Journalists injured during Gen Z uprising feted

Kathmandu, Dec 19: The government has honoured journalists who were injured during the Gen Z uprising.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology honoured the journalists wounded while reporting the September Gen Z protests.

At a programme organized at the ministry on Friday, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel feted four injured journalists.

On the occasion, independent journalist Shambhu Dangal was honoured with cash Rs 100, 000 and a letter of appreciation, and Shyam Shrestha (Kantipur Television), Umesh Karki (Nepal Press) and Deependra Dhungana (Naya Patrika) with Rs 25,000 each.

Speaking at the programme, Minister Kharel said the journalists who performed their duties risking own life in favour of the country and the people were honoured in recognition of their contributions.

He highlighted the need of shared responsibility of the government, agitating side or host and media houses for the safety of the journalists who are always at forefront in several protest programmes.

Saying that the State would bear the costs involved in the treatment of journalists injured during the protests, Minister Kharel urged the wounded journalists to keep in touch regularly.

The Minister further said that the loss amounting to Rs 780 million was incurred in the media sector during the Gen Z protests and shared his worry how to work for its reconstruction.

Informing that the government has initiated associating journalists of the Gorkhapatra Corporation with the social security scheme since Thursday, he pledged to include the journalists working with Radio Nepal, Nepal Television and Rastriya Samachar Samiti in the scheme.

Minister Kharel urged the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) to initiate a campaign to include the journalists working with private media in the social security scheme and demonstrate activism to arrange employment opportunities for unemployed, injured journalists.

Among the honoured, journalist Shanbhu Dangal called for the government to make policy arrangement for safety of journalists mobilized in the forefront, promote journalist safety fund and associate journalists with social security scheme.