Nepal Bar Association President Emphasizes Civil Society's Role in Protecting Press Freedom and Democracy

Kathmandu. Nepal Bar Association President Prof. Dr. Vijayprasad Mishra has stated that strong vigilance from civil society is necessary for the protection of press freedom and democracy. Speaking during a demonstration organized in the capital on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, he emphasized that press freedom is still at risk globally and that the current generation must continuously struggle for its protection. 

Recalling that press freedom was achieved through the great sacrifice of ancestors, President Mishra said that it must be protected not only by writing it in the constitution but also by implementing it in practice. Expressing the full commitment of the Bar Association to the demands and agenda raised by the Nepal Journalists Association, he mentioned that the Bar is vigilant against attempts to indirectly control the press through advertisements or by cutting minimum facilities. 

Commenting on the government's style of functioning, Dr. Mishra said that it is unfortunate for democracy that a government with a nearly two-thirds majority is resorting to ordinances instead of seeking the confidence of the parliament. Mishra clarified that the public's anger is not towards political parties but only towards their working methods. He argued that it would be wrong to base this anger on the idea of ending 'party-ism' and starting a one-party rule. 

Targeting the landless squatters' problem and the recent 'dozer' terror, he said that displacing people without considering human sensitivity during the court's vacation is a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to housing. President Mishra also urged the National Human Rights Commission to publicly release the report of the incidents of Bhadra 23 and 24 impartially. 

He stated that the time has come for civil society to take unified steps to identify the culprits and protect human rights. Expressing confidence that the country's system can be saved only through collaboration between the press and legal professionals, he pledged that the Bar Association will always be ready to provide necessary legal advice and assistance to journalists.