TRN Experiences: Ebbs And Flows

My almost 28-year stint as a journalist in The Rising Nepal daily has been a mixed experience characterised by excitement, opportunities, and challenges. Prior to joining The Rising Nepal, I had a few years of journalism experience in the private Nepali weeklies that were mouthpieces of the radical communist party of that time—the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) or CPN-ML. The CPN-ML was later renamed as the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN-UML, after the merger of the two dominant communist parties of that time—CPN-ML, led by Madan Bhandari, and CPN-Marxist of Manmohan Adhikari. The CPN-UML, at present, is the second largest party in parliament, and its chairman leads the coalition government.

I joined the TRN as a subeditor and got promoted with the passage of time to reach the highest position—the editor-in-chief of the daily—before I finally retired. During my entire career as a journalist at The Rising Nepal, I worked in different sections of the daily—reporting section, news desk, feature section, editorial writing, and also in the managing position. When I joined The Rising Nepal as a junior reporter (sub-editor), Shyam KC was the editor-in-chief. KC is a perfect gentleman, and I always revere him even today, although he retired a long time ago. Shyam KC always encouraged not only me but also all colleagues, and he never harassed or discouraged anyone. KC quit The Rising Nepal and joined The Kathmandu Post as editor. I still remember the moment when KC told me about his resignation; I virtually felt like crying.

I worked with several other editors-in-chief, and I had good relations with all of them. P. Kharel is a man of genius from whom I learnt a lot. He quit the paper in deep protest against the then management. He was executive editor when he quit. It was unfortunate for the paper to lose such an experienced and genius person. It was indeed injustice against him. But within two years after he resigned, Kharel returned to The Rising Nepal as editor in chief. And justice was thus restored.

Kharel served as editor-in-chief for a few years and quit on his own volition to join the Frederick Ebert Stiftung in Nepal as a media expert. Apart from that, Kharel is a journalism professor at Tribhuvan University, a media trainer, an author, and a columnist. I still remember the column he used to write under the pen name ‘Eagle Eye.’ His write-ups were and still are focused, sharp, informative, and analytical. I worked with him even after he left The Rising Nepal. P Kharel is frank and outspoken, at the same time cooperative and supportive.

Another thorough gentleman was Barun Sumsher Rana, who was the first editor-in-chief of The Rising Nepal. Although I did not work with him directly, I was somehow associated with him, as he was the editor of the Sunday Dispatch, an English weekly, which has now folded up. I have regard for him as well. Manaranjan Josse is yet another genius editor. I did not work directly under him, as he had been deputed as Nepal’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations when I joined The Rising Nepal. After he returned from New York, he again worked with TRN shortly. Josse’s write-up and analysis used to be very analytical and full of arguments. It was a great moment to have been associated with and learning from him, though shortly. 

The other gentleman with whom I worked is Dr. Tara Nath Sharma, an icon of the Nepali literary field. He was appointed editor of TRN after Shyam KC quit. My experiences with Dr. Sharma are vivid. He was honest, and he used to appear very innocent, like a child. But he was always straightforward and would say openly whatever he had in mind. Similarly, I worked with other editors, including Gyan Rai, Jawahar Krishna Manandhar, and Lok Deep Thapa. Gyan Rai was a workaholic and very particular. He too is very straightforward and has no ill will against anyone. Jawahar Krishna Manandhar and Lok Deep Thapa are other editors with whom I worked. I have a vivid memory about Manandhar and Thapa, too.

It will be unfair if I fail to mention Gopal Sharma’s name. I worked directly under him in the reporting section as he was the chief reporter. He was a hard-working person and would demand the same from other colleagues. I have mixed feelings about him and felt ups and downs in the relations with him. 

I have experience of both ebbs, and I am proud to have worked with these wonderful people in The Rising Nepal. It is their training, guidance, and suggestion that contributed to honing my skill as a journalist. I assumed the responsibility as the editor-in-chief of the daily twice: first in 2007 and the second time in 2016. I had some bitter relations with some people in the management during my first stint as editor-in-chief. But in the rest of my time in the Gorkhapatra, everything went well, and most of the people in the TRN and Gorkhapatra were very good, cooperative, and supportive. Most of the colleagues in The Rising Nepal were fantastic.

The Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal, in a way, are universities of journalism in Nepal. There are many journalists working in different media outlets of Nepal who were, one way or the other, trained in the Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal. The Gorkhapatra is, of course, the first newspaper of Nepal, and The Rising Nepal is also the first surviving English daily of Nepal. In a way, The Rising Nepal is a living heritage of English-language journalism in Nepal.

The Rising Nepal daily and Gorkhapatra daily, along with other publications, are definitely government-owned. But the Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal are still more credible than the private sector’s media. Being government-owned, these publications are public properties, which belong to 30 million Nepali people. However, despite their long history, these publications have their own problems and challenges. At the same time, they have to compete with the private sector’s publications. Gorkhapatra’s publications, including The Rising Nepal, do not seek profit but serve for the public good. Thus, they need to be better equipped with human and financial resources in order to enable these publications to inform and serve the people in a more effective and impactful manner. In addition, the Gorkhapatra Corporation needs to make serious soul searching on the entire gamut, including structural reform and working style, in order to make it people’s publishing house. 

(Lamsal is former editor-in-chief of TRN and former ambassador.)