the CPN (UML). These patrons have never, till now, had to question their own moral standing, and their commitment to Nepali women by backing such a substandard, anti-women rag.

Strangely, despite the overt misogyny of Jana Aastha’s treatment of Karki, women’s rights activists have been slow to organise dissent against this incident. There is plenty they could do to address the widespread denigration of women in the media, and social double standards in demanding sexual purity from women.

One problematic but typical response to Karki’s death has been to blame the victim. An example: while supporting Karki, the Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies has also suggested that the film industry keep its activities respectable. Another response from a film industry journalist was: “Actresses with bad morals are also polluting Nepali society.” (Needless to say, most activists and journalists are not of the breed that necks openly on the couches of Himalayan Java).

Manju Thapa of Asmita has been quick to speak against the preying of women in the media after this incident. To return to the 9 October issue of Jana Aastha: the only other story concerning women on the front page was headlined: MANISHA’S LOVER IN A BRAWL.

The story reported a scuffle in the Everest Hotel’s disco, where actress Manisha Koirala’s former boyfriend was supposedly ogling, while drunk, a show of “young women in transparent clothing”. In fact the former boyfriend and his wife were having a quiet dinner elsewhere in the hotel. None of which has anything to do with Koirala: Jana Aastha was simply smearing her name in the mud, in a casual show of contempt for an accomplished Nepali woman.

Such prevalent double standards pose a challenge to women’s rights activists, who are, let us hope, not too busy with their party politics or NGO projects to act on this case. After all, Shrisha Karki is not on trial here. Nor is the film industry. Kishore Shrestha, Bishwamani Subedi and Yadavprasad Pandey of Jana Aastha are on trial. The police are also on trial, to route out police complicity, if any, in this case. And the sponsors of Jana Aastha are most definitely on trial.

The entire Nepali media faces a serious challenge at this time. Krishna Malla has been heartened by the media’s support against Jana Aastha: “The press is very aware. I believe we will receive justice because of the coverage the media has given this incident.”

But stamping out corruption in the media will take serious effort. The Nepal Press Council and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists must not only penalise Jana Aastha in the strongest terms possible, they must actively enforce more ethical standards in their member organisations. Media houses must aggressively flush out those among them who are violating their profession’s code of ethics.

If such steps are taken, they may be the only meaning to be salvaged from the death of a brutishly hounded and hunted-down young woman.

 THE END

[anand]

Suicide by actress raises questions of media ethics in Nepal
Fri Oct 25, 4:57 AM ET
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer

KATMANDU, Nepal - Until last week, when her suicide suddenly thrust her into the limelight, Shrisha Karki was little known in this Himalayan kingdom.



Days before she was found hanging in her home, a nude photograph of the 24-year-old struggling actress, part-time model and beauty salon manager, was published in Janaastha, a weekly newspaper. The newspaper, giving no evidence, said she was a prostitute.


Her death outraged the small Nepalese film community, and raised serious questions about media ethics and press limits in a country with no libel laws.


Even media rights activists are furious.


"The incident has not only ended the life of an aspiring artist but has also scarred the whole profession of journalism in the country," said Taranath Dahal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists. "We don't have laws protecting privacy and right to information and this is the result. It was wrong for the newspaper to write or publish materials like that."


Police are searching for the newspaper's editor, Kishore Shrestha, and two of its reporters, said police official Topendra Dhoj Hamal. Hamal said criminal charges will be filed against the journalists once they are found, but it was not clear what the charges would be.


The newspaper has been shut down, and former employees refuse to comment.


Karki was found hanging from the ceiling of her rented house in the capital Katmandu by family members on Oct. 14, five days after the black and white photograph was published.


It was not clear how the newspaper paper obtained the photograph.


Karki had had minor roles in a few Nepali-language movies and had modeled for a soap commercial. Like most people in Nepal's tiny movie industry, she had another job to keep her bills paid — in Karki's case running a Katmandu beauty salon.


After the publication of the photograph, which showed her on her hands and knees on a bed, Karki's mood reportedly changed dramatically.

"People began ridiculing her and the public scorn drove her to suicide," The Himalayan Times quoted her brother, who did not want to be named, as saying. Nepal is a conservative country in many ways, and displays of nudity are all-but unknown here.

Nepal's Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but the law remains ill-defined.

"There are no libel laws existing in our country that specifically state how much is too much in regards to the media," said Bal Krishna Neupane, a Supreme Court advocate.

Karki's friends have filed a complaint with the Press Council, a government-appointed body that monitors Nepal's media. The Council has condemned the incident and summoned the editor for questioning. It cannot press criminal charges against individual journalists.

Most cases against the press are filed under the Public Offense Act, which is used mostly for criminal cases like assault.

Neupane said that while there is a defamation law, it is mostly used for cases of verbal abuse and has been little-tested in newspaper cases. It carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

"No one has been sent to jail under this provision," Neupane said. "This case show how important it is to have strong libel laws."

***


Two held in Shrisha murder case (After two years)

KOL Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 11, 2004 - Over one and a half years after the suicide of actress Shrisha Karki, two journalists associated with Jana Astha weekly were arrested Saturday.

Police in civil dresses arrested Yadav Prasad Pandey and Bishwo Mani Subedi of the tabloid Saturday. They are charged of murdering Karki by publishing stories with her naked photographs. Karki had committed suicide after the photographs were published.

[anand]

update