In support of Krishna Dhungana

After a long hiatus, I am joining ChangeinKU again. My departure from ChangeinKU was nothing but a mere handiwork of stooges of Suresh Raj and Sitaram. How Suresh Raj and Sitaram manipulated so called academic and researchers are well known to us. These dignified(?) people are yet to issue their statements against nepotism of Suresh Raj and Sitaram. I hope great friends of KUPA like Dr. Ram Prasad, Dr. Sameer and other respected colleagues of KU will take notice of it. Perhaps, as destined, I am rejoining this blog with a protest note. This protest is against high-handedness of one journalist who fought tooth and nail against absolute regime of King Gyanendra. Journalist Krishna Jwala Devkota was admired by many of us. His regular presence in Kantipur raised our expectations. When we heard that he was raided by Nepal Army to persecute him, we all wished for his well being. His words were so powerful that Gyanendra had to send an army to harass him and subdue him. But, not to be subdued and not to be taken over, he kept on writing and writing.

It is a old story now. No need to repeat again. We can only reminisce what Krishna Jwala used to be. And this action of reminiscence brings an unavoidable displeasure. What else can be more displeasing than Krishna Jwala emulating former king Gyanendra? Gyanendra is now lying semi-conscious while waywardly trying to stoke up monarchy in Nepal. Gyanendra is bound to do that because without monarchy, he is nowhere. But, to our common chagrin, it is really discomforting to know that Krishna Jwala has now metamorphed into a nascent Gyanendra.

Blogger Krishna Dhungana, who appears on weekly basis in My Sansar, is a gentleman journalist. His worldview, and presentation of the same is really fascinating. With his arrival, My Sansar of our famed Umesh Shrestha has started to cater to diverse needs of blog readers. His weekly columns sometimes focused on weaknesses of Gandhi and sometimes focused on relevance of Yoga and meditation. While dealing with tidbits of urbane Nepal, he provided wholesome entertainment to all of us. In every genre of writing Krishna Dhungana left a mark. He excelled so much in his blogs that many of us eagerly waited for appearance of his blogs in My Sansar.

But, it is so disgusting that our common acceptance has transformed into total rejection of Krishna Jwala. A renowned scribe called Krishna Jwala has not been able to come to terms with popularity of Krishna Dhungana. what a shame? Krishna Jwala is totally wrong in his actions terminating services of Krishna Dhungana on baseless charges of concentrating more on blogs than on his newspaper named “Naya Patrika” with old mindset. By writing on My Sansar Krishna Dhungana has not made any mistake. Krishna Dhungana has neither tried to recruit his brother nor tried to enroll his daughter exactly like our Suresh Raj Sharma of KU. Krishna Dhungana has never claimed that he is the development oriented journalists like our Suresh Raj who claims the same before gobbling hefty commission from building constructors. The only mistake of Krishna Dhungana is that he used to write freely and without anybody’s coercion.

Neo-Gyanendra, be it Suresh Raj or be it Krishna Jwala never tolerates individual and collective freedom. Suresh Raj of KU claims that having organizations of teachers and students brings politics in KU. And Krishna Jwala of Naya Patrika claims that journalists writing blogs would not bring him saleable headlines. Similarity between Suresh Raj and Krishna Jwala may not be discernible to common readers easily. Suresh Raj’s protection of academia against vices of politics may appeal certain people. Similarly, Krishna Jwala’s dictatorship may also appease his investors. But, freedom and individuality can never be traded with any advancement, and developments. Suresh Raj’s logic of organizations bringing politics in KU is as fallacious as Krishna Jwala’s observation of declining competence of scribes writing in blogs. Both of them are not only wrong but are also guilty of consciously subverting our freedom.

As a much-harassed blogger of ChangeinKU, I can claim that no body knows the travails of a chastised blogger more than I do. As a firm believer in blogging as a medium of self-expression, I am determined to protect not only my own rights but also to lend my valuable support to fellow bloggers of Nepal. In view of tyrannical actions of Krishna Jwala Devkota terminating job of Krishna Dhungana on flimsy ground of writing on My Sansar, we like to express our solidarity with Krishna Dhungana. We warn Krishna Jwala that his not rescinding his disgusting decision would backfire on him.